GAMBLING AND PROSTITUTION ACTIVITIES IN GEYLANG AREA

GAMBLING AND PROSTITUTION ACTIVITIES IN GEYLANG AREA: 16.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs what plans does his Ministry have for curbing the rampant gambling

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and prostitution activities in the Geylang area as the efforts so far do not seem very effective.

Mr Speaker: You have two minutes, Prof Ho.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, governments throughout the world have tried to eradicate vice but without success. In Singapore, we take a pragmatic approach to tackling vice by confining prostitution to traditional red-light areas. Through sustained enforcement efforts by Police, the vice situation is under control.

Last year, Police conducted some 950 vice-related operations island-wide, up from 890 operations the year before. As a result of these enforcement efforts, some 5,400 foreign prostitutes were arrested, a 25% increase compared to 2006. As many foreign sex workers congregate in Geylang, Police has regularly mounted enforcement operations against vice there.

Besides enforcement, Police has also initiated several vice-control measures. For example, Police started to deploy CCTVs along selected Geylang streets in 2006 to prevent crime, which also had the positive effect of deterring solicitation by sex workers. In addition, Police imposes stringent licensing conditions for entertainment outlets and massage establishments there. MHA and Police also work closely with agencies, such as the Hotel Licensing Board and URA, to regulate the operations and development of budget hotels and lodging houses there. In 2002, Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre formed a dedicated Task Force to supplement Anti-Vice Branch in tackling vice in the Geylang area.

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Sir, illegal gambling in Geylang is not rampant. Police conducts daily operations and high-visibility patrols targeted at public gaming activities in the Geylang backlanes. This resulted in 280 persons being arrested for public-gaming related offences last year. As a result of these operations, Police's assessment is that the situation has improved. Public gaming activities are now significantly less frequent and are smaller in scale.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos. 16-17, 19, 22, 26, 29, 34-37, 39-41 and 43 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 18, 20-21, 23-25, 27-28, 30-33, 38, 42 and 44 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 22nd January 2008 .]

*Cols. 147-168.