HEAD P - MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

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ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2010 TO 31ST MARCH, 2011:

(Paper Cmd. 1 of 2010): Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day].

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Mr Speaker in the Chair: ]

Head P – Ministry of Home Affairs (cont.)

Resumption of Debate on Question [4th March 2010],

"That the total sum to be allotted for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100." – [Alvin Yeo].

Question again proposed.

Community Engagement Programme (CEP) to Focus More on Youth and PRs

Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, my sincere apologies for not being present for my cut yesterday and my appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Wong and the Chair for allowing me this opportunity to speak today.

Let me first declare my pecuniary interest as I have been engaged by the Government to design and conduct Community Engagement Programme (CEP) workshops. But it is precisely because of this experience that I feel I have gained some insights to recommend what might be useful next steps for this increasingly important programme.

In the last few years, the CEP Directorate in MHA has directly, or through other agencies, engaged hundreds of community and grassroots leaders including CCC and IRCC leaders. Similar workshops were conducted for all Cluster Superintendants, school principals and key HODs. Apart from gaining specific skills in accurately sensing anomalies and dealing with them, feedback from participants indicated that what they benefited most was the opportunity to share openly about issues that are generally considered highly sensitive, even taboo. The feeling was that hearing the viewpoints of the trainer and other participants in a "safe" and closed-door

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setting, heightened their awareness and sensitivity. This is, in turn, helped to build and deepen trust, which is critical for community engagement and harmony.

What was instructive was that some participants shared their surprise and sense of awakening that in spite of having been born and bred in multi-racial Singapore, there were many aspects that they were not aware of or inadvertently had been deaf to.

This got me thinking: if those who have lived here all their lives are struggling to understand the nuances of multi-culturalism, imagine the challenges faced by our new immigrants! Likewise, if these community and school leaders who are in their late 30s and 40s, on average, not sufficiently clued-in on the deeper aspects of key historical events such as the 1964 racial riots, how can we expect youths to understand this? The truth is, if we do not have a deep enough understanding of racial and religious issues as well as other social fault lines, true community engagement would be impossible.

The most effective way to engage youth and new immigrants is by reaching out to leaders in these two groups: (i) Youth Leaders – we need to start with leaders within the school system, which could include student leaders at secondary, JC, ITE, Polytechnic and University levels. We should also work with organisations such as People's Association (PA) and other prominent non-Government groups to identify youths who hold leadership positions outside the MOE catchment. (ii) New immigrants – this is likely to be a more amorphous and diverse group. I envisage the leaders of this constituency would be identified in collaboration with PA, National Integration Council (NIC) and religious groups.

To conclude, the pace at which we are seeing new immigrants and the increased exposure, especially for our

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youths through the Internet, make it even more challenging for us to build a collective consciousness, sensibility and reflex as a society.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): I thank the Members who have spoken on the MHA issues and for giving me and my colleagues the opportunity to address them.

Sir, the threat of terrorism remains real in our region, and so it remains real for Singapore too. We are an open society and we cannot insulate ourselves from the situation in our region or other parts of the world. Mr Alvin Yeo is right to point out that the threat of terrorism remains. This is notwithstanding the slew of arrests by regional authorities which Mr Christopher de Souza has noted. Indeed, despite such successes, the terrorist threat, which Mr de Souza and Mr Hri Kumar talked about, remains significant.

Firstly, this is because the appeal of extremist and terrorist ideology is still very much alive. While the majority of people reject it, terrorism remains, and it needs only a handful as its vanguard. Therefore, so long as radicalisation and self-radicalisation of individuals continue to occur, terror groups remain capable of recouping their losses with new recruits. In Indonesia, for example, the death of Noordin Top has not discouraged those he had recruited from continuing with their terrorist acts. More recently, the arrest in Malaysia of 10 terror suspects, which included individuals from Yemen, Nigeria, Jordon and Syria, are a reminder of our vulnerability to terrorist threats coming from beyond the region.

Secondly, terrorist trade-craft and methods are evolving even as security systems improve. Whether it is liquid bomb or binary bomb created to defeat

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detection technologies or explosives in shoes or underwear, we continue to see the creative determination of terrorists to circumvent security defences. The intent of terror groups to stage violent attacks has not diminished, even if the opportunities to do so, especially for mega attacks, are fewer than before because of a general hardening of potential targets by the authorities.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked about the steps to make Singapore and Southeast Asia safer. The most critical factor in enhancing the security of the region and, therefore, Singapore is strong intelligence and operational cooperation between our security and intelligence agencies and their regional and international counterparts. Intelligence shared between the countries has helped in the prevention of attacks and in the arrests of terrorists. We have also deployed Police liaison officers in Jakarta and Manila to facilitate cooperation and timely intelligence exchanges with these two countries.

Sir, border security is another key line of defence. Mr Hri Kumar asked whether the security measures at our checkpoints are at pace with new terrorist threats and methods. We have established a range of physical security measures at all our checkpoints and regularly review these measures. For instance, checks at our airports were immediately stepped up after the foiled Christmas Day attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Detroit. But being an island, our borders are porous. Those determined to sneak into or out of Singapore may sometimes succeed.

Our border security is about more than just our checkpoints. Maritime security, therefore, is something we must continue to pay attention to. Given the current security climate, we cannot assume that an intrusion is criminal and is not terrorist related. The Mumbai incident which saw the terrorists covertly entering the city by

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the sea tells us clearly that such an assumption could make us dangerously blinkered.

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The Police Coast Guard (PCG) works very closely with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) to have an integrated picture of the maritime domain. The PCG has also started to renew its fleet to enhance its detection and interception capabilities. In recent months, the PCG has achieved several successes against smuggling syndicates. This underscores its ability to prevent intrusion through our coastline.

We will not tolerate any sea-borne threat to our domestic security. If an intruding vessel refuses to stop despite repeated instructions to do so, the PCG will shoot at the engine of non-compliant vessels to stop them at sea. Such disabling fire will be employed only when absolutely necessary, and the Police's response will be proportional to the threat posed.

Safeguards are in place to ensure that the responsible use of force is being complied with. The PCG officers have undergone intensive proficiency training and will appraise the ground conditions carefully before employing disabling fire. Disabling fire will not be employed if there are any reasonable risks to innocent vessels or persons.

Sir, we are constantly seeking out new technologies to strengthen our borders security. At our Tuas Checkpoint, for instance, we have developed a facility for our frontline officers to test and detect suspicious chemical, biological, radiological or explosive substances.

Ultimately, however, our most important asset in security is still our people. Public vigilance is key to deterring terror cells from taking root in our community, a concern raised by Mr de Souza. Singaporeans need to play their

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part by being our eyes and ears on the ground and reporting any suspicious happenings that they see. Indeed, individuals in any potentially targeted domain have local knowledge and instincts which are useful to tap on and are of a security value. If they can be trained and sensitised to look out for potential security risks, they will expand the community of security vigilance in our domain. By involving the community, we are also educating and preparing Singaporeans against a terrorist attack, which Mr Hri Kumar has correctly pointed out is key.

In line with this approach, we have piloted over the last year an initiative called Threat-Oriented Passenger Screening Integrated System (TOPSIS). This initiative involves the Home Team working in an integrated manner with frontline officers and the stakeholder entities at each of these checkpoints to better identify and respond to suspicious individuals. For instance, the non-security communities such as the airport check-in counter staff are trained to assist security agencies to identify suspicious passengers.

Such an approach is not new. We have always emphasised how important it is to mobilise our public to be vigilant and prepared. Hence, we have always sought to work closely with our public and private sector partners. Whether it is for high profile events like the coming Singapore Youth Olympic Games, or protecting critical infrastructure or private developments such as the IRs, the best way to balance security with other important considerations is to factor in security considerations from the outset in the planning for these events and developments.

This was indeed the approach that we took with the IR which Mr Arthur Fong asked about. The Home Team engaged the IRs from the design stage to ensure

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that the safety and security requirements are addressed. We have also enhanced our response capacity for the IRs – for instance, the Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre is already operational and the Fire Station will be operational next year.

Ensuring public vigilance and crisis preparedness of the community - a matter raised by Mr de Souza and Mr Arthur Fong – is a continuing effort of the Home Team. As Mr de Souza also mentioned, complacency of Singaporeans is always a concern. The more we are free from a terrorist incident or even a natural disaster, the more people are inclined to take security for granted. Be that as it may, we must persist with efforts to enhance crisis awareness and contingency preparedness at all levels. I would urge Singaporeans not to be complacent and to take their security and safety for granted. They must do their part.

Last July, we conducted Exercise Northstar VII. This involved Government agencies, the private sector and the community. In August last year, we launched a workshop series on crisis management. The first workshop was customised for senior security executives in the hotel industry. We will be conducting further workshops later this year to reach out to other corporate sector partners.

At the level of the general public, we have been developing the Community Engagement Programme (CEP). Now in its fourth year, the CEP has reached more groups than ever. The constituencies' CEP-Ready certification programme, for instance, has seen the development of baseline crisis response capabilities in almost every constituency.

Mr de Souza asked how we can stop terrorist ideology from infecting our

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community. Here, we have very good work being done in the countering of extremist and terrorist ideology. The persisting threat of self-radicalisation makes these efforts even more critical today.

In this regard, I commend the efforts of our various local Muslim groups and scholars and the Religious Rehabilitation Group. Understanding the vulnerability of the young and that their medium of choice is often the Internet, many of these Islamic scholars are working through their websites and blogs to counter the toxic influence of extremist ideology propagated through the Internet.

I assure Members that we will do everything reasonable and practicable to prevent a terrorist incident and to mitigate its consequences, especially on our communal harmony and social cohesion, if it occurs. It is important therefore that Singaporeans play their part and continue to strive to be vigilant and prepared, and to nurture the bonds of trust within our community.

Ultimately, however, Sir, we need to be always realistic and balanced when we deal with security. On the one hand, we should not be in denial. The threat is real and we are not immune from it. On the other hand, we must recognise that no security system can be completely foolproof. Risk-based judgments and trade-offs must be made at all times. Life must go on despite the continuing threat of terrorism.

The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Sir, I will deal with the questions raised on Home Team resources, law and order at the Integrated Resorts (IRs), race classification, maintaining religious harmony and irresponsible Internet behaviour.

I agree with Mr Alvin Yeo's speech that we cannot neglect Homeland

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security. Mr Yeo observed little or no manpower increases in the Home Team this coming year. That comment has to be seen in context. In 2009-2010, the Home Team saw significant increases to establishment for Police (1,315 or 11%), ICA (1,275 or 33%), CNB (64 or 10%) and SCDF (205 or 10%).

Moving forward, we are looking to increase ICA manpower at the checkpoints and staffing a new cruise terminal. For SCDF, we will have a new fire station for Tuas View and a new Fire Post at Sentosa. More manpower will also be allocated for frontline policing and key operational roles like investigation and intelligence.

There is a limit to how much additional resources can be pumped in to the Home Team. However, there are pressures, like an expanding population, as pointed out by Mr de Souza, an increase in mega events and a more complex security environment. Thus, as I had shared in last year's COS debate, it is important for us to deal with these constraints in a holistic manner.

First, there must be force multipliers, like technology, to maximise the utility of limited resources. Second, we should partner the private sector to augment the security force and also free up Home Team officers to perform more critical functions. Third, we need to forge deep and meaningful collaborations with community partners.

The long-term solution cannot be to continue growing the size of the Home Team indefinitely. Instead, our resources must be allocated to areas that best optimise their training capabilities. And this must be to combat crime and not to do pest control like catching snakes.

On the IRs, Mr de Souza, Mr Arthur Fong, Mr Ang Mong Seng and Dr Ong Seh

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Hong were concerned about issues relating to vice, loansharking and other social menaces.

We have been focusing on the different potential threats faced and beyond issues relating to regulating the casinos. Being iconic, the IRs are potential targets for terrorists. We are also mindful, given the experience of other jurisdictions, that the casinos may attract criminal elements including organised crime, vice, moneylaundering and loansharking. We have from the outset built capabilities to deal with multi-faceted threats.

The Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) was set up in April 2008. The Casino Crime Investigation Branch (CCIB) was set up to deal specifically with casino-related crime. The new Marina Bay NPC and Bukit Merah West NPC will oversee general law and order at the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) respectively.

With regard to vice activities which Mr de Souza asked about, the Police has increased the number of officers available to deal with vice. Police Land Division officers have been vested with the same powers as those from CID to curb vice-related activities.

Since the casinos started operations, the law and order situation has generally remained under control. It is early days yet but we will monitor the situation closely.

As for the issue of problem gambling, that is under MCYS' purview.

I will now turn to Ms Irene Ng's question which can be broken down into two distinct points. One, that there should be a new category of 'Singaporean' in the 'race' field of the NRIC. And two, we should ensure a level playing field for all citizens regardless of race, language or religion.

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I will now respond to each of her points. First, the idea that there should be a new category of 'Singaporean', for those who prefer to state that, rather than ethnic identity. An idea like this has to be realistic, acceptable to the majority, and capable of being implemented effectively. The reality is that ours is a multi-ethnic society. Our people are heirs with several cultures which have long, proud and rich traditions, stretched over thousands of years. Ethnicity and culture identity, and identification along those lines, are not going to disappear by doing away with it in our NRIC or providing an option for people to avoid stating their ethnicity.

The example of France and many other countries tells us that. Indeed, in the Singapore context, there is much to be said for openly accepting our ethnic differences and celebrating our ethnic and cultural diversity. That diversity can be melted into great strength if properly handled – witness our ability to span across Asia and take part in the rise of China, India and parts of Southeast Asia.

However, we must not lose sight of one basic fundamental ideal which really underlines Ms Ng's point. While we acknowledge our different ethnicities and cultures, underlying this is the ideal that they are all Singaporeans first and foremost – this has to be the foundation for our society. We will support each other and fight for each other. The Singaporean national identity has to be nurtured and strengthened into a powerful unifying force. The Singaporean identity has to be made stronger than the individual ethnic identities. But that ideal is not going to be achieved by us ignoring our ethnic diversity, nor would our ethnic diversity go away because we do not reflect it in our NRICs. Even in countries with highly egalitarian ideas, with far longer history than ours, race still continues to be a central tenet and fact of

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society. It does not go away easily, even over hundreds of years. Thus, it is best to be pragmatic and realistic while not losing sight of achievable ideals. While race does not always equate to culture, it most often does. Policy has to be based on the norm rather than the exception.

Let me deal with Ms Ng's second point on ensuring a level playing field for all citizens regardless of race, language or religion. I agree entirely. I said earlier that, as a society, we can in fact be stronger if we celebrate our diversity and draw strength from that diversity. It will however not be possible to draw such strength if any ethnic group is discriminated against.

Our pledge sets out what our ideals are. As a Government and as a society, we have striven to achieve those ideals. Nevertheless, in a society like ours, from time to time, there will be perceptions of discrimination as well as actual cases where discrimination occurs. That happens in every multi-ethnic society. And discrimination on some differential basis occurs in every society. That is the reality of social organisation. The key is that our Government and public institutions, as a matter of public policy, do not tolerate such discrimination. We do our best to ensure a level playing field based on meritocracy. By and large, we have been successful, though in issues like this, it is always work in progress. We have a society whose fundamental tenet is meritocracy and all ethnic groups have made substantial progress. We have a good foundation for our society to move further forward to achieve the vision in our pledge.

Let me now move on to religious harmony. Dr Ong Seh Hong spoke about the need for religious tolerance and harmony. Singapore's peaceful communal relations are the result of the careful management of relations between the various racial and religious groups by the

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Government and the commitment of our people to the ideals and value of communal harmony. At the core is the policy that the Government of Singapore is secular and that the secular law is supreme. This ensures that all races and religions are given equal protection under the law.

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Despite this, we occasionally face incidents of conflict and tension, as pointed out by Dr Ong. Ethnic and religious diversity pose some challenges to social order as different groups pursue their interests, sometime over enthusiastically and passionately. Our approach towards resolving such disagreements is that they should be mediated or resolved on the ground through common sense and moral suasion using the collective efforts of the community, grassroots and religious leaders. However, there may be times when such efforts are not enough. In such instances, the authorities will step in to deal with the problem, and I do not think that anyone doubts the will and resolve of the Government to deal with these issues effectively and quickly. Dr Ong suggested sending out a stronger and clearer signal for every breach. Ideally, such action by the authorities should be few and far between. The long-term solution to religious disputes must reside in mutual understanding and trust among the different groups and their leaders. Dr Ong's suggestion that religious clerics undergo a course on religious harmony is really a matter for MCYS to consider.

I will end by addressing the issue raised by Dr Maliki about irresponsible Internet behaviour. The Government has generally taken a light touch approach on regulating the Internet. However, we do take a serious view of those who take advantage of the anonymity offered by the Internet to do harm to others or to the community. We will not hesitate to take action in such cases. Should the

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Government go further and criminalise more irresponsible Internet behaviour? In France, it is an offence for anyone to broadcast images of certain classes of violent crimes, including severe beatings or rape. While Singapore does not have such a law, we will monitor developments and review our practices and laws where necessary. Ultimately, the Internet cannot be a place where the law is suspended. There has to be accountability for actions on the Internet as well as in the physical world.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Mr Chairman, I will address issues on loansharking, drug abuse and the law and order situation in Singapore.

On loansharking, Mr de Souza and Mr Ang Mong Seng asked if the new measures introduced recently have deterred loansharks. When I moved the amendments to the Moneylenders Act in January, I said that we should not view the enhanced measures as a silver bullet or a panacea. While the strong endorsement in this House signalled clearly our collective resolve to tackle this scourge, much more work remained to be done by all stakeholders. Since the passage of the Bill, which came into force on 11th February, I am gratified that more hands have come on deck to deal with this scourge. The fact that MPs have raised this topic at this COS is a warning to all loansharks and their runners that our sights are set on them.

Sir, on enforcement, Police has pressed on with its ground efforts. Arrest figures remain high, 958 arrests last year, a 90% increase compared to the year before. Arrests reached a high of 132 in January this year compared to a monthly arrest rate of 80 last year. That shows that Police is pressing on the ground too. This is achieved through ground operations to disrupt the runners as well

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as intelligence-led ones targeting syndicates. The number of harassment cases, after spiking from around 11,400 in 2008 to 17,883 last year, has shown signs of stabilising. So, in response to Mr de Souza, there are encouraging signs.

On prosecution, three persons have been charged for loansharking activities committed after the amended Moneylenders Act came into effect. If convicted, they will be subject to enhanced penalties and we will publicise these cases as a warning to others. On preventive education, the National Council on Problem Gambling has intensified its outreach to warn against over-extending oneself in gambling. Mr Ang asked if loanshark syndicates have acquired smaller operations to increase their strength. I think he was citing an article in the Chinese press on what is allegedly happening in Malaysia. Sir, Police has not observed such a trend and would be happy to receive any information on it. Even if it happens, Police is able to counter it. On whether CCTVs can be installed at households harassed by loansharks, Sir, we are already doing so. Police procured more CCTV systems this year and are working with households to install them, especially innocent households which have been harassed many times.

As for his other suggestion, the Court now already has the powers to order a convicted loanshark to compensate the victim for damage done to the unit. However, as we all know in this House, a more practical approach is the current one where the Town Council expeditiously rectifies the damage, so that the impact is minimised. That is a key point. As rampant harassment affects not just the harassed households', but the neighbourhoods' sense of well being as well, it is quite in order to tap Town Councils' funds for this purpose. After all it can be

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your neighbour's unit being harassed today, it can be your own unit harassed tomorrow. So, it is a collective effort.

Mr Arthur Fong, Mr Christopher de Souza and Dr Ong Seh Hong are concerned that the casinos will attract more loansharking activities. The recent amendments arm us with more powers to cripple the loansharks and impose tougher penalties on the perpetrators. Measures to ensure that licensed moneylenders do not venture into loansharking activities have been enhanced. In addition, under the Casino Control Act, a casino operator must take all appropriate steps to ensure that unlicensed moneylending or related activities are not conducted by his employees, patrons or any other persons inside the casino. Exclusion orders will prohibit those with serious criminal backgrounds, including loansharks, from entering the casinos. Hence, let me assure them and Mr Ang that Police is ready to meet this challenge.

Sir, in summary, tackling the loanshark scourge is really work in progress. The Ministry of Home Affairs will closely monitor the impact of the enhanced measures. And as I have said, if necessary, we will adopt additional measures to tighten the noose around the loansharks. Meanwhile, let us all work together to combat this scourge.

Sir, I now turn to drug and inhalant abuse. The context is how our drug and inhalant abuse situation has evolved over the past decade. The start point should be the year 2000, that is, pre-Subutex days, not 2005, which is the height of the Subutex phenomenon.

I assure Mr Alvin Yeo and Ms Sylvia Lim that the drug abuse situation is well under control. In the year 2000, we arrested 3,157 drug abusers. Arrest figures dropped to a low of 793 abusers in 2005, but picked up thereafter, reaching 1,883 abusers last year which is

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a 2% decrease from the 1,925 abusers arrested in 2008.

Members of this House will recall that there was a distortion in the drug situation between the years 2002 and 2006, caused by the availability of Subutex as a legal prescription drug for the treatment of opiate dependence. Many who used Subutex indiscriminately during that period were heroin abusers who had switched to Subutex as a legal alternative.

Our classifying Subutex as a controlled drug in August 2006 resulted in an upswing in the number of drug abusers arrested, from the artificial low of 793 in 2005 to 2,211 in 2007. This is because CNB aggressively conducted enforcement action to arrest Subutex abusers, as well as Subutex users who had reverted to heroin arising from the tight supply of Subutex in the illicit drug market. So, indeed, there was displacement. But the point to note is that the total number of opioid abusers, ie, heroin and Subutex abusers taken together, has been decreasing since 2007.

Sir, heroin has remained the most popular drug of abuse over the decade. However, proportionately, its abusers amongst all drug abusers actually decreased from over 90% in the early 1990s to 81% in the year 2000 to 57% last year. With 1,080 abusers arrested last year, the situation in fact is much improved compared to the 2,557 abusers arrested, pre-Subutex phenomenon, in the year 2000. So, notwithstanding the Subutex phenomenon, the situation has improved over the years.

Now on the socio-economic profile of heroin abusers, 90% arrested in 2009 had Secondary qualifications or below. About four in 10 (43%) were employed at the point of arrest – the majority being cleaners, labourers or holding related lower-income jobs. Eighty percent of them had criminal antecedents.

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Sir, on the high percentage of repeat abusers, we will continue to galvanise the community, addicts’ families and employers to tackle this challenge. In fact, the numbers have decreased because of the improved relapse rate, down to 14% from 37% in the year 2000. Last year, 17% of arrestees had previously been on Long Term Imprisonment, or LT. Whilst rehabilitative opportunities are available to addicts willing to change, the fact is that there will always be a group of hardcore abusers who persist in their addiction. So, a key focus is to prevent people from getting on to the slippery slope in the first place. And to the credit of all of Home Team agencies which are engaged in preventive education, including NCADA, the number of new abusers arrested remains low, at 553 last year, or 29% of all abusers arrested.

Sir, on inhalant abuse, in 2000, we arrested 133 inhalant abusers, a far cry from the peak of 1,112 inhalant abusers arrested in 1987. The inhalant abuse problem had steadily improved after the Intoxicating Substances Act was implemented in 1987. However, the number of inhalant abusers arrested increased between 2005 and 2007, peaking at 644 in the year 2007.

CNB then acted decisively by stepping up preventive education and enforcement. As an average of seven out of 10 inhalant abusers arrested each year were youths, of whom about 50% were students, CNB worked with MOE and MCYS to resolutely tackle the problem. Sir, as with other youth problems, it is correct to address parents as they can play a role, both in prevention and detection of aberrant behaviour in their children. These efforts arrested the spike in numbers and stabilised the situation. So last year, 600 inhalant abusers were arrested, down from the peak of 644 in the year 2007.

Sir, as to whether the Malay community is disproportionately represented compared to the other racial

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groups, in the year 2000, Malays formed half of all drug abusers and 26% of inhalant abusers. Last year, Malays formed less than half, at 44% for drug abuse and 37% for inhalant abuse. Now even though they are over-represented in these statistics, what is encouraging is that the number of Malay drug abusers arrested dropped from 1,575 in the year 2000 to 832 last year. In fact, this 47% decrease over the decade is the largest registered across all racial groups. The number of Malay inhalant abusers arrested has also declined by 14% from its peak of 258 in the year 2007 to 222 last year.

Sir, Mr Yeo is concerned that the integrated resorts and bustling nightlife in Singapore could result in more abuse of psychotropic drugs. To prevent the drug culture from taking root, CNB conducts regular raids at nightspots. The National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) also actively engages entertainment outlets to play their part in keeping their premises drug-free in their annual Clubs Against Drugs campaign. Overall, the psychotropic drug situation is under control.

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A key challenge is to keep illicit drugs out of Singapore. This is because of the ready supply of drugs in the region and the proximity of methamphetamine production activities near our borders. But CNB will remain vigilant, aiming to disrupt or cripple drug trafficking syndicates and their runners who target our local market. As a society, we cannot go soft on drug abuse. I am confident that our long-term drug and inhalant abuse situation will remain under control, even though there could be fluctuations in abuse rates, if we all keep our resolve to keeping Singapore drug-free. I say this because just like crime rates, drug abuse rates cannot keep on declining all the time. There may be some fluctuations. But over the long term, I think we are on the right track.

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Sir, on our crime situation –a point Mr Christopher de Souza makes – let me assure him that the general law and order situation is good. Indeed, Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. I assure him that the increase in number of foreigners in Singapore has not led to a rise in crimes. On the contrary, with strong enforcement by the Police, tapping technology and with proper training for its officers, and working with a vigilant public, the overall crime reported in Singapore has actually declined over the past five years. Overall, crime decreased from 37,093 cases in 2005 to 32,968 cases last year, despite our population is increasing. On a per 100,000 population basis, the overall crime rate fell from 870 in 2005 to 661 in 2009, a reduction of 24%. Indeed, the crime rate last year was the lowest in the past seven years.

Sir, on criminal records, Dr Maliki is correct that a key part of our crime reduction strategy is to help ex-offenders who genuinely want to change and gain a fresh start in life after they have paid their debt to society.

In October 2005, we implemented a second chance policy. Someone who has committed minor offences will have his criminal record marked as "spent" after a period of time, so that he can reply "no" when asked if he has a criminal record, even though the fact that he has been convicted remains. This is not the same as "expunging" the record, which is also what Dr Maliki talked about, which goes further to obliterate even the fact of the conviction, an approach we did not adopt.

Sir, to strike a balance between the interests of ex-offenders, employers and society at large, only records of less serious crimes where the offender receives a light punishment qualify to be rendered spent. This is why, to maintain this balance, for sensitive vocations like

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security officers and airport employees, applicants are screened for past criminal records. But let me assure Dr Maliki that even for security officers, Police takes a calibrated approach, taking into account the nature of the offence and how long ago it was committed. So in line with the Yellow Ribbon movement, we have in fact allowed ex-offenders to work in the security industry.

Since 2005, more than 142,000 persons' criminal records have been rendered spent. As to how many of these persons have subsequently re-offended, based on Police records on reoffending in Singapore, the re-offending rate is less than 2%.

Sir, Dr Maliki asks if there is any intention to expand the "spent" regime. As it has been five years since its implementation, just like the Home Detention scheme which we expanded after operating it for several years, the Ministry of Home Affairs will monitor the scheme to see if there is a need to widen the criteria.

Sir, let me conclude on these cuts. The issues of loansharking, drug abuse, and crime are matters which concern all Singaporeans. The Home Team will press on resolutely to tackle these problems, explore new and pragmatic measures and approaches to sharpen its arsenal. Ultimately, however, what the Home Team can achieve depends not only on the professionalism and dedication of its officers but on the support they enjoy from a public who shares their commitment to keep Singapore safe and secure.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Sir, I will now touch on recidivism, road safety and safe cycling and the Community Engagement Programme.

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Dr Maliki asked about the recidivism rate in Singapore, defined as the percentage of local inmates who are imprisoned again for a new offence within two years of their release.

Singapore's recidivism rate has declined over the years from about 44.4% for the cohort released in 1998 to an all time low of about 23.7% for the cohort released in 2004. Although the recidivism rate has since increased slightly to about 26.5% for the cohort released in 2007, this is still low by international standards.

The general decline in recidivism over the last decade is the result of concerted efforts by Prisons, the

Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) and community partners.

Within the institutions, Prisons has a classification framework which assesses offenders' risk of re-offending and rehabilitation needs. Specialised Treatment Programmes also address specific risk factors such as substance abuse, criminal thinking and sexual offending behaviour.

In parallel, SCORE has various activities to enhance inmates' employability. This, as Dr Maliki has

emphasised, is an important protective factor for ex-offenders. SCORE conducts training in workplace literacy and numeracy skills and offers certified courses in retail, electronics and IT skills. Potential employers are also invited into Prisons to help offenders secure jobs even before their release.

In 2009, SCORE offered employment assistance to a total of 1,344 inmates and ex-offenders. Of this number, employment was secured for almost 85%. If an ex-offender is sincere and does not have unrealistic expectations, SCORE will be able to find him a job. It may not be the

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best paying job but it will be a fair wage based on his skills and competencies. More importantly, he will have a stable income until a better job offer comes along.

The final and arguably most critical part of the equation is ensuring that offenders can successfully re-

integrate into the community after their release. Prisons partnered with the Singapore After-care Association (SACA) and the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) in 2001 to provide offenders with aftercare assistance to adjust to life outside prison.

In order for re-integration to succeed, the community must be willing to support and accept ex-offenders who want to change for the better. The Yellow Ribbon Project, which started in 2004, has achieved progress on this front. Many volunteers have since stepped forward to help by providing religious counselling for inmates, assisting their families and employing ex-offenders.

What more can be done. It took us almost a decade to build up our structured rehabilitation and reintegration regime, and to achieve our low recidivism rates, we have to garner the support of dedicated volunteers and partners. We note Mr Alvin Yeo's concern on the rising trend of recidivism, and will continue to monitor this and endeavour to keep it down. However it is not realistic to expect our recidivism rates to continue to fall indefinitely and there will be fluctuations from time to time.

Notwithstanding the relatively low recividism rate, we continue to explore how our programmes can be improved and whether they can be refined to better reach specific target groups such as youths. Likewise, while the recidivism rate for Malay and Indian offenders has

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decreased over the years, it is still higher than the general recidivism rate. This is something we have recently been studying together with various relevant agencies.

Now on cycling, Mr Michael Palmer asked about educating cyclists on cycling regulations and safe cycling behaviour. The Traffic Police (TP) has already been doing this through road safety talks and exhibitions in schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods. The talks cover a pre-riding checklist, safe cycling tips and case studies of accidents involving cyclists.

Through these platforms, cyclists are reminded about safe cycling behaviour as well as the need to abide by all road traffic rules, including the Road Traffic (Bicycles) Rules. These rules include hand signals showing the intention to stop, riding close to the left hand edge of the road, riding in an orderly manner, and carrying a lamp with white light at the front of the bicycle during hours of darkness.

Mr Palmer asked why cyclists are not required by law to wear helmets. The practice of mandating the use of bicycle helmets varies from country to country. The experience of other countries has been that education and community-based programmes, as opposed to legislation, have been more effective in promoting the use of helmets.

TP will continue to work with organisations such as the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association and the Safe Cycling Task Force, to promote the wearing of protective cycling gear. TP will monitor the situation and assess if there is a need to mandate the use of helmets in future.

In addition to public education efforts, TP also takes enforcement action against errant cyclists who flout the rules by cycling on footways of roads. In 2009,

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more than 600 summonses were issued to such cyclists compared to 115 issued in 2008. The current penalties are usually a composition fine of $20. We are reviewing whether to increase the composition amount for greater deterrence.

In addition, most Town Councils have by-laws prohibiting cycling on HDB common property such as pavements, and open spaces such as void decks. Action can be taken against cyclists who disregard these laws.

In 2009, there were 583 accidents involving cyclists resulting in fatalities or injuries compared to 604 for 2008. This is a decrease of 21 cases, or 3.5%. The number of fatalities involving cyclists who died in accidents also went down by 22.7% from 22 to 17.

Notwithstanding this modest improvement, cyclists have been identified as a key target group in TP's

educational efforts in 2010. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority to raise safety awareness through public education programmes, and create a safer environment for cyclists by providing adequate infrastructure and facilities.

Let me touch on Mr Viswa's speech and cut on Community Engagement Programme (CEP). Mr Viswa suggested that the CEP engage youth leaders, both within the school system and outside, as well as PRs and new citizens. These are indeed important constituencies that we have reached out to under the CEP.

We have adopted a multi-pronged youth engagement approach to engage not just youth leaders but youths in different sectors. Within the school system, we work with the Ministry of Education to engage principals and teachers in workshops where they are equipped with CEP-related skills such as

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mediation, which may come in useful in a school environment.

Before this, we have been building awareness of CEP through talks and interactive projects at youth camps. The recent SG United Jamboree held in January 2010 provided students with an opportunity to interact with peers of other races and increase their understanding of terrorism, emergency preparedness and safety and security issues. Most of the helpers and participants in the Jamboree had also previously participated in Home Team-related camps which included a CEP dimension.

Another approach is to tap on existing youth-based structures and their activities. For example, students from the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) are engaged through the CEP Badge, which they can earn by performing CEP-related activities. We have also started working with partners such as the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Gold Award Holders' Alumni to organise a NYAA-SG United Forum in June this year.

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The more mature or student leader groups are engaged through discussions at workshops or forums via the SG United Journey for Student Leaders (Tertiary) programme. The inaugural session for this was held recently with student leaders from NUS religious groups and clubs.

SCDF has also piloted a Civil Defence Lionhearters Club in Singapore Polytechnic where students are trained in basic emergency preparedness skills, exposed to the CEP concept and given the chance to do humantarian relief work overseas. We will continue to engage with future sessions on mediation and understudying ethnicity.

Mr Viswa Sadasivan mentioned that we should extend the CEP to reach out to

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PRs and new citizens. The CEP right now does not specifically target this group or cater to them but rather looks at the community in Singapore as a whole. Nonetheless, we will explore ways on how to develop this further with the National Integration Council under MCYS.

The Chairman: We still have time left for clarifications. Yes, Ms Ng.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for his reply.

I just want to clarify that I did not call for the abolishment of race as a category in the identity card and I did not call for anybody to ignore that we are ethnically diverse. In fact, I am all for celebrating our cultural diversity and maintaining that. What I was referring to in my speech was the trend of mixed marriages and the expectation that with more Singaporeans inter-marrying, there will be a situation where they will be forced to choose a dominant race for their child which is artificial. Let us say, if you are a quarter Chinese, quarter Malay, quarter Indian, quarter Eurasian, you are forced to choose one as a dominant race. After a certain point, and that can be multiplied over the generations, it becomes entirely artificial.

So I am asking the Minister to open his mind to just consider the possibility that there might be, may be not many, a few Singaporeans who are stuck, and they might want to choose another category for their own race which may not be the dominant ones – a new category called "Singaporean". This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. For instance, the Babas and Peranakans, originally from China, settled in the Straits for a long time. But they imbibed the Malay culture, there were inter-marriages, they assimilated into the western culture, spoke English, formed their own culture and,

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today, it is a very distinct racial group from the Chinese. Similary, the Eurasians. And if you look at other national groups, for instance, the Filipinos, they are also of a mixed tribe. But when we look at them in the identity card, we call them Filipinos.

Sir, I just raising the idea and, of course, I did not expect the Minister to agree today. But I just wanted to raise the idea that there is a possibility that there are some people who want to opt for the category of "Singaporean". We should not deprive them of this option if that is what they should wish for.

The other point I was making is that we should, as far as policy is concerned, try to emphasise a national consciousness rather than a racial consciousness in terms of our approach to solving national problems. Again, this is not a call to ignore the influence of culture on behaviour or to ignore the strength of the influence of culture on performance. Rather, it is a call for a national approach so that we solve problems based on individual's situation, or maybe even class – because it is a whole class of people who are poor, under-performing, suffering from low esteem – and based on those traits not the colour of the skin or what you see in their identity cards.

I take courage that although it seems unrealistic to the Minister –

The Chairman: Ms Ng, could you make your question brief?

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: Sir, one last point. I take courage that, at least, I am not entirely alone because the founding leader, Mr Rajaratnam, also espoused this very strongly. I am not here to hold a brief but it is something I hold strongly as well.

The Chairman: Could I remind Members that clarifications are what they are, and not to make speeches that you cannot make during your cuts. This will

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allow us to take as many clarifications as possible. Mr Shanmugam.

Mr Shanmugam: Sir, I thank Ms Ng for her clarifications. I think we are ad idem if she says that she is not calling for abolishment of the "race" category. Her point on mixed marriages, I accept it, but it is too soon to say that it is creating a new racial category and, therefore, people will want to call themselves "Singaporean" under the rubric of race. It seems to be a leap which is at present not justified by the fact. But if it develops along those lines, some future government, I am sure, will consider that.

As to her point that we should emphasise national consciousness, I agree entirely with her. In fact, that was the thrust of my speech. We have to emphasise the Singaporean identity. That is the ideal. This is a society built on those ideals. As for problem-solving, as for dealing with, say, a class of poor, we solved it and tackled those problems in a number of ways. From the governmental perspective, we treat them as people who need help and we give a variety of assistance which is completely blind to race, religion or language. It is need-based.

However, at the same time, we are practical enough to realise that voluntary help often comes, for example, if you look at the self-help groups, which are based along ethnic lines. Some people disagree with them, but they have a tremendous success. And that is the reality. People come out and volunteer more often. There are others whom they are helping with whom they can identify and race is a fairly strong identification factor. But if you look at the ethnic groups, they do have a substantial percentage of volunteers who are not of the same ethnic group. For example, SINDA has about 10%-11% who are non-Indians. And that is a trend that we want encourage. But at the same time, we must be practical

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enough to realise that you can bring in people if you can give them a sense of identity. So it is a multi-pronged approach. But I think underlying it, the Government and Ms Ng are ad idem .

Ms Sylvia Lim (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, I have two clarifications for the Senior Minister of State regarding drug abuse. The first is: in his response earlier, he mentioned that of the heroine abuses arrested, about 17% were previously released from long-term imprisonment. I wonder whether he can also tell us if we use those offenders who had been released from long-term imprisonment (LT) as a denominator. How many of those who had been released from long-term imprisonment actually have gone back to drugs? Does he have that data for us, ie, the percentage re-offending after coming out of LT?

A second clarification is regarding the socio-economic profile of the heroine arrests: he mentioned that four in 10 were employed, meaning that six in 10 were unemployed. He also mentioned that 80% had criminal antecedents. I would like to ask him whether this actually indicates a real problem with re-integrating people who have previously been involved in crime or drugs back into society. Where is the source of that problem lies? Is it to do with the offender's physical condition, perhaps? Is it to do with employers or a lack of skills? Is the Ministry satisfied with this situation or is it the aim of the Ministry to try to improve the socio-economic re-integration of people involved in crime and drugs?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, I take the second point first. I think the point is taken in terms of the socio-economic profile of those who take heroine that many are unemployed. Even those who are employed, they are on low-paying jobs. And some, in fact, do not have family support. These are people who are

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hard-pressed. Perhaps that is the reason why some of them take drugs. In devising programmes for these people, yes, the target group and how the programmes can relate to them, that is taken into account. For example, community groups out there are roped in, because community groups, like Mr Shanmugam has said, understand the ground situation better. For example, for the Malay drug addicts, both MENDAKI and AMP and even groups like 4PM, Ain Society, and working with halfway houses like Pertapis and Jamiyah – all these are roped in.

Even in terms of the messaging, I think Ms Lim will know that over the years, the messages sent to prevent people from taking drugs or prevent people who have gotten onto the drug slope to get out are very direct. This is also because some leeway is given to the National Council Against Drug Abuse to produce messages that have impact, not overly sophisticated which will hit even people with low education background and who may not as sophisticated. Let me assure Ms Lim on this point that we do take into account the target group when we devise programmes.

The other point Ms Lim talked about is repeat abusers. Yes, this is something that we are grappling with. I have mentioned that, perhaps, because arising from our very successful preventive drug education programme, the percentage of new abusers is very low. I think this is quite right because it is a slippery slope and once you get on to the slope, it is not easy to get off. Some succeed but others may not. And we know that heroine, from research, is a very addictive drug. So this is one area which the Ministry has been working on together with all the other agencies. That is also why after the Committee came up with its report about 15 years ago, that was in 1994 or 1995, shortly after that, we implemented the LT

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scheme. The LT scheme not only is a deterrent for those who have gone in from re-offending, it is also a scheme where those who have been taking drugs and who possibly may influence others to take drugs, they are taken out of the system for a few years. In that sense, they will not contaminate the ground. So, first timer sent to DRC; second timer sent to DRC and then we have got LT1 where you are in for three-and-a-half years after remission and after that, LT2. This is a system that we have employed.

As I have said in my speech, about 13% of those who were arrested last year had been through LT1. In terms of the numbers for last year, the total arrested was 1,883 and those who went onto LT2, because they had been through LT1, was 315 (17%).

The Chairman: Yes, Ms Ng. I give you 30 seconds for your clarification.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: May I ask the Minister on terrorism? Our Singapore Navy is now on alert because of intelligence that there is a terrorist group planning attacks on our oil tankers in Malacca Straits. Can I ask the Minister for an update on the situation, whether there has been any suspicious activity in the area and whether he knows which terrorist group is planning the attacks?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, we received intelligence from our liaison partners about a possible plot to go and attack vessels coming through Singapore waters and through the Straits of Malacca. As a result, the various security agencies have been working very closely with one another, including the RSN and also our foreign liaison partners. We have also worked very closely with the shipping community. And as you would have noted, the Singapore Shipping Association has put up an alert to all their members. Basically, all alert levels have been raised, not just for ships plying at sea but also for

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the security measures we have undertaken in Singapore.

Ms Sylvia Lim: Sir, one more clarification for the Senior Minister of State. I hope I did not hear what he already answered. He mentioned that there were 315 offenders who are now serving LT2. How does that relate to the number of the people who have been released from LT1? How many have been released from LT1?

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Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, the figures were computed last year. Out of the total number of 1,883 arrested last year, 315 or 17% went into LT2. For you to go into LT2, you must have been out from LT1. This is the number of people last year who had been to LT1 and who were then re-arrested and then went to LT2.

Ms Sylvia Lim: Sir, I do not mean to belabour the point. But I am just trying to get a sense of how many people had served LT and have not relapsed so far? Would the Minister of State be able to shed light on that?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, for LT, it is 16.9% or about 17%. That gives a sense of the relapse rate. I do not have the ballpark figures but I can give her the relapse rate, which is not bad. Of course, we are monitoring the figure. Like I have said, the numbers can go up but this is something that we have to work on to get repeat abusers off this slope.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, may I just add to what my colleague, Prof. Ho, has said? I want to thank Ms Sylvia Lim for being so concerned and interested about the drug abuse problem and also about those who continue to commit drug offences, even though they have been given many opportunities. I think the point here for all drug addicts to note is that they will be

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given a second chance. In fact, they will be given even a third chance. For a person who has taken the drugs under the scheduled list and they are arrested, they will go to the drug rehabilitation centre. When they leave, and if they are arrested again, they will go again to the drug rehabilitation centre. But we find that just by bringing them through the revolving door and keep sending them back to the drug rehabilitation centre, it does not work. More than 10 years ago, we decided that for those who are given two chances, by the third strike, they will be considered "out". They will have to go to prison. That is why we have structured the LT1 and LT2 programmes for them.

For those who cannot kick off the drug habit, the best place for them to be really, is in the prison. Because, if they continue to take drugs, they must find a way to satisfy that addiction. And what will they do? Many of them will commit crimes. And as the data have shown, three-quarters of them have got a criminal record.

For those who want to change – the issue is really up to them – we will do everything possible, including working with community organisations, working with their families and helping them get a job. But if they do not want to change, there is really nothing much we can do; and they will continue to go to prison. I think that sets the context in which we look at the drug problem.

If you look at the drug situation way back in the 1990s and compare it with what it is today, it was a vastly different picture at that time. And I think Members would know that by just looking at the trend, we have more or less dealt with the heroin problem compared to the serious heroin problem that we had in the 1990s. In those days, heroin addiction was almost 95% of the drug addicts arrested. Today, is is about 40-odd per cent. Is this 40% low enough? Well, we have to look

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at the number of people who were arrested for drug addiction, and the number has gone down drastically. Despite all the efforts that we have, including the intelligence, surveillance, arrests, etc, there will still be people who want to take drugs, and they have to watch out that they do not get caught. If they do, they will have to pay a price.

The Chairman: Any more clarifications? If there are none, I would like to call upon Mr Alvin Yeo to see whether he wants to withdraw the cut. Yes, Mr de Souza?

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Sir, I am begging to have the amendment withdrawn. Before doing so, I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Shanmugam, Prof. Ho Peng Kee and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Masagos Zulkifli for the robust response to several important issues that have been raised by Members in this House, including –

Mr Chairman: Mr de Souza, I have to interrupt. Are you withdrawing the amendment?

Mr Christopher de Souza: Yes.

The Chairman: You are not allowed to. Mr Alvin Yeo must withdraw, since the amendment stands in his name. Otherwise I have to put it to a vote.

Mr Christopher de Souza: Very well, Sir.

The Chairman: Since Mr Alvin Yeo is not here, I have to put the amendment to a vote.

Question on the amendment put, and negatived.

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The sum of $2,824,132,000 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $350,882,800 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.