CURBING LOANSHARK HARASSMENT ACTIVITIES

CURBING LOANSHARK HARASSMENT ACTIVITIES:

*: 6. Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan * asked the Minister for Home Affairs: (a) if he would provide (i) the number of youths arrested for loanshark and related harassment activities in 2010; and (ii) the profile of these youths; and (b) if the enhanced penalties provided for in the Moneylenders (Amendment) Bill passed in January 2010 have been effective in curbing loanshark harassments.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, 15,991 cases of harassment and loanshark cases were reported between January and November last year. This is a drop of 8%, compared to the 17,374 cases reported over the same period in 2009. Police arrested 1,443 persons for loansharking and harassment activities from January to November last year; an increase of 66% from the 868 persons arrested over the same period the year before.

Sir, of the persons arrested for loansharking and harassment activities between January and November last year, 159 were youths aged 19 years and below. This is an increase from 142 youths, which is about a 12% increase arrested for the same period in 2009. The majority of youths arrested were between the age of 16 and 19. Those arrested who were below the age of 16, dropped from 27 persons to 16 persons.

Of the youths arrested, about one third were students and one third were unemployed. The youths were involved

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as runners or harassers or in activities such as opening or allowing their bank accounts to be used by loansharks. While some youths did this to pay off their own debts, the majority of youths were enticed by the lure of extra pocket money.

The involvement of young people in any crime, including loansharking activities, is a concern. The Police has been working with schools and the community to educate our youths on the dangers of taking part in crime and reminding them of the price they will have to pay for committing crime. The Police and the community have jointly developed a variety of Police-Youth programmes to educate youths on the pitfalls of engaging in crime. For example, Police actively works with the National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR) to organise the annual Youth Crime Prevention Roadshow in our schools.

The Police also works closely with the Honorary Volunteer Special Constabularies and Discipline Masters and Operation Managers in schools to identify and monitor "high-risk" students. The sharing of information from the school staff enables Police to quickly intervene against loanshark recruitment activities and steer students away from the slippery slope. Sir, these early intervention and public education efforts are important in preventing youths from falling into crime.

Assoc. Prof. Straughan asked about the effectiveness of the enhanced penalties following amendments to the Moneylenders Act in January last year. I had covered this area comprehensively when I shared with the House on 23rd November last year on the loansharking situation. We believe that the enhanced penalties is one of the reasons why the number of cases has dropped. In the context of young offenders, I should add that we had amended the Moneylenders

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Act to specify as an offence any person of or above the age of 21 years causing or procuring a youth under the age of 16 years to commit unlicensed moneylending or acts of harassment. The early signs indicate that the amendments have helped in dealing with the loansharking and harassment situation. We will continue to monitor the loansharking situation and not let up in our efforts in tackling this scourge.

Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan: Of the 159 youths who were arrested in the period stipulated, how many of those cases were the Police able to trace back to the original perpetrators? My second question is: for the youths who have been arrested and dealt with – the 159 youths – could the Senior Minister of State give us an insight on the rehabilitative efforts that were spent on these youths for us to be able to receive them back into the mainstream society?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, Assoc. Prof. Straughan, in fact, has made an interesting comment in her question, which is something I touched on when I moved the amendments last year to the Moneylenders Act, which is the layering effect of these loansharking syndicates. It is not just a matter of youths but any runner who is recruited. We may catch them but very often it is not the case that we can then trace back to those who recruited them. Having said this, I want to assure the Member that we will make all efforts to do the tracing. The real test is to tackle the syndicates. I want to assure Assoc. Prof. Straughan and the House that a lot of the arrests that have been made – there has been a surge in arrests – are a result of co-ordinated efforts, not just by the Police, but also Police Land Division, CID and the community groups to tackle these syndicates. In fact last week, there was a big operation lasting 55 hours and 62 arrests were made in relation to this manhunt.

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The other point is the rehabilitation of youths. I think that is a key point too. I have mentioned the prevention efforts. We have to continue getting youths to realise that this is no easy money. It may look easy but once you are recruited, you are sucked into a system where money may seem to come easy at the beginning and when you do more, you will ultimately be caught. I understand that in terms of harsher punishments for these youths, quite a number of them are now sent to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC), where previously they were given probation. So a stint in RTC will be good for them. Certainly, they have been noted for their propensity to be lured by easy money. In the RTC, I am sure there will be programmes that will help to rehabilitate them.

Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan: Can the Senior Minister of State elaborate on what goes on in the RTC?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Basically the RTC is a reformative centre regime which caters to youths generally aged from 16 to 21. Below 16 years, there is the Juvenile Court, and the youth offenders will be sent to the Boys' Home. The RTC is a tougher regime than the Boys' Home.

It is basically a centre in which you spend at least 18 months. There are various programmes that are run in the centre to help rehabilitate these youths. They are eligible to be out in the community after 18 months on licence. In all, it is a three-year regime. They are amongst boys of their age and, because of this, discipline can be maintained and various counselling and other help programmes can be mounted to help these youths.