Committee of Supply − Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)

Crisis and Confidence Management

Mr Hri Kumar Nair: Sir, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100.

On 15 December 2011, there was a major disruption of the North-South MRT Line. Much has been said about the causes, and the matter is now the subject of an inquiry. We will in due time learn more about what happened and why, and so I will not dwell on these matters.

But the incident opened our eyes to another serious issue. There did not appear to have been an emergency response plan, and if there was one, it was inadequate, or poorly executed. I am particularly concerned by the chaos that ensued in the aftermath of the incident. Many people were stuck in pitch darkness in the tunnel with little ventilation. The electrical back-up which was supposed to work did not. The train drivers, who were best placed to take immediate action, were for some reason, not able to make announcements. The evacuation took a long time and there was great confusion. The public were still entering the station thinking that train services were still running. People leaving the station were not sure what to do and where to go. The crowds spilled onto the streets, looking for alternative transport.

Sir, this was a simple train disruption. What would have happened if it had been a fire or if it had been a terrorist attack? There is no doubt that it would have been horrific. We can have inquiries, meetings and discussions to determine who was responsible, but that is only a part of the challenge we face.

Singapore has long prided ourselves on our record on law and order. We are regarded as one of the safest countries in the world to live, play and work. But that is generally in the context of crime prevention and enforcement. The law and order challenges we face today are different. One of the greatest risks we face is terrorism. It has not disappeared with the elimination of Osama Bin Laden or other prominent terrorist leaders. It may not be as dramatic as airplanes flying into buildings or terrorists wielding Kalashnikovs running through our streets. But incidents of sabotage, such as bombs on buses, fires in confined places, derailment of trains will do just as much damage. Not just the loss of life and property, but loss of confidence in our agencies and Singapore as well.

Are we prepared for these threats? We have conducted a number of exercises to train our Homeland and Military forces, but the SMRT incident has demonstrated starkly that there are other areas to address. Chief among these is whether public transport operators, owners of buildings and other organisations in charge of places where large numbers of people congregate or pass through, have adequate and workable plans to deal with emergencies, have trained their staff to execute these plans and, just as importantly, whether such plans are known to, and coordinated with, public agencies such as the police and SCDF, which will at some stage be responding to the crisis as well? Is there even a plan or protocol as to when and what stage the private body should involve the Government agencies?

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Experts often say that the first response to a crisis will determine the extent of the damage or loss to human life. In this regard, it is critical that the organisation on the ground, whether the public transport operator or the building owner, responds effectively. Are we confident that they will be able to do so, or is it the case that we will only find out when a crisis occurs?

I, therefore, ask the Government whether it has plans to audit the emergency plans of private and Government organisations to see if they are robust, not just on paper but in practice, and ensure that there will be effective coordination with public agencies. Does the Ministry of Home Affairs have a minimum standard for crisis management for significant institutions and if it does not, is MHA satisfied with allowing them to determine their own plans?

Even if there are plans in place, a theoretical plan can fail quite dramatically when put to the test. However, paper exercises and rehearsed plans are insufficient. For example, all buildings are required to conduct fire drills regularly, but people do not take them seriously. The drills are announced in advance, and many go for tea breaks or schedule meetings elsewhere before the alarm is sounded. It gives new meaning to the phrase: "you know the drill". I accept it is highly disruptive to conduct surprise drills or to inject greater reality into our security exercises. No one will be grateful for the inconvenience, and it may even be dangerous where the plans turn out to be inadequate.

But these things are too important to ignore or leave to public and private organisations to work out on their own. I believe that the Government should have a system to audit the plans of significant organisations to determine not only that they have adequate and comprehensive safety and evacuation plans, but that there is proper coordination plan with public agencies, in particular, the police and the SCDF. It should also include a proper communications plan − something which we do not do particularly well. It will be impossible to audit everyone but, at the very least, high traffic areas such as train stations, bus interchanges, shopping malls, sports and performance venues. The comments by the auditors can be integrated into the crisis plan such that any lapses can be rectified and improvements tested during the next audit. This would develop into a set of Standard Operating Procedures where each party knows what they and others are expected to do.

The MRT disruption taught us a lesson in crisis management at relatively little cost. I hope that something concrete will be done to ensure that we are able to deal with larger, more serious crisis efficiently and effectively. It is impossible to ensure that a crisis will not happen. But how we respond to it will be critical in ensuring that Singaporeans remain confident in our safety and security.

In that connection, may I ask the Deputy Prime Minister to also update the House on the terrorist and other security situations in the region? In particular, could he elaborate on what we are doing to protect ourselves against such threats, both by ourselves and working with our neighbours?

Terrorism/Home Team

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Mr Alvin Yeo (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Chairman, our security agencies have done an admirable job in protecting Singapore from the scourge of terrorism. The non-occurrence of any terrorist act within our shores in recent history does not mean that the threat of terrorism has receded, still less, disappear. Internationally, the blows inflicted on Al Qaeda organisation have clearly taken away some or much of its capacity to carry out large scale acts of terrorism like the 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center. However, it has spawned hosts of small terrorism, which because they are small in size, are not linked to any central organisations, are harder to detect and stamp out.

Within the region, measures taken against the leading figures of the JI organisation have handicapped though not destroyed its ability to wreak havoc. However, like a virus, it continues to evolve. So, for example, a recent report in The Straits Times told of an offshoot organisation called the JAT, which is active in Indonesia. Terrorist bombings still continue to occur within our neighbouring countries. So, the threat has certainly not gone away but merely evolved.

To counter this changing threat, our frontline defence Home Team also needs to evolve and upgrade its game. This is not just a matter of hardware, having the most modern equipment and systems, but also software – our people. The gathering of intelligence, the detection of small, loosely organised cells, the countering of infiltration in religious communities and the accompanying radicalisation of our youth.

These all require greater attention. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Home Team intends to meet these new challenges and what they are doing to equip our men and women with the relevant competencies, the relevant skill sets to deal with the evolving face of terrorism. The issues raised are just as important, perhaps even more so, in 2012 than 10 years ago in the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster and Bali bombing.

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Dr Janil Puthucheary (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Sir, as Mr Alvin Yeo and Mr Hri Kumar have highlighted, the threat of terrorism is still an imminent one that Singapore faces even many years after the noteworthy attacks on September 11. Although we have been spared major incidents, it does not mean that we are immune to such threats or attacks. And there is evidence that Singapore continues to be vulnerable as it has been described as a significant target by various groups in Southeast Asia. Our Home Team officers have been doing a good job at keeping our nation safe and keeping these threats in check.

Terrorists, like any other organisation, continue to innovate in a bid to exploit loopholes in our security. In addition, there have been cases of self-radicalisation, where the individuals concerned are harder to detect because of an absence of links to known threats, but are nevertheless potentially just as dangerous.

I would like to ask the Minister how the Ministry perceives the terrorism threat has changed in the recent years and how prepared the Home Team is to respond to future and new threats. How prepared are we in facing threats just not from known terrorist groups, but from other groups that may be its offshoots, as well as self-radicalised individuals?

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Cooperation with Community Partners

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Sir, the September 11 attacks of more than 10 years ago have significantly changed our traditional views of security and safety. We will do well not to under-estimate the proliferation of new threats from different angles, and to actively put in place new measures to combat these threats. And we have to constantly review and revise the efficiency of these measures.

In 2006, shortly after the 2005 London bombings, we launched in Singapore the Community Engagement Programme. This is a Programme which seeks to bring together key members of our community from across a broad spectrum of society. The objective is to strengthen the bonds in our community and build resilience from within the Singapore society to better handle threats of terrorism and other external threats. The principle is, if we have a cohesive society with a common philosophy and vision, then these strong communal relations will give us the best defence against extremist and divisive threats.

In this regard, a broad network across various stakeholders of society has, over the past five years, been built around the Community Engagement Programme. However, the pace at which the world is changing means that our society is constantly facing new challenges and stresses that will test our social fabric. It is increasingly difficult to anticipate all possible threats. One example is in the new media arena where the Internet allows for the rapid propagation of potentially irresponsible and divisive ideas. Because the Internet offers the cloak of anonymity, people sometimes act without a sense of accountability, without thinking through the consequences of their actions.

Sir, in this context, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister: (1) what steps are being taken to review the efficiency of our Community Engagement Programme framework and how can we enhance the robustness of our framework to withstand new challenges and risks; and also, (2) what steps can be taken to broaden the outreach with community partners, and to deepen the engagement?

Community Policing

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, the Police has done a wonderful job of dealing with the more serious crimes. As Member of Parliament, the most common feedback I get in relation to Police issues is more in relation to minor non-seizeable offences. In this regard, I welcome the additional resources that are being allocated to community policing. The question I have is whether or not this will mean that the Police will become more willing to investigate and, perhaps, even take more serious action in non-seizeable offences. Now, these include things like nuisance, noise pollution which may seem trivial but for the victims themselves, it is obviously an emotional and distressing thing. I had many residents come to me and say, "I can't sleep, you know, night after night. Noises there all time. I called the Police, nothing happens." So, I would like to ask the Minister whether these additional resources will mean a greater willingness to look into and deal with non-seizeable offences.

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Frontline Policing

Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade): Sir, the announcement of Next Generation Frontline Policing in November last year was a positive move in strengthening the Police as "A Force for the Nation". While the overall crime rate has been declining, Singaporeans can continue to look to the Police for protection against serious crime.

However, Singaporeans, especially heartlanders, also look to the Police to act effectively and efficiently in various areas, ranging from human noise pollution in the heartlands, irresponsible motorcyclists riding on the pedestrian pavements and thefts to robbery, loanshark harassment, and drug peddling. These are all issues that affect the lives of ordinary people on a day-to-day basis and probably happening as we speak.

Sir, while the total number of unlicensed moneylending and loanshark harassment cases has fallen by about 2.1% in the year 2011, we must not under-estimate the fear and emotional trauma that victims feel, particularly the family members and those who are innocent. In such instances, increased police visibility on the ground would give Singaporeans greater confidence and further deter potential harassments. The same applies to other categories of crime.

This is why there has been great anticipation and great expectations since the announcement on Frontline Policing. First, its implementation will be critical as its success or failure will have a significant impact on public confidence.

Hence, could the Ministry explain how the model will be implemented and if it will be rolled out to areas identified to have greater crime prevalence first? Sir, I think it is necessary to implement this soon, prioritised by needs and stress test the model in areas with higher crime prevalence before the model is fully implemented nation-wide, so that public feedback can be taken into account and operational refinements, if any, can be made.

Sir, there are two very important thrusts in the upcoming Frontline Policing. One, community partnership; and two, leveraging technology. In the Frontline Policing model, technology will be deployed to reinforce Police's efforts. For instance, by installing CCTV networks at key entry and exit points at HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks. This will certainly help to deter crimes and collect crucial evidences to assist Police investigations. However, the CCTV network is still limited in its reach. It cannot be installed at every level of the flats and neither can it be installed at every corner of our neighbourhood. Nor do we want it that way because that would be a massive infringement on privacy. Therefore, a strong community partnership is an important complement.

In fighting crimes, members of the community often act as the first line of defence, helping with surveillance, providing tip-offs and even to apprehend culprits in some instances. Therefore, would the Ministry consider further leveraging on technology to facilitate the quest to cultivate strong community-police partnership? For example, with the proliferation of smart phones, capturing photos or videos of crimes in action can be accomplished with relative ease. Members of the public can then send these directly and instantaneously to the Police via smart phone applications. This will encourage community vigilance yet protect members of the public from potential harm, for instance, arising from direct confrontation with thugs. It can also aid the Police in identifying suspects, who may have run away by the time they arrive at the scene.

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The use of smart phone applications is but a suggestion for the Ministry to consider. The larger point, however, is that besides working on public education and community outreach, we should also work on leveraging technology to strengthen the community-police partnership. If criminals know that the community is constantly watching and playing a key role to assist the Police, I am confident that we will achieve even greater crime deterrence and security within our neighbourhoods.

Mr Desmond Lee (Jurong): Mr Chairman, Sir, last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the Police force would be embarking on the Next Generation Frontline Policing model. Based on the details announced so far, this involves the establishment of local crime fighting units at the neighbourhood police centres, deployment of more officers to patrol communities and neighbourhoods and greater community liaison and networking, quite apart from leveraging technology to fight crime.

I welcome this, Sir. Having deeper local knowledge, stronger local presence and more extensive local networks will give the Police much stronger crime prevention and crime-fighting capabilities. More importantly, having officers on the beat will give residents a sense of assurance, a sense of security. Apart from deterring the occasional serious crime, such as housebreaking and robbery, this will also benefit communities by keeping away undesirable elements and reduce public nuisances, such as drunk and disorderly conduct. I hope it will also help tackle the scourge of loansharks.

Two questions, Sir, for the Ministry of Home Affairs. First, how many additional police officers does the Ministry intend to deploy to support the Frontline Policing model; and secondly, Sir, given the very tight labour market, what plans does the Ministry have to attract good quality candidates to meet these additional manpower requirements?

Security Manpower

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, I will touch on the Police, auxiliary police and private security industry in turn. First, the Police. In 2008 the Ministry embarked on a human factor study which showed that certain areas of Police work were especially taxed. MHA has been assuring us that they are expanding. The latest parliamentary answer on 17 February says that it has added 2,000 officers since 2008 and will be adding another 1,400 this year. We all know that the demands on SPF have also increased. We need new neighbourhood police centres, specialists to investigate casino crime, better security for public transport, and so on. The New Generation Frontline Policing model just announced was explained to require more resources. So, the questions remain: is it a case of back to square one despite the additional officers? How many of the additional officers are NSmen rather than regulars, which will affect their deployment responsibilities?

Secondly, the auxiliary police. Could the Ministry confirm how many officers are serving in the auxiliary police forces collectively and whether there are plans to expand the auxiliary police forces? It was reported online that auxiliary police were aggressively recruiting in Malaysia. Does the Government stipulate the minimum criteria for recruitment since these auxiliary police will carry firearms and have Police powers, and are they also subject to psychological testing as with the regular Police?

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Finally, the unarmed private security industry. There appears to be a tremendous shortage of security personnel judging from the job vacancies in newspapers and feedback from security business owners. Though there may be nearly 30,000 holding security officer licences, how many are still actively working in the industry? A previous parliamentary answer in 2010 cited that 71% were active based on employers' notifications. Sir, it seems quite normal for CDCs to refer jobseekers to go for security training. I know of specific instances where some of those referred are not in good health but I understand that they need to work. On the other hand, I have come across some able-bodied persons who were not able to get the clearance to work in this industry due to past criminal record. I completely agree with the need for Police screening of potential security officers. I am also aware that some people with old criminal records were cleared to work in the industry which is a good thing for rehabilitation. Could Ministry clarify its stance towards the past criminal records for those wishing to work as unarmed guards? Are there guidelines about the types of offences which would disqualify applicants or how old the records need to be before they can be cleared to work in the industry?

Lastly, regarding employment conditions, could the Ministry clarify which provisions of the Employment Act have private security employers been exempted from and whether the situation is expected to be permanent?

Leveraging on Technology

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Mr Chairman, Sir, technology has become pervasive in our daily lives. It has been harnessed to enhance productivity, automate processes and generally improve our lives. But, unfortunately, technology is also being used to perpetrate modern-day crimes. Crimes facilitated through technology encompass a wide spectrum and variety of offences, which pose different risks to different consumers, businesses and society at large.

There are broadly two types − new crimes committed with and borne out of new technology advances, and old crimes but committed with the assistance of new technology.

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Newer crimes include hacking, phishing, "spoofing websites" whilst traditional crimes using technology, particularly the Internet, include identity theft, extortion and fraud. There is also a growing worrying trend that the perpetrators in this latter category include the very young, who are very often on the Internet.

The Home Team has to keep pace with such technological advances and methods. Our frontline officers from the various Home Team agencies encounter safety and security threats from a broad spectrum of sources. The rapid developments in technology have challenged our Home Team officers to continually explore new technologies to enhance their operational capability to combat crime more effectively.

Sir, in that light, may I ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Ministry and the Home Team are investing in and leveraging on technology to enhance and complement the capabilities of the Home Team officers, in order to keep ahead, not just keep pace, of advancements in modern crime?

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Internet Freedom

Mr Hri Kumar Nair: Sir, newspapers have been the main way of reporting news and information for many years. Later, we had the radio and the television. While that has helped the advancement of society generally, there are serious risks which come with the easy dissemination of information. Modern society has over time worked out sensible rules for the media to abide by so that it will be a tool for enlightenment and progress, and not one which divides and destroys.

These rules are not peculiar to Singapore but have been developed in many other countries, including the Commonwealth of nations, from which we inherited much of our laws. For example, we have rules on sub judice , where the media is not permitted to discuss and speculate on pending court actions or criminal charges so that the pre-trial will not be prejudiced. We also have defamation rules, which protect the freedom to express an opinion honestly held, but not the propagation of lies. Responsible newspapers apologise or print clarifications when they get the facts wrong, or print responses to an opinion which is not shared. These rules advance the cause of accuracy, transparency and accountability, and provide a framework where people can live and prosper in a healthy environment.

The problem is that much of these rules and conventions were developed in the age before the Internet. The Internet represents a platform for everyone to share information with, and express their views to others. This facility is no longer the domain of traditional media. That is a good thing in many ways. However, today, many people, particularly the younger generation, turn more to the Internet for news and information, and not only from sites maintained by the established news agencies or reputable journalists. The rules, convention and discipline which have been built up for many years do not apply or are difficult to enforce, and there are serious consequences to this.

I am not attacking the Internet or people's right to express their honest views. There is much good in this but just as society has developed rules and norms for traditional media, we need to think about doing the same for the Internet.

Let me give a stark example. After the announcement of the investigation into the conduct of the former heads of CNB and SCDF, there was much discussion on the Net about what they did, and that is to be expected. However, what also happened was that people began speculating on the identity of the women who were involved. Pictures and profiles of various women were circulated. Can you imagine the immense pain and distress of the women who had been wrongly identified? How would you feel if that was your mother, your wife, your sister, your daughter, being so freely discussed and dissected? What is their recourse? They can sue for defamation, but who do they sue? The messages and photos would have been circulated to many people, making it difficult to track down who is responsible. If the posts are anonymous, as many of them are, how do you go about identifying the perpetrator? The woman would have to apply to Court to compel the different hosts of the sites or the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to disclose the identity of the individuals behind the posts, but that may not yield any meaningful results. And how many people have the resources to take such arduous and expensive action? It is unfair to the ordinary man in the street that his reputation, and sometimes his livelihood, can be destroyed by casual statements.

The concerns I have expressed are not new. Many others have expressed it before. At least one country, Japan, has passed some statutes to try and address this situation.

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I propose that we develop a framework of laws which balances the right of an individual to express his views on the Net, and the right of an individual to seek redress quickly and at low cost. It is also important that the laws must be clear enough to prevent abuse, and not be used as a means to stifle legitimate speech. That is a difficult balance, but, right now, where the Net is concerned, there is a complete imbalance. We may even have to set up a specialised agency to help members of the public who have legitimate grievances. The Internet is an important tool for advancement, and when used properly, provides a platform to do much good. But we should all want it to be used responsibly.

Mr Vikram Nair: Sir, can I take the two cuts together?

The Chairman: Take your cuts together.

Cyber Harassment and Bullying

Mr Vikram Nair: Cyber harassment is the intentional and repeated cruel or hurtful behaviour that is carried out over electronic medium including SMS, e-mails, blogs, chat rooms, discussion boards, instant messaging and social network websites. In an article, as early as 2008, Stephanie Gwee from The Straits Times actually pointed out that Singapore had the second highest rate of cyber bullying after the US. This was in the wake of the tragic suicide of Megan Meier who was a teenager who committed suicide after harassment on MySpace by the mother of a classmate. What was worrying is that cyber harassment actually seems to be a big problem amongst the young, as I think Mr Tong acknowledged earlier. I think in that survey, about 35% of students, as cited in the article, were victims of cyber harassment.

Another variation of cyber harassment is an old businessman familiar to many Singaporeans, the " Ah Long ". One of the Ah Long' s favourite methods of harassment is using SMSes. The common thread with cyber harassment is that the victims of cyber harassment obviously suffer in very real terms but the perpetrators often are difficult to detect. My question is: does the Ministry of Home Affairs have any plans to both detect and protect the victims of cyber harassment?

Unlicensed Money Lending

While we are on the topic of loan sharks, I also have a couple of questions relating to measures on unlicensed money lending. This is driven by two things: first, the seriousness of the offence, including the people who do not directly borrow and also the number of young people who get involved or committing it. My questions are: first, how prevalent is youth involvement in unlicensed money lending and what steps are being taken to address potential temptation or deception of youth to commit unlicensed money lending activities? Second, how effective have increased penalties for harassment been in deterring aggressive harassment tactics? Third, how effective have the Police been apprehending culprits who insist on engaging in such aggressive and dangerous harassment tactics?

Loan Sharks

Mr Heng Chee How: Sir, loan shark harassment strikes terror not only in borrowers but also family members and innocent neighbours and buyers of flats from such borrowers. The ability of loan sharks to get to the front door of any HDB flat and then splash paint or padlock the doors or gates or even set fire, directly and deeply undermines the public sense of security. We must get rid of this scourge. The law against illegal money lending has been strengthened. I note from the media, more frequent reports of police operations against loan sharks as well as arrest and prosecution of loan shark runners and the occasional smashing of syndicates. I would like to ask for an update of the loan sharking situation in Singapore, the total arrest numbers in comparison with those of the past few years and whether the stronger law has led to actual stiffer penalties for loan sharks and their runners. I would also like to ask the Ministry what additional measures and penalties are being contemplated to further hit the loan sharks and dent their ability to terrorise the community.

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Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Sir, I congratulate the Police for making more arrests pertaining to the loan shark activities in 2011. In fact, the arrest rate has increased from about 9% in 2010 to almost 15% in 2011. However, there remain more than 13,000 illegal money lending, loan shark harassment cases last year. On average, more than 36 cases a day. Could MHA share how many of the arrest cases in 2011 involved youths and if there was a rising trend involving young people? Secondly, how many of those arrested were the masterminds of the loan shark syndicates? Thirdly, what is the national strategy to combat loan shark activities moving forward?

The Chairman: Mr Arthur Fong is not in the House. Mr Christopher de Souza.

Casinos – Containing Illicit Activities

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Sir, since the opening of the casinos, the Government has reiterated that it has put in place a comprehensive slew of social safeguards to minimise the ills of casino gambling. Some of these include casino entry levies, entry ban for minors below 21 years old and casino exclusions orders.

These are certainly good infrastructural measures but they must be continually tightened and refined to counter some of the novel negative repercussions brought about by the casinos. One interesting trend that has come to light is that an increasing number of bosses have been using foreign workers in their employment as proxy gamblers. Some of these bosses have exclusion orders blocking them from entering the casinos. This adds a new dimension to the issue of the efficacy of exclusion orders. Where foreign workers are concerned, much of the discussion thus far has been centred on minimising the ills of casino gambling on the foreign workers themselves. However, this new trend has shifted the spotlight from the workers to the employers, some of whom do not even consider themselves as offending any moral principles in manipulating vulnerable employees who are here to eke out a hard living to support their own families back home. What makes the situation even more contemptible is that if the workers end up losing money beyond a set maximum, these losses may sometimes be recovered from the workers' pay. The inherent nature of gambling which makes losses almost inevitable means that foreign workers could thus have their incomes greatly reduced each month.

Can the Ministry of Home Affairs take steps to deter such unconscionable practices and ensure, for example, that employers who flout these rules are appropriately penalised for their actions? The Ministry must take a firm and proactive stance on this: first, to convey a strong normative statement to the public that it recognises the grave ills posed by gambling to Singapore society and, more specifically, the moral abhorrence of this trend; and second, to convey a consistent message that it is a caring and compassionate Government who acknowledges that an essential component of its responsibilities lies in protecting the welfare of all who contribute to Singapore's nation-building – whether as citizens, Permanent Residents, or foreign workers.

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A related issue is how gambling addictions fuelled by the two casinos could spur many debt-ridden gamblers to turn to loan sharks or unlicensed moneylenders as a last resort. It is absolutely necessary that the Government does all it can to suppress illegal money lending and the whole slew of associated social problems, which are thoroughly far-reaching and which include family violence, broken families, and emotional and mental stress brought upon both adults and children. Although amendments have been made to the Moneylenders Act to make it easier for loan sharks to get prosecuted, will the Ministry provide some concrete facts and figures as to whether the revised legislation has had any impact on the incidences of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders in recent months, that is, has it deterred the incidences?

This is especially pertinent as loan sharks are likely to jump at "the lucrative opportunity of baiting more borrowers trying to gamble their way to prosperity". It is a vicious cycle as hard-core gamblers who are trying to get out of huge debts chalked up from previous gambling spates take out loans from these loan sharks in the hope that their potential winnings would cover the losses − only to incur even more losses. As long as such demand for an easy loan exists, it will be difficult to put a complete stop to such loan sharking activities. Are there additional measures – beyond enhanced penalties and stricter enforcement – that the MHA or even the MCYS can put in place to combat the problem holistically, such as working with community organisations and more aggressive publicity and education? In conclusion, such extra vigilance is also necessary to guard against organised crime groups such as drug, vice, and money laundering syndicates taking root in Singapore.

Mr Vikram Nair: Mr de Souza has actually touched on many of the points that I was planning to raise, but let me just pose two questions. The first is this. The casinos and Integrated Resorts have been doing very well financially and there is usually a concern that there are crimes related to casinos, such as unlicensed moneylending, gambling, vice, money laundering, and so on.

Were there any figures that show whether there is any kind of correlation between the opening of casinos and any adverse impact on law and order?

The second question I have relates more to the gambling addiction problem where we are trying to protect people from themselves because of the impact it would have on the families of the gambling addicts. Are there any plans to review and fine-tune the regulatory framework for casinos and IRs in this regard?

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Vice Management in Geylang

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef: Mr Chairman, the Geylang area is a unique and colourful one with a variety of activities appealing to different segments of society. It has segments designated for residential, commercial and institutional use. Changes are taking place all the time as new developments like private condominiums and speciality shops are coming up. How do we ensure their harmonious co-existence, bearing in mind the vice activities in the whole background?

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The vice activities do bring on a slew of related problems such as overcrowding, littering, illegal parking and other forms of illicit transactions. Can there be more sustainable and regular enforcements as well as more inter-agency coordination and cooperation on handling these multi-factorial issues?

As for the upper lorongs and places of religious importance, can we have more innovative strategies to ring fence them in order to ensure their activities are not interrupted or affected by the surrounding vice? This would be something similar to school zones that we have, for example, where gaming arcades are not allowed.

Reduce Human Trafficking in Prostitution

Mr Christopher de Souza: Mr Chairman, Sir, last year marked the start of a serious discourse on the state of human trafficking in Singapore and the adequacy of our legal framework and enforcement activities to tackle the very serious issue. The Singapore Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons to intensify the coordination of anti-trafficking initiatives between Government agencies here is a positive start. A National Plan of Action to tackle both sex and labour trafficking is currently in the process of being developed, and will detail strategies to reduce the incidence of human trafficking in Singapore, minimise exploitation opportunities by traffickers, and heighten our national response to trafficking cases.

Even as the Government works on prevention by strict border enforcement and thorough immigration checks as well as the prosecution of human traffickers, much more can be done with respect to the protection of victims. At present, MCYS and MOM fund shelters and dormitories that offer accommodation, medical care and counselling services. I would like to ask the Ministry what other concrete plans they have in mind to improve these victim care and support programmes. Taiwan, for example, has set up 19 shelters to look after victims under the administration of various government agencies, and the government has worked with NGOs to manage the shelters and provide victim support services. Perhaps our Government could look into partnering local NGOs or enhancing support for existing schemes as a means of managing the needs of the victims. But, in a way, helping victims is already too late an intervention. We need to ensure that traffickers are extremely deterred from trying to place women and children in Singapore, which brings me to the issue of legislation.

The Ministry has said that it will consider whether increased enforcement powers, enhanced victim care provisions and harsher sentences will do the trick. By doing so, it is an acknowledgement, and rightly so, that new legislation indeed plays a pivotal role in enhancing our ability to fight human trafficking at the borders. How will the MHA ensure that traffickers are deterred and, if caught, punished harshly?

Also, given the very cross-border nature of human trafficking – which was acknowledged by the Minister, Mr S Iswaran, in a previous debate we had in this House – how will MHA work with other ASEAN countries to ensure the incidence of human trafficking within ASEAN is significantly reduced?

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[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Seah Kian Peng) in the Chair]

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Thank you, Mr Chairman. Allow me to thank hon Members for their views and questions. Over the years, robust laws, effective enforcement and concerted outreach have reduced crime, strengthened communities and kept security threats at bay. Our crime rate has fallen for the sixth consecutive year, with 2011 being the lowest in 20 years. The 2011 Quality of Living Survey by Mercer ranked Singapore as the safest city in Asia and among the top 10 safest cities in the world.

A safe and secure environment is essential for our social well-being and is fundamental for economic growth. A better educated population and a growing economy have created more opportunities for the next generation of Singaporeans, lowering the propensity for crime and criminality. This is a virtuous circle which we should strive hard to maintain.

But there is no room for complacency. Our safety and security landscape is likely to change over the medium to long term. I will outline three key areas which we need to deal with to keep Singapore safe and secure. These issues reflect underlying themes in the questions raised by Members, such as Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Alvin Yeo.

First, terrorism, which continues to be a prime concern. Globally, the terrorism landscape is becoming more fragmented. Since 9-11, Al-Qaeda has been weakened, with the elimination of key figures, such as Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and Anwar Al-Awlaki in Yemen. But the Al-Qaeda franchise remains visible and potent, and its ideology remains alive. We have seen attacks by Al-Qaeda affiliate organisations as well as self-radicalised lone wolves. The methods and means of terrorism can be married with any deviant violent ideology. In July 2011, the Norwegian lone wolf attacker, Anders Brevik, single-handedly killed 77 people and injured many other young people in one day of bombings and shooting, demonstrating how much damage can be caused by one person, and how difficult such attacks are to detect and stop.

In our region, counter-terrorism efforts have disrupted the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network, but the terrorist threat has taken on new guises. JI remnants and other terrorist organisations continue to be active. In February 2010, a jihadist training camp in Aceh was discovered. Last year, there were multiple attacks against mosques and churches in Indonesia. On 14 February this year, just one day after coordinated bomb attacks in New Delhi and Tbilisi, there was a failed terror plot in Bangkok where several bombs exploded prematurely causing five casualties. This followed the earlier arrest in Bangkok on 13 January of a Hezbollah suspect linked to a cache of over 4,300 kilograms of urea and 38 litres of liquid ammonium nitrate.

We thus need to remain on our guard, continue to secure our borders, harden our infrastructure and maintain a swift and effective capability to respond to security threats. Intelligence coordination and cooperation are also critical, and have allowed us to arrest three Singaporean JI fugitives in recent months, who had evaded capture since 2001. We also partner the community and religious leaders to counter extremist ideologies, a topic that Dr Janil Puthucheary asked about. For example, the Religious Rehabilitation Group, a voluntary group formed by Muslim religious scholars, helps to rehabilitate terrorist detainees, and advise the Muslim community on the falsehoods of jihadist ideology. These measures, together with the Internal Security Act that allows us to take decisive action early to neutralise threats and pre-empt attacks, are part of our holistic approach to preventing and countering the threat of terrorism.

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Non-traditional security issues have also come to the fore. Last year, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, followed by the Fukushima nuclear power plant incident, highlighted the importance of good crisis management, strong social resilience and self-help. At home, the SMRT breakdowns in December last year also highlighted the need for contingency plans to be regularly updated and tested – something which Mr Hri Kumar commented on just now. I agree with Mr Hri Kumar that the Government must provide an overarching framework for emergency preparedness and response at the national level. But it is critical that facility owners and operators be responsible for first-line response capability within their respective domains and premises, to prevent incidents, and mitigate and minimise consequences until national emergency responders arrive. The Government will assist them through the setting of standards, conducting training, and inter-agency exercises to test and refine coordination procedures and plans. More stringent requirements, including regular audits and reviews, are in place for higher-risk premises. There are also well-established mechanisms, such as the Safety and Security Watch Groups, through which private sector entities frequently engage with Government agencies, such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). During Exercise Northstar VIII held last November, I had the opportunity to see first-hand more than 1,200 personnel from 18 Government agencies and 27 companies coming together to prepare themselves against multiple incidents taking place in the maritime domain and on Jurong Island. Those who participated are now better prepared should an incident occur.

Ultimately, our home-front security must be a collective effort of the Government, private and people sectors. We must all work closely together so that we can deter, prevent, respond and recover from terrorism and other threats to our homeland and our society.

Second, transnational crime. Improvements in transport and communications have made it easier for people, goods and funds to move across borders. Unlicensed money-lending and drug trafficking syndicates in Singapore no longer operate solely within our jurisdiction. The kingpins are located abroad, making detection and arrest more difficult. Cyberspace provides a fertile ground for criminal activities, such as illegal drug transactions and money laundering. While crime reported in both casinos comprised less than 1% of overall crime for 2010 and 2011, the risk of criminal infiltration and organised crime groups remains, and we must not let our guard down in striving to stamp out crime in our casinos.

Technological advancements have also changed the complexion of crimes. While the incidence of "traditional crimes" like house-breaking and theft has gone down, commercial crime has been on an upward trend since 2009. More people are also falling prey to Internet scams. Criminals are quick to exploit technological advances to come up with innovative ploys, ranging from "kidnap" and "lottery" phone scams to "Internet love" scams. The total amount cheated from such scams nearly doubled from $4.7 million in 2010 to $9 million in 2011. We will need to intensify efforts to raise public awareness and help people protect themselves from the next cheating scam.

The recent ATM skimming case is another good example. The foreign syndicate was able to skim card information from local ATMs to make unauthorised transactions overseas. Our enforcement agencies were able to respond swiftly and arrest several suspects in less than two weeks. But these crimes can quickly evolve, and there was a second stream of illegal withdrawals recently. This is a timely reminder that our Home Team agencies need to keep up-to-date with technology, while working with the industry to ensure that the industry's systems remain robust.

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Crime does not recognise national borders and, indeed, will exploit them. Hence, we must work closely with other countries. The Police and Central Narcotics Bureau work closely with their counterparts in neighbouring countries and beyond, to exchange information about crimes and criminals, and mount joint operations. At the regional level, Singapore participates actively in various ASEAN meetings to coordinate efforts against cross-border crime and carry out joint training to share best practices with our ASEAN partners.

One significant development is INTERPOL's new Global Complex for Innovation which will open in Singapore in 2014. It will carry out innovative research and development and build new capabilities, such as data forensics. Law enforcement agencies around the world can obtain real-time access to criminal data, and work more closely together when fighting new types of crime, including cybercrime. Our law enforcement and security agencies and those in the region will be able to readily tap on INTERPOL's cutting-edge technologies and practices right here in Singapore.

Third, the changing complexion of our society. Our society has become more diverse in its demographic profile and social attitudes. We have young couples who may have spent a number of years abroad, who value privacy and personal space, and they may live next door to retired couples who like a more communal living environment. And next door to them, could be recent immigrants, who may not have fully adapted to Singaporean social norms. Compact living in a dense, urban environment has brought on new stresses and strains, and incidents of friction within the community. There is a greater tendency to call on the authorities to deal with what are essentially disagreements between neighbours about what constitutes good neighbourly behaviour – such as noise, cooking smells, pets, and so on.

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Some segments of our population also feel that they should be allowed to express their views in an unfettered way. On the other hand, when remarks or acts denigrate another culture, nationality or religion, members of the public and those groups who are the target want action to be taken against the perpetrators. We should also not go beyond the bounds of decency or promote or create public disorder.

An appreciation and acceptance of these norms are important so that we do not upset peace and stability of our country and the harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society. With the Internet and social media, a single thoughtless comment can have immense reach and severe consequences.

Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Hri Kumar asked whether existing laws are adequate to protect Singaporeans against such inappropriate or wrongful Internet behaviour. While the Penal Code covers offences, such as criminal intimidation in both the physical world and cyberspace, there are currently no specific laws protecting persons from cyber-harassment, bullying and other anti-social acts on the Internet. My Ministry is working with the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts to review this, and will consider the laws needed to address such situations. The United Kingdom, Australia, India and all the states in the US already have laws to protect persons from cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking or cyber-harassment.

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As part of the review, we will also consider enhancing civil remedies for those affected by wrongdoings which are not criminal in nature. For example, an aggrieved party should be able to protect himself from falsehoods spread on the Net when suing for defamation and obtain a timely injunction to order the removal of any offensive statements on the Internet, given its viral nature.

However, legislative changes and law enforcement are only part of the solution. Singaporeans also have to be savvy in identifying and avoiding those with malicious intent on the Internet, and must be responsible Internet users themselves.

Cyber wellness initiatives are, therefore, a key part of the Government's total strategy to protect Internet users. The Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts will give more details about this later.

Besides the changing demographic profile and values in our society, we are also observing that social attitudes are evolving. For example, some young people today may have the mistaken view that recreational use of drugs is not harmful but is simply a lifestyle choice, and that they can avoid somehow becoming addicted. When coupled with the resurgence of drug supply in the region, should such an attitude become prevalent, it will make our fight to keep Singapore drug-free more difficult. We have thus set up a task force on drugs led by Minister of State Masagos who will speak more about the issue of drugs later in this debate.

Another vulnerable group is the elderly who may be more prone to certain crimes, such as snatch thefts or cheating. Some will also need clear space along the common corridors for wheelchairs and stretchers, and not just for daily movement, but also for fire evacuation or for an emergency ambulance crew to rush a critically ill person to hospital. Not only do we need lift upgrading to make our HDB blocks barrier-free, but we also need uncluttered corridors so that these do not become an impediment instead.

These societal changes also cause us to rethink the way we look at domestic safety and security concerns. One way of dealing with crime is to build fences and walls around our precincts and blocks, cordon off HDB void decks and create gated neighbourhoods. But doing so does not only keep undesirable people out but will also lock ourselves in and separate and segregate communities. This will fundamentally change the way we organise our communities and change our social fabric. We have been able to enjoy our open style of community living where people mix easily in our housing estates because we have strong communities which work hand-in-hand with an effective police force who maintain safety, security and trust in our neighbourhoods. This is something we should value and retain.

The Home Team will evolve our community engagement model in tandem with the changing environment and community needs and expectations. We have strong fundamentals we can build on - our society's strong support for law and order, no tolerance for criminality, social resilience and a strong community spirit. These foundations will allow us to strengthen our consensus to keep our nation safe, secure and harmonious.

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The foregoing discussion sets the stage and guides the Home Team's plans for the coming years. To meet these new challenges, we must strengthen our capabilities in four key areas: enhancing organisation and systems, investing in our people, exploiting technology, and partnering the community. I will elaborate on each in turn.

Let me start with organisation and systems. To enhance our legislative and policy levers so that we can investigate and enforce effectively, we will table an Organised Crime Act by the end of this year, to enhance powers to deal with crime syndicates. We want to send the strongest possible signal that we will not allow organised crimes to take root in Singapore.

We will also review the Casino Control Act holistically to ensure our casinos remain free from criminal influence while addressing concerns on the need for social safeguards. The review is expected to be completed by the latter half of this year.

The transnational nature and increasing complexity of crime make preventing, detecting and tackling crime more challenging. We will, therefore, strengthen our capabilities and better integrate our systems, especially in intelligence, research and forensic capabilities, across the Home Team agencies. This will allow our officers to pool together information and expertise across the different agencies. For example, we need to examine financial flows, telecommunication records and the movement of people across national borders to combat illegal cross-border syndicates, including drug syndicates.

The changing demographic profile, attitudes and community needs also require us to adjust our policing strategy. Our frontline police officers play a vital role in working with the local community to address the community safety and security needs. In our revamped Community Policing System (COPS) model, we will deploy additional officers on the ground to engage the community more actively and tailor crime prevention and crime fighting more closely to local needs. Second Minister Iswaran will share more details on the COPS model with Members shortly.

We will also review our resourcing and structure in emerging areas of need. One area is commercial crime. We will re-structure the Commercial Affairs Department and resource it adequately so that they can tackle the growing sophistication of commercial crimes and help to safeguard Singapore's reputation as a world-class financial and commercial centre.

Another area is responding to maritime incidents. Singapore is one of the busiest seaports in the world. Our International Cruise Terminal will open later this year, and our Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal by 2013. To meet these new demands, Singapore Civil Defence Force will take over marine fire fighting and rescue functions from the Maritime and Port Authority with effect from 1 April this year and will beef up its assets and personnel. This will create a unified command and control structure, allowing SCDF to provide an integrated response for both land and sea emergencies in fire-fighting and shipboard rescue.

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However, our systems and organisations can only be as good as our people. We must be able to attract good people, train them well and retain them so that they build up experience and expertise.

To ensure that a Home Team career remains attractive to good quality candidates, we have increased starting salaries and overall remuneration to reward our Home Team officers fairly for the challenging duties they undertake.

In February this year, we raised starting salary levels for Diploma holders and introduced a new Sign-On Bonus ranging from $8,000 to $10,000 for Diploma holders joining the Home Team. Frontline police officers will get an allowance to recognise the skills required for these challenging jobs, just as other Home Team frontline officers currently receive.

For junior officers in the Home Affairs Uniformed Service and ICA schemes, we will further strengthen the link between pay and performance. With effect from July this year, some 14,600 officers will move from a system of fixed annual increments to merit increments based on their performance. Our officers can also expect 10% to 15% increase in their monthly pay then.

The Singapore Police Force is also redesigning its jobs and creating more senior officer posts to meet our needs for better trained and able officers at the frontline. This move will also allow good officers who have demonstrated capabilities and leadership to advance into the senior officer cadre. Police will move from the current proportion of one in six senior officer posts to one in four senior officer posts by 2015.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also been expanding the range of educational sponsorship and upgrading programmes available to serving officers, including working with local polytechnics and universities to offer security-related diploma and degree programmes. Over 110 degree sponsorships were awarded in 2011 and we plan to increase this number this year, and in future years.

We must also ensure that our officers have the right skills to tackle both traditional and emerging challenges. The Home Team Academy aims to build a common ethos and camaraderie among Home Team officers across the different agencies. It runs milestone courses to bring together Home Team officers at key stages of their careers. It also conducts joint operations training programmes to enhance inter-agency coordination in incident management and response.

We set up the Home Team School of Criminal Investigation last July to raise the investigation competencies of our Home Team officers and help them deal with new challenges. And we recently enhanced the career paths and upgrading opportunities for officers in specialist fields, such as psychology and science and technology.

Yesterday, Mr Zainal Sapari argued passionately for improving the service conditions and pay for security officers. Ms Sylvia Lim has also asked about service conditions. We have been recruiting more officers in the Home Team and will continue to do so to meet new operational demands, such as COPS. The increase in manpower stated in this House refers to regular officers and not National Servicemen. The salary and allowance increases I have just announced will recognise the work of our officers better, and also help with our recruitment and retention efforts. The current leave clearance rate is healthy, with police officers consuming a median of 19 days of vacation leave in 2011.

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There are 6,000 auxiliary police officers; and 35,000 unarmed security officers, out of 60,000 licensed unarmed security officers. The private security industry also plays an important role in complementing the work of our homefront agencies. We have a framework for security screening which takes into account various aspects in assessing suitability, including a person's criminal records. Both the gravity of the previous offence and the amount of time the person has remained clean are taken into account. All Malaysian applicants must obtain a Certificate of Non-Criminal Conviction. Overtime in the security industry has also been identified as an issue by the unions, MOM and MHA. We are working with MOM, the unions and the security companies to improve the working conditions of security officers, which would at the same time increase the attractiveness of this sector to Singaporeans.

As Mr Edwin Tong has pointed out, technology is an important enabler. MHA will invest more of its budget every year in research and development and technology. There is a natural limit to how many more Home Team officers we can recruit. We must thus make better use of technology to help our officers do their work more efficiently and effectively, cutting down time-consuming low-value work, and using their skills and abilities to the full.

There is also more that we can do to exploit the potential of cameras. The police will, therefore, make a major investment to increase the number of cameras at key locations in our HDB estates. Second Minister Iswaran will provide more details later on. This is something that Ms Tin Pei Ling spoke about.

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We will also invest in video-analytics to enable our officers to analyse and retrieve recorded information speedily, for investigation and prosecution. This will cut down the amount of time our officers spend on this work.

We will also make a major investment to strengthen our forensic capabilities in the Home Team by enhancing digital information and DNA evidence processing capabilities. This will shorten evidence processing time and provide our officers with better intelligence and investigative leads to manage critical incidents and solve major crimes more quickly. Technology will also enable our officers to be more effective and serve the public better in specific areas. ICA will be introducing a mobile Biometric Verification System later this year, which allows officers on the move to verify and identify persons using fingerprint and facial recognition technology. This system will complement the checks we do at our borders.

To improve the survival of cardiac arrest patients, SCDF will be equipping its fast response firefighters with Automated External Defibrillators, and emergency ambulances with mechanical CPR devices. SCDF is also working with the Ministry of Health to transmit electro cardiogram results directly from the ambulances to the hospitals, thereby saving time for heart attack patients.

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These investments in technology will allow us to stay ahead of criminals, keep our community safe, facilitate training and travel, save lives and allow our officers to do jobs that make better use of their abilities.

Finally, the Ministry of Home Affairs' work must be complemented by partnerships with the community. Our past strategies, whether to prevent crime, reintegrate offenders, or prepare for a crisis have paid dividends, because we have harnessed the kampong spirit and help people to help themselves. It is this strong partnership model which has enabled us to achieve the results we have and which sets us apart from many other countries where maintaining law and order on the streets has become a serious challenge. Even the fire brigade in some countries gets stoned when they arrive at the scene of a fire.

Indeed, I agree with Mr Edwin Tong that partnership with the community is the key to preserving the safety and security of Singapore. We will also continue to work closely with our Home Team volunteers who are our valued partners. For example, volunteers and community partners work closely with the prison service to provide rehabilitative services to inmates and ex-offenders. Our Police Volunteer Special Constabulary officers work alongside regulars and Operationally Ready NSmen to provide security coverage of major events hosted in Singapore, such as the Youth Olympics and the Formula One race. We thank our volunteers for their passion and desire to give back to society.

We are also reaching out to social media, to strengthen our outreach efforts both during peace time and in emergencies. SCDF has established its presence on four popular social media platforms – YouTube, Facebook, blogs and Twitter − to foster online bonds and raise awareness about emergency preparedness even in peace-time. The Singapore Police Force's Facebook page has over 274,000 Likes − ranked among the highest in Singapore and, I am told, even higher than the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.

Ultimately, what we want is for the Home Team to build strong partnerships with the vigilant and resilient community, one that draws strength from itself, works together to overcome a challenge and emerges stronger.

Sir, Mr Hri Kumar raised the issue of confidence in the Home Team. Public trust and confidence in our officers is essential for the Home Team to be effective. This trust has been built up over the decades since our independence, but it can be lost very quickly. I have told our officers that they should always conduct themselves with dignity, integrity and professionalism. And this will earn them the respect and trust of our people. At the same time, the Government will not hesitate to take action against any officer who fails to live up to this trust, regardless of seniority or position.

Since I became the Minister for Home Affairs in May last year, I have been visiting many ground units to better understand the work of our officers, to get to know them better and the challenges they face. I know from my interactions with our Home Team officers that they work very hard, and they are dedicated and passionate about serving Singapore and Singaporeans.

Our officers keep Singaporeans safe and secure round the clock: full-time National Service Police Officers serve the public through the Police Public Transport Security Command, by patrolling MRT stations and bus interchanges alongside their regular colleagues, to keep our commuters safe from potential terrorist attacks. Our Civil Defence officers risk their lives daily to save our homes and property, and rescue Singaporeans.

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Our Central Narcotics Bureau officers who work many nights and weekends to ferret out drug traffickers. Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority whose vigilance at our borders is our first line of defence. Our Prison officers not only keep criminals behind bars, but help to rehabilitate them and prepare them for life after release. I am heartened to know that we have such a strong corps of good men and women who put their lives at risk, and work tirelessly to fulfill our shared vision of a safe and secure Singapore.

We all want a safe and secure future for ourselves and our children – a Singapore with strong, cohesive communities, where people can live their lives to the full, and bring up their families without fear. The Home Team will continue to develop its capabilities and engage our stakeholders, building on the strong foundations which have already been laid. I look forward to the strong support of Members of this House and the support of all Singaporeans.

The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mr S Iswaran): Sir, let me first thank Members for the various questions and suggestions they have raised, in particular with respect to community policing, unlicensed moneylending, casino regulation and other matters pertaining to crime. I will seek to address them in turn, within the overall framework that has been highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister, which is to strengthen our capabilities for a safe and secure future.

Sir, the overall crime rate in Singapore remains low. It fell to 606 crimes per 100,000 of population last year – a decrease of 7% from 2010.

But we do not take this for granted. The safety and security we enjoy today has been built on three key pillars – strong laws, stringent enforcement and community partnership. We can ensure the continued safety of our homes and our communities by investing in capabilities and efforts that strengthen these pillars.

One important example of this effort is the new Community Policing System, or COPS for short. We assume that this acronym will resonate with Members and with members on the ground as well. Our frontline policing model is one that has been with us for some time. Neighbourhood Police Posts and Neighbourhood Police Centres have been a part of our community landscape since the 1980s, and they have been the key components of our policing strategy. Our model though, for frontline policing, must evolve with demographic trends and changing needs in the community, while harnessing technological developments. Our aim is to ensure that our Police's ability is enhanced to prevent, deter and detect crime, so that we are better positioned to deal with future challenges to keeping our neighbourhoods safe.

Therefore, the Police will commence the transition to the new COPS model this year. This transformation will encompass systems, people, technology and partnerships. First, we will reorganise our Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) to enhance their crime-fighting and community liaison capabilities. A Crime Strike Force will be established at each Neighbourhood Police Centre. Today, our crime-fighting capabilities largely reside at the six Land Division Headquarters. The advent of the Crime Strike Force will bring the Police's crime-fighting capabilities closer to the community through its network of NPCs. Our officers will be better able to develop greater familiarity with the local terrain which, in turn, will enhance their effectiveness in fighting crime in the local area. What you see is the uniform and the bicycles that they will be using [ hon Members were shown a slide ]. It is rather fetching.

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We will also expand the current Community Liaison and Preparedness Team at each NPC into a full-fledged Community Policing Unit. This will enable our Police Officers to broaden and deepen their involvement in community partnership projects. Community Policing Officers will also be assigned to specific needs, and will conduct foot and bicycle patrols. This will allow them to cultivate a more extensive network of relationships with community stakeholders. So, this will become an integral part of the community as the Police enhance their efforts on the ground.

Ms Tin Pei Ling has asked about the roll-out plan. Bukit Merah East NPC and Tampines NPC will be the first two to be reorganised in May this year. Six other NPCs will follow suit in the later part of the year, and we target to complete the reorganisation of all NPCs by the end of 2015, so over the space of the next four to five years.

In addition, the new Woodlands West NPC and Punggol NPC will be operational later this year, which will bring the total number of Neighbourhood Police Centres to 35 island-wide. There will also be a new Police Land Division Headquarters in Woodlands, which will commence operations in 2015. These new facilities will allow the Police to better serve the expanding population in the northwest and northeast of Singapore.

Let me turn to people. If these organisational and system changes are to be effective, we agree wholeheartedly with Mr Desmond Lee that we need people – in the right numbers and of the right quality. The expectations are greater of our officers, the needs on the ground are more diverse and the tasks are much more complex.

Specifically, the Police will recruit a total of 450 additional officers over the next few years to support the roll-out of these additional capabilities in the Neighbourhood Police Centres. This is an average of 13 more officers per Neighbourhood Police Centre. And this increase will complement any other redeployment that the Police will do in support of this initiative. That should address the point that Ms Sylvia Lim has raised in terms of how we would have additional resources. This is the point raised by Mr Desmond Lee as well.

We also need to ensure that we can attract, train and retain more high-quality officers in the Police Force. The Deputy Prime Minister has covered a wide range of HR initiatives within the Home Team, including the introduction of an allowance for frontline policing work. This new allowance recognises officers who have attained the requisite proficiency in a key set of frontline policing skills, such as conflict resolution, community engagement and partnership. NPC officers will be among the 2,600 Police Officers who would be eligible for the $200 a month allowance. To give you a sense of proportion, this is about 10% of the starting pay for a Police Junior Officer.

Technology can be an important force multiplier that complements our efforts to attract more and high quality Police Officers. We, therefore, aim to leverage more on the latest technological developments, where they are feasible. In particular, our experience has shown that police cameras can effectively aid investigations and deter crime. Hence, we will work with the Town Councils and HDB to install police cameras in all 10,000 HDB blocks and HDB multi-storey car parks by 2016. The police cameras will be installed at key points of ingress and egress, such as ground-floor lift lobbies and stairwells. While the cameras will not be monitored live, the images that they record can be used to help solve crime.

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We will start with a pilot in May 2012 covering 300 HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks across Singapore. The Police will proceed to install these cameras with the explicit support of the Town Councils because they will be located in areas which are under the management of the Town Councils. We will also use technology to enhance the Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs). It could facilitate round-the-clock automated services for residents, while allowing the redeployment of Police Officers from desk-bound duties to other tasks, such as patrols.

Because the NPP is a concept developed to serve the community, we are involving the community in this redesign effort. For example, last week, Police conducted a contest among tertiary students to design the NPP of the future. Teams from the ITE, polytechnics, and the universities participated quite actively. That is the team from the National Technological University, which was one of the two winners [ hon Members were shown a slide ]. The best ideas from the winning designs and other submissions will be incorporated in the redesign of the NPP. The redesigned Neighbourhood Police Posts will be piloted at Radin Mas and Marsiling in the second half of 2012.

Given the demographic profiles of these areas, these pilots will allow the Police to evaluate the feasibility of the design, and to seek feedback from residents. This will help further refine the strategies before the full roll-out to other NPPs in Singapore.

Mr Vikram Nair has asked if the initiatives under COPS will also be helpful in addressing complaints about nuisance and other non-seizable, non-arrestable offences. Collectively, these new initiatives are aimed at enhancing the NPC's ability to fight crime, in general, in the community. Even with the additional resources, our Police Force will be lean. Hence, Police's attention should remain focused on their core functions – to fight crime and maintain public order.

Having said that, for non-seizable offences, the Police will take action when there is a material impact or harm to the public interest. If that is not the case, then the Police will seek to endeavour to bring about an amicable resolution between the parties concerned, or otherwise help guide them to make the relevant reports to the magistrate and allow the law to take its course from there.

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Let me move on to community partnerships which many Members have spoken about. Community support and involvement is invaluable to the work of the Police Force. And, together, we are able to achieve a lot more, as has been demonstrated in the past. A good example of this has been the "Delta Citizenry" which was an initiative in Clementi. It was started in 2010, and it has recruited a total of 590 members thus far, which is to help report suspicious activity to the Police, in particular. With the help of these volunteers, the Police have been able to reduce the number of five preventable crimes − robbery, housebreaking, motor vehicle theft, snatch theft and outrage of modesty − in the Clementi area by about 39% in 2011. We thank the community leaders and volunteers there for their partnership in helping to keep Clementi safe.

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And we have many other positive examples like this. Today, there are 2,600 Neighbourhood Watch Groups and 525 Citizens on Patrol groups across Singapore. The new Community Policing Unit will continue to work closely with these volunteers, and reach out to partner more residents in addressing local safety and security concerns.

In particular, Ms Tin Pei Ling has asked about how we can use social media to reach out more, to mobilise residents. Police have, as Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned, used Facebook and also Twitter, YouTube and iPhone apps to better connect with the community. These channels are used to regularly also push out crime prevention messages and to appeal for information to assist in police investigations. The Police will explore new means to engage the public, such as "live" e-Townhall meetings with community partners and residents, as part of their strategy going forward.

We hope that these investments in our outreach efforts will galvanise the community to step forward and play a more active role in partnering the Police to keep our communities safe and secure in the years to come.

Sir, let me now turn to the issue of unlicensed moneylending (UML) which Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Arthur Fong, Mr Heng Chee How and Mr Vikram Nair have spoken on. Sir, as all Members who have spoken have observed, this is a scourge, and it is a scourge that can cause deep distress to those who are affected, not just the borrowers, but their families as well. And certainly, there should be no let up in the activities and actions that we take to deter such illegal activities.

In response to Mr Heng's question, the number of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases fell by 21% or 3,492 cases in 2011.The trend is there and this has been the case for the last two years. During the same period, the number of arrests for such activities rose by 31% to 1,981 arrests in 2011. This is the second consecutive year that the number of cases has fallen while the number of arrests has risen. Police also cracked down on 10 UML syndicates last year.

The improvements that we have observed can be attributed to three factors. First is the increased penalties provided under the amended Moneylenders Act 2010, which has led to stiffer sentences being meted out by the courts. Secondly, effective enforcement by Police officers on the ground through operations and patrols as well as the deployment of mobile camera sets where appropriate has had an important moderating effect. Third, the close partnership with the community has provided Police with valuable intelligence leading to the arrest and conviction of a number of UML harassers. Last year, 10% or 190 arrests for UML-related activities were made with the assistance of the public.

In the coming year, the Police will continue with stringent enforcement and this will be complemented by our efforts to grow capabilities in three areas to better fight unlicensed moneylending. First is to increase the number of mobile CCTV sets available for deployment in affected areas. This is in addition to the police cameras being installed at HDB blocks under the new COPS scheme. Second, Police will launch a public education and awareness campaign to highlight the risks associated with borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders and, ultimately, to deter would-be borrowers. Police are also working closely with partners, such as MCYS and the National Council on Problem Gambling, on this effort. Third, we will work more closely with the community to fight UML harassment. The enlarged Community Policing Unit in our NPCs will allow Police officers to work more closely with community partners on localised efforts against this problem.

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We will also be placing greater emphasis on two areas of concern. First, there were 97 harassment cases last year which involved arson, the use of fire, up from 38 cases in 2010. While the use of fire is still relatively uncommon, less than 1% of all cases, we take a stern view of this harassment tactic and will press for heavy deterrent sentences in such cases. As an example, in July 2011, the Courts sentenced one such harasser to seven years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane.

Second, it is a point that has been raised by Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Ang Wei Neng in particular, more youths aged 19 years and under have been arrested for involvement in unlicensed moneylending and harassment activities, with 336 arrests in 2011.These youths formed 17% of the total UML-related arrests last year, up from the average of 13% from 2007 to 2010.

In most cases, their involvement was unwitting, such as the distribution of flyers without really knowing what the content was about. But there were also instances where they knowingly took part in unlicensed moneylending or harassment activities. While it is a serious offence for adults to recruit a young person to commit UML or harassment acts, equally, the youths must also be held accountable for their actions if they knowingly engage in crime. Therefore, where their actions are of sufficient gravity, seriousness, Police will charge the youths in court.

But we will also complement this with greater emphasis on educating youths not to engage in UML activities or to see this as a form of easy money. Minister of State Masagos will speak more on our broader efforts to help at-risk youths, this being one of the areas.

Sir, let me now talk about the Casino Regulatory Framework. Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Vikram Nair raised questions pertaining to the casinos and the Integrated Resorts. The Home Team agencies are mindful that casinos are potential targets, if not attractive targets, for criminals and have been keeping a close watch. The situation has been under control, with crime reported in both casinos comprising less than 1% of overall crime for 2010 and 2011, the point that Deputy Prime Minister made.

There is some concern that the advent of the casinos may have caused more gamblers to turn to loan sharks. We cannot establish a clear causative link between the casinos and the trend in UML cases. Indeed, if Members look at the data earlier, it shows that the number of UML cases had fallen since 2010, the year the casinos began operations. And that is because there are multiple factors at play, not least of which are the economic condition, Police enforcement actions, etc. So, it would be premature for us to draw a definitive conclusion about the impact of the casinos on unlicensed moneylending activities. Nevertheless, we take this seriously and we will continue to keep a close watch and take action if there are any signs of an emerging undesirable trend or causative link.

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We share Mr de Souza's concern on proxy gambling. The casino operators are working closely with Government agencies and are taking proactive steps to identify patrons who could be proxy gamblers. The particulars of these possible proxy gamblers will be reported to the authorities. The Government will take decisive action against any errant employers found engaging in such illegal deployment of foreign workers for the purposes of proxy gambling. And there are many avenues through which such action can be taken.

More generally, we will be reviewing the Casino Control Act. Our agencies have gained much experience over the last two years in regulating the casinos and managing their presence in Singapore. In addition, given the dynamic nature of the industry, it is imperative that we plan ahead in anticipation of new challenges.

The amendments, which will be undertaken in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, will fall into four main areas:

First, we will enhance law enforcement and investigation levers to continue to keep crime out of the casinos.

Second, we will fine-tune gaming regulation and operational requirements, to give the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) a more calibrated range of levers in regulating the casinos and their activities.

Third, we are working with MCYS to strengthen social safeguards to continue to protect vulnerable groups from the potential harm of casino gambling. It is a topic that has been in the media, and also MCYS has spoken at length about it

Last, we will further clarify the Casino Control Act to ensure that there is a process that will ensure that the non-gaming attractions, which the Integrated Resort operators have committed to, continue to be of international standards.

Taken as a whole, the amendments to the Casino Control Act aim to ensure that the casinos remain a net benefit in the longer term for Singapore and Singaporeans. To this end, we will also deepen the CRA's capability and expertise to regulate the casinos and fight casino crime.

Sir, Mr de Souza has raised the issue of trafficking in persons. He has observed that the Government has set up an Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons (TIP).

We have also sought public feedback, starting about three weeks ago, on our National Plan of Action. In particular, the plan of action covers prevention, prosecution of perpetrators, protection of victims, partnerships, and enablers to enhance Singapore's capabilities to fight trafficking in persons. We want to thank all who have contributed their ideas, and we will be incorporating some of this feedback into the National Plan of Action before it is launched later this year.

Mr de Souza has asked about the review of trafficking and related offences in legislation. We will review existing laws to ensure that Singapore's legislation adequately addresses the complexity of TIP crimes and that penalties are commensurate with the gravity of the crimes committed. This is an on-going process and more details will be revealed in due course.

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On a related note, Deputy Prime Minister Teo spoke about the introduction of the Organised Crime Act later this year. This Act will complement our review of TIP legislation to ensure that both enforcement powers and penalties are adequate to deter and punish trafficking syndicates.

On the enforcement front, we have close working relationships with our regional counterparts. There is also active dialogue and cooperation at various ASEAN regional platforms which cover both TIP and the broader scope of organised crime.

Mr de Souza has asked about victim care and what we are doing. Today, MCYS works with NGOs to provide shelters for victims and potential victims. As part of the process going forward, we will review the adequacy of these facilities and we will also take reference from international best practices. But as these are early days yet in the process, it would be premature for me to comment on specifics, but it will again be a part of the process going forward.

Let me, finally, turn to Assoc Prof Dr Fatimah Lateef's question about the Police's efforts in tackling some of the more unique challenges in Geylang. Firstly, Police has set up a dedicated taskforce in 2009 to conduct daily enforcement operations in Geylang against soliciting. Apart from enforcement actions, there are several other measures in place. For example, Police have imposed strict licensing conditions for entertainment outlets and other establishments.

In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police have been working closely with other agencies, such as the Hotel Licensing Board and URA, to take action against errant hotel owners who allow vice-related activities to occur in their premises.

Police officers have also accompanied other enforcement officers, such as NEA, URA, LTA and Customs, during their inspections for statutory violations to help address the disamenities caused by the crowds. This is part of the multi-agency effort that Assoc Prof Fatimah was referring to. So, we want to assure Assoc Prof Fatimah that the Police will work closely with her and the other relevant stakeholders to address any other areas of concern that she has as part of the efforts to maintain law and order in Geylang.

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Chairman, if I may conclude by saying that I have outlined some of the key initiatives we are undertaking within the Home Team to strengthen our capabilities in order to ensure a safe and secure future. We also need the support of each and every Singaporean in this effort. Many have already done so by being vigilant and looking out for their neighbours, taking efforts to protect their own property and also living harmoniously with their neighbours or helping one another in an emergency. The strongest capability we can build in the long run is a resilient and united community, and we hope that all members of the community will join the Home Team as partners in this journey to keep Singapore safe and secure.

Long-Term Social Visit Passes

Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, I was heartened by the Deputy Prime Minister's announcement earlier today about the Long-Term Visit Pass Plus scheme, but it is not clear what impact it will have on one particular group which I am concerned about, and that is Singaporeans with past criminal records who have foreign spouses.

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I would like to ask the Minister if there is a specific policy that Singaporeans with criminal records would automatically have their applications for Long-Term Visit Passes for their spouses rejected. If rejection is not automatic based on past records but subject to ICA's discretion, then what are the factors that ICA takes into account in exercising that discretion?

I ask because I have noticed, from my MPS cases, that some Singaporeans with past criminal records have had difficulty in getting Long-Term Social Visit Passes for their foreign spouses. The applicants tend to be male, in their 30s or 40s. Typically, they do not have high educational levels. This cut is actually prompted by three cases in MPS in respect of which I have been sending repeated appeals to MHA. One of them is a Chinese man. At first glance, when you look at him, you will know that he was once a " pai kia ". He is covered from head to toe in colourful tattoos; even his head is tattooed. But his record has been clean for many years. He has turned over a new leaf. He has found a stable job and is trying to make a new life for himself with his wife from China. He has been applying for a Long-Term Social Visit Pass for her but has been consistently rejected. Another is also a Chinese man. He works for a VWO in the social service sector. He has a very elderly mother whom he looks after. He has a Vietnamese wife, and he, too, has had his applications rejected. The third one is an Indian man. His wife is from India. He works as a cook. He also has had his applications for a Long-Term Social Visit Pass rejected.

In all three cases, their records were several years ago and they have kept clean records since. They have all obtained jobs. They may not be very well off, but they appear to be able to support themselves and their wives. Denying them Long-Term Social Visit Passes denies them the chance for personal happiness and to start families of their own. Having to send their wives back to their home countries every few months not only adds to their expenses, but also puts them under stress and anxiety. Rejecting their applications is really contrary to the Yellow Ribbon Movement. Not only that, the thing is that having their spouses here in Singapore actually helps to stabilise them and gives them a new purpose and direction in life.

I appreciate that Long-Term Social Visit Passes should not be given indiscriminately and care should be exercised when there is a criminal record. But if they are genuine cases, I ask that they be examined on their merits and also that MHA and ICA will be more flexible in granting Long-Term Social Visit Passes to spouses of Singaporeans with past criminal records.

Youth-at-risk: Gangs and Crime

Mr Alex Yam (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, crime figures for youths have seen a decline in 2011. This perhaps reflects the good work that the agencies have done to prevent, deter and rehabilitate youths from crime. Yet every youth engaged in crime is still one youth too many. Gangs and drugs continue to be an issue and we should not let our guards down, especially with regards to recalcitrant youths who engage in serious crime and/or re-offend.

The recent sentencing for the tragedy at Downtown East is a case in point. I further quote Minister of State Masagos who said recently that allowing youth gangs to flourish will turn members from occasional social misfits into those who are associated with organised crime. In this light, what tougher measures would the Ministry be considering to deal with gangs, drugs and youth crime as well as to rehabilitate youths who have committed offences? Would the Police consider a specialised Youth Offenders Unit? Crime, especially amongst youths, is both an economic as well as a lamentable social loss.

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Youth Crime

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Minister for Manpower (Mr Hawazi Daipi): Sir, crimes involving young persons will direct the nation's attention to the presence of youth crime. But youth crime is not a new phenomenon. Last year's sensation was the death of a young teenager as a result of a youth gang attack at Downtown East, as mentioned by the Member, Mr Alex Yam. Prior to this, every now and then, news would report of youth involvement in secret societies. But unlike secret societies of the old, apparently, the young secret society members do not conform to a code of conduct. So their behaviour may be very difficult to fathom. Young people's involvement in secret societies manifests itself in many forms. They range from the mere participation in gang activities to bullying, to recruiting new members in schools and, as we heard earlier from the Minister of State, about their involvement in unlicensed money-lending activities.

Sir, we must not allow this anti-social behaviour to manifest and grow. While the number of crime involving youths has fallen to less than 2,000 cases last year from 2,200 in 2010, the type of crime involving persons as young as 14 years old is a cause for worry. The Ministry announced the setting up of the Youth Offenders Unit. I would like to hear from the Home Team how effective are the Young Criminal Rehabilitative Programmes, what is the progress report of the Unit and the Police's effort in preventing crime among youths.

The Chairman: Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, you can take your two cuts together.

Rehabilitation Programmes for Youth Offenders

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Chairman, in recent years, there has been a spate of youth crimes, from gang fights in Downtown East and Bukit Panjang to the involvement of youths in loan shark syndicates and, most recently, Internet-based extortion. The Police, schools and community partners have been working closely together to address these and implement intervention strategies. New measures have also been introduced to enhance powers of the Police and the Courts to counter youth gang formation, recruitment and congregation as well as impose restriction orders or even curfews on recalcitrant youth offenders. However, it has been an uphill task and youth crimes continue to be committed.

Will the Minister provide an update on the strategies that have been implemented to deter youth crimes, the success rates of those strategies, as well as the recidivism rate for youth offenders? In addition, can the Minister share with the House what are the various rehabilitation programmes available for youth offenders and plans to enhance these rehabilitation programmes?

Drug Abuse among Singaporean Youths

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Reports in the newspapers that there were more than 3,200 arrests related to drug abuse by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in 2011, followed by a report about a 48-hour drug raid by the CNB in the heartlands of Singapore which resulted in 89 arrests in mid-February this year, have raised concerns about the seemingly increased incidence of drug abuse in Singapore, especially among youths. It was found that there were 225 new drug abusers who are below the age of 20 years old in 2011, up from 155 such abusers arrested in 2010. This is a 45% increase in just one year. Although the absolute numbers are still relatively small, I feel that just one new youth drug abuser is one too many. Having increasingly more youth drug abusers is a reflection of the lack of awareness among our young towards the dangers of drug use and abuse, and possibly, insufficient initiatives on our part to tackle this. Can the Minister update the House on the current drug situation among youths and what are the plans to address this?

Drug Abuse Situation

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, I share Dr Intan's concern over the drug abuse situation in Singapore. Drugs and substance abuse remains a problem in Singapore, in spite of the many efforts at controlling and curbing it. Drug abuse ruins families and lives. In the Central Narcotics Bureau's most recent annual report just last year, some worrying trends are showing up. The number of arrested abusers in our prison remains more than 6,000 and, I understand, is climbing. The worrisome attitude of young people towards the abuse of what is considered as "soft" drugs, such as "ice", has been on the rise over the past 14 years. The CNB reported an increase of more than 45% of youths below the age of 20 arrested for the consumption of "ice".

Sir, against this persistent trend of drug abuse in Singapore, going forward, what does MHA plan to do to prevent the situation, especially among the young, from worsening? What rehabilitation programmes are there to prevent recidivism among these young persons as well as the older drug abusers from turning chronic? I would also like to know whether the older and hard-core drug addicts released from detentions have any influence over younger people who may be attracted to such addicts.

The Chairman: Mr Desmond Lee, please take your two cuts together.

Mr Desmond Lee (Jurong): Sir, drug abuse destroys lives and families. In CNB's 2011 Drug Situation Report, there is a chart that shows the number of drug abusers arrested in Singapore falling from 1994 to 2005, but then rising steadily thereafter. A number of arrests in large raids also took place this year, as mentioned by Dr Intan earlier. All this is set against the backdrop of a very serious global drug problem.

Standing in contrast to Singapore's no-nonsense zero-tolerance approach to drug trafficking and consumption, many countries, particularly in the west, have medicalised the problem and moved away from trying too hard to curb demand and supply. These countries treat drug addiction as a disease, and their main strategy is to employ public health harm reduction strategies to tackle or minimise side effects associated with drug use, such as crime, drug overdose and infectious disease transmission. Some strategies include:

(a) Needle or syringe exchange programmes in the US, for instance, where clean hypodermic needles are given to drug addicts to reduce HIV and hepatitis transmission.

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(b) Supervised and injection facilities are another, such as those in Europe, Canada and Australia, which allow drug addicts to inject to consume drugs in a hygienic environment with access to medical support and counselling. By drawing addicts to such centres, they also aim to minimise public nuisance.

(c) Drug maintenance programmes established in a number of European countries, such as Switzerland, where addicts are clinically prescribed drug replacements, such as methadone or buprenorphine hydrochloride or even heroin to maintain their addiction but to try to reduce incidence of crime.

(d) Lastly, cannabis coffeeshops, such as those in the Netherlands which has relaxed marijuana laws.

Can I ask MHA whether it has studied the harm reduction approach in these countries and the data that has been published on the success or failure of specific strategies? What is the Ministry's position on this? Given the serious damage that drugs cause, can MHA confirm that there will be no shift in our tough approach to drugs?

Driving Instructors

Sir, on 18 February 2012, The Straits Times reported that LTA was reviewing the age limit for taxi vocational licences. The taxi industry proposed extending it from 73 to 75 years, so long as applicants satisfy health and other tests. This would allow taxi drivers to go on working as long as they are healthy.

Sir, there is no age limit for normal driving licences although people above the age of 65 need to pass a medical test. However, for driving instructors, there is a strict cap of 70 years. I recently met a 69-year-old gentleman who has been a driving instructor almost all his life. He is fit and healthy and does not look his age at all. He asked why he and his elderly colleagues must be forced into retirement as they are still perfectly fit and healthy. I would, therefore, like to ask MHA to consider lifting this altogether or at least raising the age cap, so long as driving instructors pass medical and other proficiency tests. This will be consistent with the objective of encouraging our seniors to remain actively engaged in the workforce.

Road Safety at Enhanced School Zones

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Sir, can MHA review the effectiveness of the enhanced school zone on road safety around our schools? The current flat red paint on the road did not and will not deter cars from speeding around school zones. The speed limit for these zones is not prominently displayed. Many drivers are not aware or are ignorant of the enhanced school zone rules. Enforcement of road safety rules in the school zone is also severely lacking. The current penalty for traffic offences around school zones perhaps should also be reviewed, just like many other countries where traffic offence penalties are doubled around school zones.

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Speed limiting strips or humps should also be considered. Last, we should consider deploying more speed cameras for enforcement at school zones, as the cost of speed cameras have significantly been reduced with technological advances. I hope MHA can do a comprehensive review of road safety around school zones and consider doubling of the penalties for traffic offences committed within school zones.

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The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Mr Chairman, Sir, I will now touch on the issues raised by Members on traffic, youth offending, and drug abuse. We share Dr Lim Wee Kiak's concern about road safety around schools. From 2007 to 2011, the number of accidents in which there was a fatality or injury in school zones was 171 out of about 40,000 reported accidents island-wide. There were no fatal accidents of children below 12 in school zones over the same period, until the accident in January this year, which resulted in the death of a 10-year-old student outside his school. However, any accident is one accident too many, especially in a school zone. We sympathise with the bereaving family. As Traffic Police's investigations are currently ongoing, we are unable to comment on this specific case. The findings will be made known in due course.

Having said that, we take road safety issues seriously, more so for our young road users. Errant road users who behave without due regard for the safety of others will be firmly dealt with. Currently, there are options to impose stiff punishment if circumstances warrant it. We will consider Dr Lim's suggestion to have enhanced and mandatory penalties imposed against errant driving and riding conduct within school zones.

However, enforcement alone is not sufficient. All of us road users must play our part by respecting traffic rules, and exercising due consideration for others who share the roads. Drivers should slow down when approaching a school zone and keep a lookout for young children using our crossings. Parents should also help promote road safety among their children – making sure that children alight from vehicles in a safe manner, and educating them to be especially attentive when using the roads.

Mr Desmond Lee asked if my Ministry could consider raising the age limit for driving instructors aged 70 and above. Driving instructors are serving in a demanding vocation. They need to be physically fit and mentally alert to protect the safety of road users as well as their trainees. We recognise that some driving instructors aged 70 and above may be able to discharge their responsibilities competently. Traffic Police will review the age limit of driving instructors. Our main consideration will be to ensure that overall road safety is not compromised.

Mr Alex Yam, Dr Intan Azura and Mr Hawazi Daipi asked about youth gangs and youth offending. Between 2007 and 2010, the number of youth arrests remained stable at about 4,000 per year, and in fact decreased to 3,450 arrests in 2011. The most common crimes committed were shop theft or about 28%, and rioting or about 12%. Specifically, the number of youths arrested for rioting, which can broadly be used as a proxy of youth gang violence, also decreased from 531 arrests in 2010 to 399 in 2011. Overall, 84% of the youths arrested were aged between 14 and 19 years old, and the majority of them were students.

The public was understandably concerned with specific incidents of youth-related violence in the last two years. Although these cases alone do not suggest that our youth crime situation or youth gang situation is worsening, it is important that we send a strong message that brazen acts of violence and intimidation will not be condoned. Police will not hesitate to take offenders to task, and prevent young people from getting deeper into a life of crime.

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The Working Group on Youth Gangs (WGYG) was formed in December 2010. Based on its recommendations, I announced a slew of measures in November last year, covering greater investment in diversion and rehabilitation, increased co-ordination amongst stakeholder agencies, and enhanced anti-gang legislation to disrupt youth gangs. As we tackle issues around youth gangs, there are other evolving youth-related issues that we face. For example, Second Minister Iswaran had spoken about the increasing number of youths arrested for offences related to unlicensed moneylending (UML) and I will touch on it later. We are also beginning to see an increasing number of young drug abusers arrested.

To ensure that we have in place effective structures to tackle youth crime, Police has established the Youth Offenders Unit, effective 1 March 2012. The Youth Offenders Unit will coordinate and drive youth crime-related policies and programmes with partner agencies, and monitor trends on youth offending. The Unit will also oversee public education and outreach efforts to youth. The new Unit will enable Police to pull together holistically its strategies, policies and programmes on youth offending and youth crime.

Today, youths who are arrested are sent for appropriate intervention programmes. These range from pre-court diversionary programmes such as the Guidance Programme, to Court-ordered options such as probation and residential rehabilitation in the Juvenile Homes, to sentencing at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC), and ultimately also Prisons.

At the RTC and Prisons, youth offenders are placed on programmes, including certified skills training courses and psychological intervention programmes, to address their anti-social thinking and attitudes towards violence. In addition, their families are involved in the rehabilitation process as we believe that strong family support is integral to their eventual reintegration back to the community.

Nonetheless, the Working Group on Youth Gangs believes that more can be done. About one in three youth offenders re-offend within two years of release from the RTC and Prisons. Youth offenders often present multiple risk factors, such as violence and anti-social thinking, which contribute to criminal behaviour. To address this, Prisons will be developing Specialised Treatment Programme (STP) modules to more effectively address these risk factors. Prisons will also continue to monitor the effectiveness of their psychological treatment programmes to ensure that they adhere to international standards, and share these with other correctional institutions.

The myriad of issues related to youth offending reflects the complexity of this problem, which cannot be resolved through structures and systems alone. Underpinning all these efforts is the recognition that families too play an important role in the life of our youths, and in the transmission of sound values to the next generation.

Beyond the family, we, as a community, all play a role, too. During my work in the WGYG, I met ex-gang members who had made the decision to turn their lives around, and there was one particularly memorable case. Mr Royston Khoo had joined a gang when he was only 13 years old. After being involved in various gang fights, he was eventually arrested at age 16, and was referred to the Streetwise Programme (SWP). During the programme, he went through counselling, group work sessions and community service. For Royston, the programme made him grow closer to his family and he began to realise how much hurt he had caused others. The desire to lead a more meaningful life led him to start volunteering at his SWP agency, Youth Guidance Outreach Services, at the age of 18. I am happy to say that he is now a full-time social worker there, successfully giving back to society. This shows how critical community support is in helping youth-at-risk reintegrate into society.

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Mr Chairman, apart from youth crime, we also share Mr Hawazi Daipi and Dr Intan Azura's concerns about drug abuse among youths. Before going into the details, let me begin with the broader drug situation. Firstly, the global and regional trends. Drug use continues to be a serious global problem. On the supply side, drug traffickers and organised criminals form a complex web of transnational networks, fuelling a global criminal enterprise and escalating demand for drugs.

Closer to home, Southeast Asia has seen soaring production, trafficking and consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants, such as Ice and Ecstasy, and a resurgence in opium cultivation and heroin trafficking. In fact, from 2010 to 2011, seizures of heroin and methamphetamine or "Ice" by the Central Narcotics Bureau increased by 48% and 151% respectively.

Secondly, domestic trends. Such developments pose a serious threat to our stability and security. The drug abuse situation is an area of concern. Drug abusers arrested is on a rising trend, increasing from 2,537 abusers arrested in 2008 to 3,265 abusers arrested last year. Malays and Chinese made up the majority of those arrested last year, at 48% and 33% respectively. Of the arrests in 2011, repeat abusers made up two-thirds of those arrested and new abusers the remaining one-third. While the numbers are much lower compared to the peak of the drug problem in the 1970s, we should not be complacent, and instead take decisive action before the situation worsens.

Looking ahead, we are particularly concerned about the large number of about 3,000 repeat abusers expected to be released from Long-Term Imprisonment (LT) from 2012 to 2014. LT abusers are often more likely to relapse into drug abuse. Based on the 2009 cohort, the two-year relapse rate of LT abusers was 36%, compared to 24% for the overall cohort.

Their drug addiction not only harms them, and as Mr Hawazi inferred, inflicts pain on others as well. To feed this expensive habit, many repeat drug abusers turn to crime, including drug trafficking. Indeed, 79% of those in prison have a drug antecedent, and more than 95% of those in long-term imprisonment for drug consumption have some form of criminal antecedents. Thus, the large number of releases over the next few years could result in more arrests in the future as well. To address this, we have allocated additional manpower to CNB and the Prison Service to step up supervision and aftercare of those being released from long-term imprisonment.

On young abusers, we share Mr Hawazi's concern that repeat abusers pose the danger of contaminating others within society. Given repeat drug abusers' close networks with drug suppliers and other drug abusers in Singapore, they can easily influence others, especially young and vulnerable persons, to experiment with drugs.

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To address this, CNB recently modified reporting arrangements for all young drug and inhalant supervisees. Previously, all supervisees, regardless of age, reported at the Police Land Division closest to their homes. As of 1 January 2012, CNB's Supervision Division at the Police Cantonment Complex has been converted to a dedicated Young Persons Reporting Centre, with all supervisees aged 21 years and below reporting there. With this change, we aim to reduce opportunities for young supervisees to be influenced by older and more experienced drug abusers, and by each other.

Having said this, the number of youths below 20 years of age, arrested for drug abuse, has shown a steady upward trend in the past five years, increasing from 79 in 2007 to 257 in 2011, as noted by Dr Intan. About 30% of these youths were students. Many first-time youth abusers use drugs to cope with problems, or take drugs "for fun".

We are concerned about the changing attitudes amongst the young, and the perception that taking "party drugs" is an acceptable lifestyle. Our worry is that synthetic drugs have increasingly become a common option for young drug abusers. Among youth abusers arrested in 2011, 65% had abused methamphetamine, or commonly known as "Ice". Amphetamine-type stimulants, such as Ecstasy and Ice are highly addictive, and can lead to psychiatric disorders where abusers may hallucinate or become violent. Indeed, the abuse of Ice has toxic effects and will cause extensive damage to the brain.

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Currently, first and second-time arrested abusers may be admitted to Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRCs) to undergo treatment programmes based on their assessed risks and needs. Programme evaluation has shown positive results in changing participants' attitudes towards drug abuse. Besides raising their awareness on the dangers of substance abuse, the programmes also equip them with coping strategies to address possible triggers for relapse upon their release. Such intervention is important to prevent drug abusers from falling into addiction again.

To further assist them upon release, step-down care is also available to those eligible for early release from the DRCs. They are placed on the Community-Based Programme (CBP), where they stay at a halfway house or at a Work Release Centre or in their own homes under electronic monitoring while still under Prison supervision.

( In Malay ): [Please refer to Pg 1720 for Vernacular Speeches.] Sir, last year, the number of Malay drug addicts arrested increased by 15% from 1,376 people in 2010 to 1,577 in 2011. Compared to 1994, when 3,295 Malay drug addicts were arrested, this can still be considered as a good situation, but our community must not fall into a slumber and see this as a total victory. In fact, Malay addicts still make up 48% of the total number of addicts arrested in 2011.

We must be concerned about this trend showing an increase in the number of new addicts. In fact, more Malay addicts from the younger age group were arrested for the past few years. With the community becoming more prosperous and values keep changing, we have seen a change in the attitude towards drugs, where these young people are beginning to feel that they can take drugs "recreationally". Furthermore, they are also more affluent and can afford to indulge in such activities.

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We must ensure a high level of alertness towards the dangers of drug abuse. We do not want the same episode, like what we saw in the 1970s, repeating itself where drug addicts distribute and sell drugs freely in certain places. Because drug addiction was so prevalent, everyone in the community will surely know someone who was a drug abuser. I still remember my neighbour, who was found dead in the Padang because he took the MX pill, which was popular at that time. A strong stance towards drug abuse must be emphasised. If the trend of drug abuse is not halted, we would see an increase in the crime rate, families breaking up and a bleak future within our community.

Parents must play an important role and they must be involved in their children's lives by preventing them from abusing drugs. We must not let them mix with individuals who do so or involve themselves in situations where they would be trapped because they made the wrong choice.

Instead, our community must also work together to help ex-drug addicts return to their families, society and workplace, so that they will not repeat their offence and menace our children. In fact, those who have been rehabilitated can become useful members of society who can help fight against drugs because they know of its dangers.

I am happy to announce that there is an increase of more than 50% in the number of Malay volunteers helping out in Prisons. With this two-pronged strategy, we hope that we can protect our community and our children from the dangers of drugs and, hence, ensure the nation's security and our community's future.

( In English ): Sir, Mr Desmond Lee is right to point out that many countries are moving towards harm reduction policies. Countries that pursue harm reduction try to address the drug problem by viewing drug consumption as a medical problem. Such countries, as pointed out by Mr Lee, provide clean needles and sanitised cubicles for abusers to take drugs. However, harm reduction policies often end up sending the wrong signals that drug abuse is an acceptable way of life. These countries continue to grapple with the pervasive problem of drug abuse and related issues, such as the spread of HIV.

Our stand on drugs is clear. Drug use is harmful and undesirable. Thus, we operate a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and aim to prevent harm through preventive education, tough laws, vigorous enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as aftercare to help integrate ex-abusers back into society.

Given the worsening regional drug situation and the growing number of drug abusers in Singapore, the Taskforce on Drugs was set up in October last year. The Taskforce aims to take a deeper look at issues related to prevention, rehabilitation, as well as supporting legislative and process reviews. These will include measures to address the growing number of youth abusers, an issue which both Dr Intan and Mr Hawazi have expressed and are concerned about. The recommendations will be announced within the next quarter of 2012.

Sir, we recognise that helping inmates transit from incarceration to reintegration within the community is important. The Committee on the Prevention of Re-Offending (CPR) was established in 2009 to study and propose recommendations to address the problem of re-offending. One of the key recommendations was to develop a more structured aftercare scheme with greater scaffolding, tighter supervision and enhanced community support. Given that the majority of those in prison have drug antecedents, this will provide the necessary treatment and support and, hopefully, reduce re-offending.

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However, we cannot do this alone. Our success is dependent on the individual's resolve to change, as well as his family's support and encouragement. While we help the families tide through their difficulties, we also want to open up the hearts of the community to come forward and help ex-offenders reintegrate into the community.

Under the CPR, we initiated a few projects that tapped on community support to strengthen the inmates' support network. For instance, under the Community Befriending Project, we match volunteer befrienders with inmates so as to provide positive peer support and role modelling for them. We also have the Community Outreach Project where grassroots volunteers render assistance to the inmate's family when the inmate is in prison.

I agree with Ms Indranee Rajah that families are indeed the pillar of support for ex-offenders. This, though, generally refers to an existing family unit from which he has been receiving or can get support. It is quite different when he sets out to build a family by getting married, especially soon after release. An offender just out of prison has many issues to deal with and an environment he is not familiar with anymore.

Ms Indranee asked if the Ministry will be more flexible in granting Long-Term Visit Passes for foreign spouses of Singaporeans with past criminal records. We are cognisant of the latter's needs, but we are mindful that should a marriage not work out or the husband reoffends, the spouse who is a foreigner will not have relatives in Singapore to turn to nor jobs to sustain herself or her children as many are generally low skilled. ICA, therefore, evaluates every application for a Long-Term Visit Pass carefully, based on a variety of factors, such as the sponsor's ability to financially support the family and sustain the marriage, whether there are Singapore Citizen children from the marriage, and duration of the marriage.

Over the last five years, 11,500 foreign spouses of Singaporeans were granted Long-Term Visit Passes annually. This represents a success rate of 85% over the applications received, and includes applications from those who have had criminal records before, but had qualified. But for ex-offenders who demonstrate a strong commitment to keep a clean record and remain in stable employment, we will review how we can better facilitate such applications and help these families. For the cases mentioned by the Member, I hope she can share with us these and we will look further into them.

It has not always been easy to implement the initiatives that I spoke of. For example, the Singapore Prison Service and her community partners face difficulties in contacting some inmates' family members and also in getting more volunteers to come on board. As a pro-social network, it is important to support those who genuinely want to change. We will continue to strengthen and expand these initiatives so that we can help more inmates and their families.

I would like to take this opportunity to say my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who have come forward to show their support and acceptance of offenders and their families, and for giving them a second chance in life. For those who feel passionate about the Yellow Ribbon cause, especially those who are interested to be befrienders, I would like to encourage you to come forward to help the offenders and their families.

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For example, one volunteer, Ms Azijah, decided to participate in the Community Befriending Project because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. What is truly commendable was Ms Azijah's willingness to go the extra mile, beyond just writing letters to the inmate she was linked up with. She personally received her ex-offender friend when he was released, and even helped to find him a place to stay. Most importantly, their friendship has extended beyond the prison walls and they are currently still in touch.

Sir, while we strengthen capabilities in systems, technology and people to address evolving issues, such as youth crime and drugs, we can achieve much more if we work together as a community. That is why I hope that more Singaporeans will step forward and work with us to build a safe and secure future together.

The Leader of the House (Dr Ng Eng Hen): Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that the Chairman do leave the Chair? This is to enable me to move a motion to take the proceedings on the business of Supply today beyond 7.30 pm.

The Chairman: I give my consent.

Resolved, That the Chairman do leave the Chair. – [Dr Ng Eng Hen].

Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.