HEAD P - MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

Head P - Ministry of Home Affairs

4.45 pm

The Chairman: Head P - Ministry of Home Affairs. Dr Teo Ho Pin, four minutes.

Homeland Security

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, I beg to move,

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

Sir, the recent series of letter bombs in London, the use of truck bombs filled with chemicals in Iraq, and the infiltration of terrorists into civilian organisations, such as university campuses, have raised new security threats. It shows that terrorism is very much alive and has adopted new tactics to cause harm to more innocent people. As a small country with limited resources, Singapore has no choice but to adopt a risk-based approach in our anti-terrorism measures. Therefore, we must always stay vigilant and respond appropriately to these new security threats so as to safeguard our people.

Sir, to fight terrorism effectively, we need the full commitment of all our stakeholders in our society, ie, the Government, business and people sectors. From my GPC visits to the Home Team divisions, I am confident that the Home Team has made good progress in equipping themselves with the appropriate technology, manpower and systems in countering terrorism.

My concerns, however, lie with the readiness of our business and people sectors in preventing and responding to terrorist attacks. Although the Home Team has been working closely with the business community, such as hotels and transport companies, to boost up the security measures of hotels and transport, many office and retail establishments do not have much anti-terrorism measures in place. In fact, many office buildings in the business district are soft targets of terrorist attacks.

For instance, a truck carrying a bomb with chemical gas can easily drive into any of the tall office buildings in Shenton Way without much problem. This would have caused much damage to the building and its surrounding buildings, resulting in the loss of many lives. The recent liberalisation of postal services may also open doors to potential security threats, as letter bombs can be sent en mass to office buildings to cause severe destruction.

Sir, many Singaporeans have become over-confident and complacent that the Government will be able to handle terrorism effectively. Thus, many have not taken any interest in preparing themselves to respond appropriately in times of terrorist attacks or emergencies. The distribution of ready bags or emergency handbooks will be useless if Singaporeans do not have the knowledge and skills to apply them during emergencies. Many exhibitions, road shows and talks are ad hoc and token in nature. These merely increase awareness and will not prepare Singaporeans to respond to emergencies effectively. Like any skills, emergency preparedness skills must be properly taught and practised regularly in order to be useful.

Last year, the Home Team conducted Exercise North Star V to test the emergency preparedness of our various stakeholders in responding to terrorist attacks. I am not sure whether the exercise has achieved its stated objectives, and what lessons were learnt from that exercise.

Sir, I wish to ask the Minister the following questions:

(1) What are the anti-terrorism measures taken by the Ministry to cope with new terrorist threats?

(2) What are the lessons learnt from North Star V and how many more public emergency exercises will be conducted this year?

(3) What public education programmes are in place to better prepare our community for terrorist attacks?

Mr Arthur Fong (West Coast): Mr Chairman, Sir, may I have your permission to take both cuts together?

The Chairman: Yes.

Terrorism and Anti-terrorism

Community Resilience

Mr Arthur Fong: Mr Chairman, we have wasted no effort in enhancing our security preparedness in high-risk areas, such as Changi Airport, Tuas and Woodlands Checkpoints as well as Government buildings. We even have armed soldiers in uniform patrolling Changi Airport. Some people have said that we are over-reacting, but I do not think so. Up until the 11th September 2001 attacks on New York were deemed almost implausible and far-fetched, much less using American planes. And closer to home, so was Bali, catching many unprepared. These days, it is common fodder on the news to hear of terrorist attacks and bomb explosions here and there.

We must accept that terrorist attacks can strike at any time, anywhere and in any form. Singapore is too good a target not to take aim at. Being a successful small island-state, a busy port and a financial centre, it makes us a juicy target. We cannot afford to slack in our level of preparedness.

A terrorist attack may still take place despite our best efforts. We need to explore all avenues and prepare the general public for an eventuality of a terrorist attack. Our community may have been subjected to exercises and scenarios in the event of a conventional terrorist attack, such as a bomb explosion in crowded areas like a bus interchange or an MRT station.

We often see traffic that builds up outside our schools by our parents who are waiting to pick up their children. It has also struck me that, if I were a terrorist attacking a school in Singapore, it would certainly make front-page news. No one expected the Beslan incident to happen, but it did. In engaging our wider community, we might want to consider starting first with engaging over half a million or so of our school children and their parents. Total Defence Day type of activities is a start, but we can do more. I would leave the imagination to Members what effects such an attack would have on our schools and society.

In this regard, although we have carried out many emergency preparedness exercises, I am uncertain of the success of wanting to send a resounding message of preparedness to our people. Mr Chairman, we see the same usual faces at many of these emergency exercises, the same ones at the anti-dengue exercises and almost the same people would turn up at either mass exercises or fire drills, and so on. We need to go for a wider audience.

The American Red Cross categorised community preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack in the following five groups:

(1) Head Scratcher - those who do not know where to get information;

(2) Head in the Sand - those who think preparation is unimportant;

(3) Head in the Clouds - those who mistakenly believe that they are ready;

(4) Headset Crowd - those who are too busy to bother; and

(5) Heady Unawareness - those who simply have no thought about it.

Any of these groups' presence would spell disaster in the event of a terrorist attack. My point is that we should not be lulled into a false sense of security, as like the third group I mentioned, ie, the head-in-the-clouds type. We need to spare no effort in preparing ourselves. A resilient community is probably the best defence in the event of an attack. We need to go beyond the usual Emergency Preparedness exercises. We need to engage the wider community and bring the Head Scratcher, the Head in the Sand, the Headset Crowd as well as the Heady Unawareness types into awareness.

Finally, given the attack on transportation in London in 2005, our efforts to reach a wider public transport is important. I would suggest that we might like to use the mock-up of an MRT train cabin for passengers to walk through, to appreciate the realism of a bomb attack and a chemical attack. It can be interactive, coupled with video or learning aids. It can be helpful in preparing our public in familiarising themselves and, most importantly, to learn how to react, report and respond to such emergencies.

Control of Firearms

Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, Singapore enjoys the excellent reputation of being one of the safest cities in the world, thanks to our ever vigilant Home Team and our stringent security measures. One of the key factors contributing to our safety is our policy on the possession of firearms. Other than authorised personnel, the possession of firearms is strictly forbidden. In addition, we have a "zero-tolerance stance towards firearms offences", as our Minister said in this House last year. The Arms Offences Act prescribes heavy punishment, including the death penalty, for those convicted of trafficking in arms and committing or attempting to commit crimes with firearms. Yet, we still have cases of unlawful possession of firearms in Singapore.

A recent example is the fatal shooting of a nightclub owner by the gunman dubbed the "One-eyed Dragon". In his testimony, he claimed that he had contacted a friend in Thailand who delivered a semi-automatic Beretta .22-calibre pistol to him in a Johor hotel for RM15,000. So the question is: how did he manage to bring it into Singapore undetected? Where are the vulnerable points in our screening systems? Naturally, the Minister will not be able to disclose this. But one cannot help but wonder if there are other weapons out there which have been smuggled in through similar means.

Presently, we have many metal detectors at the airport and every single piece of luggage is screened. One can extrapolate that it is very unlikely that the firearm entered our territory via this entry point. But what about our causeways and ferry checkpoints? Do we have sufficient checks over there? While the current system is effective and minimises delays and inconvenience to the average motorist and traveller, my concern is that it is not foolproof and may not be enough to prevent more illegal firearms and ammunition from entering our country.

The unfortunate fact is that our stakes are much higher now. In addition to petty criminals, we have to guard against the growing threat of terrorists.

I would like to ask the Minister about the measures or controls we have in place to further reduce the possibility of firearms being brought into Singapore. Do we have enough manpower to handle the increasing traffic flows at the causeway checkpoints? With the new Budget Terminal, second causeway and the increase in tourists which the IRs will bring, we can expect a lot of travel in and out of Singapore on a regular basis. We must therefore plan for how we will deal with this increase in traveller traffic. Therefore, my ultimate question is: are we investing enough in the latest technologies and in the training of the Home Team specialists to handle such modern screening and security equipment?

Ambulance Services

Dr Fatimah Lateef (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, Sir, the emergency ambulance service must provide rapid transport, accurate initial evaluation as well as the initiation of life-saving measures. Some of the gold standards that are adhered to would include the chain of survival as well as the golden hour concepts.

Our emergency ambulance service is essentially a single-tier system which operates from 14 different fire stations and also 24 fire posts throughout the island. In the day, we have 35 ambulances on the run and, at night, there are only 28 covering the whole island. We also have fast-response paramedics on motorcycles operating from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm daily. Our ambulance to population ratio is currently 1:105,000. The recommendation by the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians is for one ambulance per 40,000 population, and this is to be doubled at peak operating hours.

Therefore, my questions are:

(1) Are there plans for expansion and enhancement to the service to meet the demands of higher public expectations and improving the waiting times? These waiting times are directly linked to survival outcomes. For example, our out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate currently is at 2.5%, compared to 20%-30% in more advanced EMS systems.

(2) Will there be plans to also increase the number of fast-response paramedics as well as their scope of coverage?

(3) Are there also plans to regulate the private ambulance service in Singapore?

Crime Rate

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, although the crime rate in Singapore has been declining, we still have over 30,000 cases of crimes committed per year. Many of these cases are theft-related offences and crimes involving young offenders. Last year, 3,645 youths were arrested mainly for offences, such as theft or rioting. This is an area of concern, as youngsters moving in groups tend to be bolder and do silly things of mischief or due to peer pressures.

The high number of cases in housebreaking, theft, robbery and snatch theft also reflects the lack of vigilance among Singaporeans. Many failed to take precautions to prevent crime, thus, providing opportunities for crimes to take place. I would urge the Ministry to allocate more resources to focus on these two areas, namely,

public education on wayward youths (especially school gangs) and crime prevention for the general public.

5.00 pm

Sir, at present, the crime rate is measured based on reports submitted by the police or victims. Therefore, it may not provide the total picture of crime situation in Singapore. For instance, some offences may not be reported to the police, and some offences, especially cheating cases, may be regarded as civil matters. The police will not take up such cases, thus reducing the number of cases reported. Therefore, we should not be complacent and let our guards down thinking that our environment is crime free.

Sir, I understand that the crime rate statistics monitor the trends of various types of crimes and types of offenders. But it does not reflect the profile of victims for different types of crimes and the success rate in resolving crimes.

Sir, I wish to ask the Minister:

(1) What measures are in place to reduce the crime rate on youths and elderly?

(2) Are our efforts in engaging the public on crime prevention effective?

(3) What is the success rate in solving crime?

Ms Ellen Lee (Sembawang): Mr Chairman, many elderly persons live alone and many are lonely. Their eagerness for companionship makes them vulnerable to friendly strangers with ulterior motives. I know of an elderly widow being cheated by an older man who withdrew her lifetime savings of $200,000. When arrested, he got her to withdraw her charge and then married her as an assurance that he would repay her money. Unfortunately, he was eyeing her only other asset, a three-room flat, but he disappeared when he failed to get it sold.

How many of such crimes against unsuspecting elderly by strangers have been solved? Like my GPC Chairman has said, many of these cases, though, on the face of it, are cheating cases, are not being picked up by the police as such. Are the campaigns to raise the elderly persons' awareness effective? With the setting up of the elderly crime watch group, how many elderly persons actually have helped to prevent other elderly persons from bogus persons?

Reports by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) showed that the crime rate of a list of index crimes had dropped in 2006 as compared to 2005. Does the drop in crime rate take into account the solving of crimes by the police (the clearance rate of investigation papers that have been put up, ie, those that have been solved and those where the accused persons/suspects remain at large)? What indices are being used to measure the rate of crime other than by comparing previous year's numbers? Should a safety index be set up instead of using a comparative rate of crimes per annum, especially after the casinos in the IRs are set up, as many people associate them with more crimes and, hence, less safety? Have illegal money-laundering activities and Internet crimes, eg, Internet gambling, dropped as a result of increased efforts and resources dedicated to curbing such activity?

The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Chapter 65A) has been promulgated to curb money-laundering activities in Singapore. How far has this served its purpose and what is the level of money-laundering activities in Singapore?

In view of the Community Engagement Programme (CEP), is MHA enhancing efforts to engage private security agencies and in-house security personnel and the grassroots leaders to combat and reduce crime? This "many helping hands" approach would help the Singapore Police Force keep its manpower strength lean and fit and focusing on core competencies/functions and tapping on such useful networks for intelligence and growing them as strategic partners.

Control of Vice

I would like to know what have been the efforts by the MHA in the clamp-down of sleazy massage parlours which are hotbeds for vice activities. What further measures are taken to ensure that such massage parlours do not sprout in the heartlands or even in traditional vice activity localities?

As for illegal prostitution activities, what has MHA done to eradicate illegal prostitution/vice activities by social visit pass holders, work permit holders and even student pass holders?

As Singapore's economy is widely reported to have improved robustly and the future promises much more opportunities for all, Singaporeans and foreigners alike, we are likely to draw in more and more people from all over the world. There is a perception that when the IRs are fully operative, prostitution, drugs and other related vices would also correspondingly increase. Singaporeans feel less secure and safe, especially when what have been acted out in movies could actually happen in a safe haven like Singapore.

In embarking on the wider open door policy, the Government is allowing a greater influx of foreign workers. Is there a system to track whether the foreigners, who are here, truly carry out legitimate businesses and not underground activities, such as drug trades or activities that could transmit diseases through sexual contact? How does the Government ensure that the setting up of the helplines or the National Council on Problem Gambling would indeed curb gambling addictions or whether they are indeed effective watchdogs?

Traffic Rules

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, driving on our roads can be very stressful and motorists are very vulnerable to infringing traffic rules. You will notice that our roads are flooded with many different types of traffic rule markings and signs. Sometimes, on one stretch of road, we can find about five to 10 types of road markings, such as single and double white lines, yellow solid and broken lines, red or zig-zag lines, yellow or white boxes, etc.

You can also find different speed limit signs displayed along the same road. If you drive along the PIE, you will find you have to switch from 90 kmh to 80 kmh at different points of the expressway and, thereafter, you have to change to 50 kmh when you filter out and change gear to 60 kmh or 70 kmh on other roads.

Sir, I understand that traffic rules are necessary to ensure road safety. But I think we have too many traffic rules on our roads. The vast number of traffic rule markings and signs on our roads has made it difficult for many motorists to comply. It is like a web of traps with the Traffic Police always ready to catch you flouting the rules. Each year, thousands of summonses were issued to motorists, and some of them have their licences suspended. Are all these motorists dangerous and reckless, or we simply have too many traffic rules, thus making it difficult for motorists to abide by?

Sir, we must remove dangerous and reckless driving habits on our roads, such as excessive speeding, tailgating or drink driving. The Traffic Police should focus their enforcement efforts to take action against these road abusers. Recalcitrant traffic offenders or those who have accumulated 24 demerit points should be sent for road safety rehabilitation. The Traffic Police should place more emphasis on changing the road behaviour of motorists and pedestrians instead of just issuing summonses.

Sir, I agree that we must revoke the driving licences of recalcitrant traffic offenders and prevent them from causing safety hazards to other road users. But some of these traffic offenders are not dangerous or reckless. I would like to propose that the Ministry review its penalty regime for the suspension of licence. We should be more flexible and give drivers a second chance. Maybe we put them on a six months' probation period and, thereafter, if they commit further offences, we will suspend their licences.

I wish to ask the Minister the following questions:

(1) Can the Ministry review the traffic rules to make it simpler and easier to comply?

(2) Can the Ministry review the penalty regime for traffic offenders?

(3) Can we standardise the speed limits for expressways and all other roads, eg, expressways, 90 kmh and all other roads, 70 kmh?

Mr Arthur Fong: Mr Chairman, allow me to share my observations and where the areas of ensuring road safety where we might improve on.

First and foremost, I have often noted with alarm, while on the road, the lackadaisical attitude parents and minders with children in their vehicle. There are children in a moving car with seat beats but not belted up. There are some parents and minders, usually grandparents, carrying children, mostly toddlers in their arm. The worst group are those with children jumping at the back seat or walking around at the back seat of a speeding MPV.

In the United Kingdom, in 2004, there were 495 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities among children under five years of age. Of those 495 fatalities, an estimated 173 (35%) were totally unrestrained. Among children under five years old, an estimated 451 lives were saved in 2004 by child restraint use. Of these 451 lives saved, 413 were associated with the use of child safety seats and 38 with the use of adult seat belts. Child safety seats can reduce fatal injuries by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers, ages from one to four.

Sir, I have this to say about belting up, especially for the safety our children: "Belt up, better a live chicken than a dead duck!" Perhaps, we could print stickers for dashboards!

Sir, another observation is that of heavy vehicles speeding along our expressways. A common phenomenon we see these days is heavy vehicles hogging our expressways. A heavy vehicle, whether loaded or not loaded, travelling at high speed cannot be expected to stop in time in the event of an emergency. They are hazards to other road-users as well. Many of these heavy vehicles are driven by foreign workers ferrying foreign workers to and from work. Are these workers qualified to drive the types of vehicles that they are driving? Are they tested on our highway codes? Have they been tested on our roads?

Sir, lastly, on the full-day bus lanes. The roads with full-day bus lanes are creating, sometimes, an impossible situation for vehicles intending to make a left turn. An example is Orchard Road where the portion allowing drivers to turn left to, say, Paragon, is almost occupied by buses and other cars which do not follow the bus lane rules. So cars intending to make a left turn would either have to wait, causing a traffic jam, or miss the turn. This problem is not common just to Orchard Road but other areas.

Mr Teo Ser Luck: Sir, I have organised and participated in a yearly bike ride called the Sly Ride to create awareness of cycling safety on the road and it is also done in memory of Mr Sylvester Ang who died a few years ago cycling because a bus went against the traffic and knocked him down. The bike ride is now in its third year and the turnout is more than 500 cyclists every year. And the community has set up a safe cycling taskforce. With more than one accident a day involving cyclists, may I know what are the measures in the pipeline to reduce the accident rate involving cyclists? Also, what are the measures to make the roads safer for the cyclists, apart from just public education?

Anti-drug Trafficking Measures

Mr Arthur Fong: Mr Chairman, the matters to this cut have been addressed in a report by CNB just last week after I filed my cut.

Penal Code

Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, Sir, I am delighted to finally see a completed draft of the revision of the Penal Code. I am sure that a very substantive and comprehensive review had been accomplished due to the years that it has taken to complete the task, and I think it is important that our primary criminal legislation should be updated in its totality. I was, therefore, disappointed to see a number of illustrations and examples in the revised Code that would appear more relevant in 1871 rather than 2007.

For example, if I were to meet a bullock carrying a box of treasure and decided to drive the bullock in a certain direction, to dishonestly take the treasure, I will be committing theft of the treasure as soon as the bullock begins to move. Or if I were feeling particularly mischievous and decided to introduce water into an icehouse, causing the ice to melt, I will naturally have committed mischief.

It might interest Members to know that the examples that I have cited are specific illustrations of offences still listed in the updated Penal Code. Sir, I am not sure how many bullocks carrying treasure are seen on our roads these days or if there is any icehouse still in existence in Singapore. However, I am sure that a more thorough update of the Penal Code could have been done.

Sir, I was initially very surprised that section 151A had been deleted from the Penal Code. Section 151A refers to, amongst other things, the posting of placards that could incite disobedience against authority. My surprise, however, was short-lived when I came across new section 267C that reproduces the exact wordings of the deleted section 151A

but with an enhanced punishment of five years' imprisonment instead of the three years. I would not like to speculate on why the punishment for such an offence was enhanced.

Finally, Sir, I notice that there was an effort made in the provisions of the Penal Code to make it more gender neutral. For example, the word "wife" was changed to "spouse" and the word "son" was changed to "child". However, there is an offence in the Code that only men can be charged with although women are quite capable of committing somewhat similar acts. Sir, I am sure that the Senior Minister of State is aware of which section I am referring to, and I hope that the Minister would review such sections to make it more gender equal in due course.

5.15 pm

Rights of Accused Persons

Mr Hri Kumar: Sir, I first declare my interest as a lawyer on this issue. The Constitution guarantees an accused person right to counsel of his choice. The Courts have on several occasions clarified that that right of access is not an immediate one but should be accorded within a reasonable time and that a balance must be achieved between protecting the accused's rights and allowing the Police to carry out investigations. Although an accused is required to be brought before the Court within 48 hours of his arrest, what reasonable time the Police requires to complete their investigations differs from case to case and the Court will generally accept the Police's request for more time.

Sir, I recognise the importance of not hindering the Police in their investigations. Like Mr Alvin Yeo who spoke on this during the Budget, I wonder if we are drawing the line too far away from the rights of the accused. While we embrace the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty, our practices fall short. Being hauled up by the Police is in any view a traumatising experience, especially for the innocent. It is unsafe to assume that innocent people will not make mistakes in an alien, hostile environment and after hours of questioning. This is aggravated by the fact that most do not know their legal rights, for example, the right against self-incrimination. In many cases, by the time the accused is given access to counsel, he would have furnished a signed or several signed statements. He may subsequently be convicted on those statements.

Sir, even if the Police believe that questioning the accused without counsel is necessary for their investigations, there is no reason why the accused should not have the benefit of legal advice at least before he signs that statement. In any event, there is no reason why the accused or his lawyers should not be given copies of all statements given by the accused. We need to draw a distinction between aiding the investigation and aiding the prosecution.

Sir, lawyers are not permitted to be present when the statement is taken or signed, then the least should be done is to videotape the interview with the accused. A number of countries adopt this practice, including the US, the UK and Australia. Not only does this make the process more transparent, there are a number of tangible benefits. It would drastically reduce the scope of an accused claiming that he was threatened or improperly induced into giving a statement. Such an allegation often leads to a postponement of the main trial to enable the Court to conduct a separate hearing on the admissibility of the statement.

I believe the suggestion to videotape was raised in this House in 1994. Prof. Ho replied it was still open for an accused to claim that he was threatened before the statement was given. Although this is theoretically possible, it is highly unlikely because that would mean the threat and inducement would be made even before the Police knows what the person is going to say. Further, the Court will have a contemporaneous record of the statement taking and will be in a position to assess the demeanour of the accused at the relevant time. In any event, not taping is not a better solution. But there are other advantages and I will just give a few. There will be a complete, accurate and permanent record with the statement. There will therefore be no scope for the argument that parts of the accused's statement were omitted. The Police are less likely to be accused of improper conduct and the videos can be reviewed by experts and used as part of the Police training to improve interrogation skills.

Police Officers

Mr Christopher de Souza: Our Police force plays an essential role in the enforcement of law and order. Thanks to our Home Team, Singaporeans are assured of a safe and secure environment. We can put our trust in our police officers and rely upon them for assistance and protection. Our Police force is one of the best in the world, in terms of efficiency, incorruptibility and professionalism. I know this because I have worked very closely with them and I have very high regard for the officers.

In a public perception survey commissioned by the Singapore Police Force and conducted by Forbes Research, an independent research company, most Singaporeans gave feedback that the SPF had done a good job in keeping the country safe and that our Police are respectable, well-trained, disciplined and capable. A large majority, 96% of the respondents in the survey, said that the general security in Singapore is good, very good or excellent and more than nine in 10 felt that security was better in Singapore than in most other countries. Today, these qualities still hold true.

Our Home Team is as good as the people in it. Police work is highly labour intensive. We need good capable men and women. Unlike other public sectors, such as education and health, this is a field where it is difficult to import foreign talent or to sub-contract out. The integrity of the Police force, like our Armed Forces, is dependent on good Singaporean men and women. From this select pool, we must recruit and retain good police officers, especially those who are involved in investigative work for their "institutional memory" and experience.

My first question is this: I would like to ask the Ministry when and if it would consider reviewing the remuneration of their officers and increasing their wages and benefits to attract and retain the best in this field. Now, more than ever, we need the best people we can get in the Force as terrorism rears its ugly head. Higher retention of capable officers will translate into safer streets and communities, and better preparedness against terrorist attacks.

Having more manpower resources will help to ease the stress on officers arising from erratic working hours and the impromptu and emergency calls to return to work. This is because it is impossible to predict when a crime will be committed. I have had first-hand experience of this when working with an SIS Team which was investigating into a murder, committed just after a midnight on New Year's Day, which we eventually prosecuted and went to trial for. It will also help to reduce the attrition rate of burnout officers. I am particularly concerned with the possible increase in crimes and vice activities that will come with the completion of the Integrated Resorts. Therefore, besides remuneration, there is also the extremely important issue of manpower. Hence, my second question is this: I would like to ask whether the Ministry will be recruiting more officers to ease the manpower pressures.

Home Team

Ms Sylvia Lim: Sir, since 2004, Ministries, except Defence, have been required to cut their manpower over three years. Saving public money is prudent but are there compromises to the public interest? There appears to be a shortfall of about one thousand between the establishment and actual headcount for MHA for FY 2005. In particular, there seems to be a shortage of police officers.

Previous sessions of Parliament had discussed the public unhappiness over the shortening of Neighbourhood Police Post hours due to the conversion to the Neighbourhood Police Centre system. People lamented seeing less officers doing foot and bicycle patrols. In response to this, the Police further shortened NPP hours in 2004. As reported in the Straits Times of 31st March 2004, the NPPs would only open between noon and 10 pm. This was to free up the one officer manning the post so that he could walk the streets. It was reported that Budget constraints prevented the Police from hiring more officers, forcing the change in NPP operations. After 10 pm, anyone needing help has to call the Police and wait or to go to the closed NPP, press the red button and wait for the call to be answered. I wonder about the effectiveness of that red button when faced with an immediate confrontational crime. Though the Ministry may cite statistics showing under-utilisation of the NPPs now, they being open clearly reduces public fear of crime in the heartlands.

Secondly, the Police have outsourced some of their functions over the years. Presumably, Budget considerations were behind these moves. How far will such outsourcing go and what are the downsides? Last year, many motorists booked for parking and bus lane violations noted that the outsourced agents appeared overzealous. They felt a police officer would have exercised discretion and kept law enforcement reasonable.

Lastly, Sir, are there sufficient resources to attend to cases? Recently, a resident called a Neighbourhood Police Centre to request assistance on a case of loud karaoke music coming from a nearby flat. To his surprise, he was told that there were no resources available to attend to his complaint.

In yesterday's Straits Times Forum page, a lady recounted her discovery of a dead body in the sea off East Coast Park last week. According to her, the Police took a whole hour to arrive due to other emergencies. Meanwhile, due to the long wait, a crowd, including children attending a birthday party, started coming round to see the body. In a crime situation, a one-hour delay could result in the contamination of a crime scene.

Sir, are the above indications of a resource shortage and is there a compromise of the public interest?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Mr Chairman, Sir, I thank the Members for raising their concerns as well as some of the comments on the Ministry, its performance and its law officers.

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked for an update on the counter-terrorism measures. As Dr Teo has pointed out, our approach has been to prioritise our counter-terrorism efforts intelligently using a risk-based assessment of threats and vulnerabilities. We cannot protect everything but we can make Singapore a hard target.

For instance, we have raised the protective measures at key installations and iconic sites like this Parliament House itself. In Aug 2005, we formed a Police MRT Unit to enhance our public transport security. We have also started to engage the business sector to enhance security. For example, to harden "soft" targets like shopping malls, we have engaged business or building operators and owners through the Security Watch Group Scheme to take ownership of their own security. Now, we have 72 Security Watch Group clusters taking care of 520 buildings in the business districts. We have also established the CCTV standards to support the ground deployment of CCTV systems. These are on-going programmes and will cover more buildings and areas over time.

In January this year, Parliament approved amendments to the Arms and Explosives Act to tighten controls over hazardous materials and establish a new licensing regime for explosive precursors.

Since 2005, the SCDF implemented the Hazmat Vehicle Tracking System, which closely monitors the movement of all hazmat vehicles in Singapore on a real-time basis. From April 2007, we will install immobilisers on all such vehicles, which means that the moment the vehicle goes off the scheduled route, they will be immobilised by a remote control. The recent terrorist bomb attacks in Iraq using chlorine underscore the timeliness of our efforts in this area.

Many measures we have embarked upon are not so visible. Our agencies have significantly expanded their foreign liaison networks since 2001. When the July 2005 subway bombings occurred in London, we were able to send a Police team to London to learn directly from the Scotland Yard investigators on what to do with the incident and such learning is invaluable in order to improve ourselves and stay ahead of the terrorists.

Dr Teo also asked about the lessons we learnt in Exercise Northstar V. What was new in this exercise was that about 10,000 commuters were exposed to what a terrorist attack on our MRT system would entail. Many were supportive of the public involvement in such exercises. A small number of commuters were of course unhappy because of the inconvenience they have suffered.

We agree with Mr Arthur Fong that more Singaporeans need to take ownership of safety, security and emergency preparedness. They need to understand that the inconvenience created by such exercises is but a small and necessary price to pay to ensure our preparedness. They also need to know that security has a personal value to themselves and their families because being prepared can make a difference between life and death in a crisis.

We agree also with Dr Teo's observation that it is unrealistic to expect Singaporeans to become better prepared for a terrorist attack after just one or two emergency exercises. That is why we must persevere while developing a multi-pronged approach in our outreach. For those people grouped under the different heads cited by Mr Arthur Fong, whether it is head in the clouds, head in the sand, or whatever, I just wish that they pay attention to what Mr Fong said this afternoon and take heed and get involved with emergency preparedness before they find it is too late when an incident happened to them.

Apart from large-scale exercises, we reach out to the people on the ground through publications and initiatives like the Ready Bag. In 2006, the SCDF conducted 72 Emergency Preparedness Days with MPs and grassroots leaders where participants learn basic first-aid and how to protect their homes from a chemical attack using In-Place Protection.

5.30 pm

Mr Christopher de Souza suggested implementing further measures to control the entry of firearms into Singapore. Our controls over firearms are already very stringent. In order to carry firearms, one needs a police permit. Without one, then it is an offence to carry firearms. So, as a result, Singapore has one of the lowest number of firearm-related offences or incidents in the world. Over the last six years from year 2000 to 2006, we had seven cases involving the use of firearms. Six had been solved and two of these seven involved CISCO officers who were authorised to carry firearms. Obviously, as Mr De Souza has said, I cannot discuss the case of Tan Chor Jin, as to how he got his weapon. The case is still before the Court.

But the most important measure here to prevent the smuggling of firearms or arms and explosives and intrusion of terrorist element is a strong border security system. Our border is our first line of defence. The level of security checks and screening at our checkpoints has been enhanced. We detected more than 20,000 cases of smuggling in 2006, including 900 travellers who tried to bring in security related items like stun-guns and air-guns. However, we must also be realistic. Singapore is an island. Our borders are not air-tight and some will try their luck to evade our checks and some may succeed. But we believe that most will be caught, if not at the borders, then eventually within the country. Our officers will do their level best to keep Singapore safe.

There is ultimately no such thing as absolute security. No government anywhere in the world can ever completely insulate its population against threats. Instead, we must act sensibly and balance the trade-offs of security against our other needs, whether it is economic, social or political. For instance, we cannot seal off our borders and yet remain an open society and economy. During peak periods, more than 21,000 travellers go through our land checkpoints every hour. Even this number is exceeded during the festive holidays and can you imagine with 21,000 travellers in one hour, how much resources we need in order to screen everyone and make sure that they leave or they come in and do not cause harm to Singapore? Hence, although ICA has leveraged extensively on technology to expedite speed of clearance, there are limits. Congestion and delays are inevitable. Lowering our security levels at the Checkpoints, for the sake of convenience, is something that we must not be tempted to do. I think Singaporeans will sleep better and more safely if they exercise a little patience and allow our security agencies to do their job properly.

Managing trade-offs and optimising resources is also something we are addressing in the area of Emergency Ambulance Service. This is an issue raised by Dr Fatimah Lateef. The SCDF ambulance has responded to 96,000 calls in 2006. The demand for ambulance services has consistently increased but we cannot continually expand the SCDF pool of ambulances and paramedics. These are costly and highly geared resources, well-trained and designed to handle extreme crises including biological and chemical terrorist incidents. These resources should be prioritised for security-related emergencies or for crises. However, the general need for ambulance services for medical emergencies is likely to grow with an ageing population. Those above 65 years old account for nearly 30% of all our Emergency Ambulance Service calls though they only represent 8% of our population today. Can you imagine that when our population, those aged 65 and above, grow further in the years to come, what would be the expected number of calls from the 65 and above? The projection is that about 55% of the calls will be made for such cases by the year 2030. MHA is therefore seriously considering how to solve this problem. One option is for the SCDF to encourage competent private ambulance providers to meet this need. By increasing the emergency ambulance supply in this way, we can judiciously meet the trend of rising demand and also augment the SCDF resource pool in times of crisis. Of course, those who undertake this task in the private sector must also be well-trained and well-equipped and this is what the SCDF hopes to do in the coming years, to prepare the private sector for that task.

Sir, the terrorism threat remains. And we see a troubling new phenomenon today of individuals who are self-radicalised, independent of direct recruitment by established terrorist groups.

Singapore is not immune to the threat of self-radicalised individuals. In recent times, our Internal Security Department (ISD) has investigated into a few Singaporeans who had become attracted to terrorist and radical ideas purveyed in the mass media, particularly over the Internet. There are about 6,000 websites today carrying pro-terrorist ideas. They distort Islamic concepts in furtherance of a terrorist agenda and prey on those who lack sound religious knowledge to unwittingly buy into such terrorist propaganda. For example, a young Singaporean, after exposure to such propaganda on the Net, believed that it was permissible to take part in armed jihad regardless of the origin of the fatwa and grew to admire Osama bin Laden.

Youths can also be radicalised while pursuing studies overseas. In one case, the young man developed an intense interest in radical ideology while studying overseas. He continued after returning to Singapore and engaged like-minded individuals over the Internet and eventually even communicating with foreign individuals involved in terrorist recruitment and financing.

Sir, our Muslim community has initiated many programmes to address such radicalism. For example, MUIS' Asatizah Recognition Scheme serves as a reference for the Muslim community when selecting their religious teachers, so that they do not unwittingly engage radical teachers. The Religious Rehabilitation Group, which comprises 30 volunteer asatizah , has done a commendable job in counselling their spouses.

Other Malay/Muslim organisations have also come forward. In February 2007, the National Junior College's Malay Language, Drama and Debate Society (MLDDS), with the support of Mendaki Club, organised a dialogue session on the threat of terrorism for Junior College students. In January 2007, Taman Bacaan held a convention to raise awareness among youths on the threat of terrorism and terrorist ideology. About 300 youths, both Muslims and non-Muslims too, from secondary schools, junior colleges, ITEs and madrasahs took part.

Some individuals in our Muslim community have also stepped up to address the threat of terrorist propaganda. Ustaz Muhammad Haniff Hassan, a research analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, recently published a book called "Unlicensed to Kill; Countering Imam Samudra's Justification for the Bali Bombing". Imam Samudra was the leader of the JI cell which staged the Bali bombings.

In October 2006, Ustaz Haniff also created a blog (counterideology.freeonlineblogs.com) - take a look at that - to refute extremist ideology. Taking the counter-ideology effort on-line is a significant direction, since it is impractical to try to shut down all terrorist websites. Religious and community groups must actively work through education and engagement to prevent extremist ideas from gaining a foothold in our mainstream community.

Mr Arthur Fong asked how we can do more to encourage community involvement against terrorism. One of the ways we are doing so is through the Community Engagement Programme (CEP). Since the launch of the Community Engagement Programme, we have established a national-level working framework and have actively engaged a broad range of community partners. We have also seen many encouraging ground-up initiatives in support of the CEP. I strongly support such ground-up efforts.

I had mentioned some initiatives earlier. Another recent example is Al Khair Mosque and the Grassroot Organisations from Choa Chu Kang, Keat Hong and Yew Tee organising in January an Inter-Faith Forum for community leaders.

It was also especially heartening to observe the interest among our young. A group of youths pursued a project on inter-religious understanding called 'Project Connect'. Under this project, they attended a three-day camp, made study trips to different religious sites and agencies and held a Singapore Inter-Faith Youth Forum to promote inter-religious understanding, in January this year.

The business community too, which Dr Teo referred to, is also playing its part. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) together with the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) formed a CEP taskforce to engage the other ethnic groups. They organised a job fair in September last year to increase the number of Malay workers in Chinese firms.

Sir, a Tripartite Panel on Community Engagement at Workplaces was formed in October 2006. The Panel is working to expand its outreach to cover the various subgroups in the business community.

Sir, the Home Team will do as much as we can to keep Singapore safe and secure. However, we cannot take extreme measures to protect everything, as doing so will lead to a society paralysed by fear and an economy mired in a security gridlock. We need to make critical judgements about risks and trade-offs, balancing security and other needs all the time. Ultimately, it is the people and not the Government who will defeat terrorism. This has been our approach since 2001.

I know that it must have been difficult and awkward for all, especially our Muslim community, to grapple with sensitive issues linked to the nature of this terrorism today. However, our people responded rationally and positively. In particular, our Muslim community leaders have boldly moved to address the dangers of radicalisation. Singaporeans know very well that the real damage in extremist terrorism can pose is not just material destruction but the more permanent damage against our social cohesion and community harmony. We must not let this happen.

All Singaporeans are the stakeholders of Singapore’s safety and security. When we all take ownership of our own security and safety, we will not only make Singapore a hard target – we will also make Singaporeans a resilient people who will not be cowed or intimidated by terrorism.

I will now ask my Senior Minister of State to deal with other parts of the questions before I come back to answer Mr de Souza's subsequent question on police and Ms Sylvia Lim's question on the resources for the Home Team.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Sir, the law and order challenges confronting us have become more complex. Whilst maintaining a safe and secure environment, we also aim to create a dynamic and vibrant society. In short, MHA can play a role in shaping Singapore into the society we aspire to be. Let me share how we are doing this.

First, by ensuring that the fundamental bedrock of law and order remains firmly in place by being tough on crime. Dr Teo Ho Pin asks what is SPF's success rate in solving crimes. For the past five years, Police solved at least 50% of the crimes reported. For serious crimes such as murder, firearm robbery, rape and serious hurt, the clearance rate is higher: 100% for murder and firearm robbery and over 60% for rape and serious hurt. Compared to other police forces, this is a good outcome, achieved not because, as happens in some other countries where people hesitate to report crimes. Singaporeans report crimes here because they have confidence that the SPF will tackle them. Hence, Singaporeans feel safe, as various polls have shown. These inputs are indeed the safety index that Ms Ellen Lee suggests that we should have. This is, in fact, a clear signal from Singaporeans that they feel safe.

Sir, a key feature of a maturing society is that it cares for its vulnerable members, which in the case of crime, are our youths and elderly, a point raised by Dr Teo and also Ms Ellen Lee.

Let me assure Dr Teo and the House that youth crime is under control. Between 2005 and 2006, the number of youths arrested fell by 28%. The number of youths who were victims of major crimes also fell by 18%. Under the leadership of the National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation or NYGR, formerly called the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime or IMYC which I chair, Police will continue to implement measures targeted at youths.

NYGR agencies have introduced more than 25 programmes over the past 10-11 years. They have helped reduce youth crime. One example is an annual Youth Crime Prevention Roadshow at our schools and ITEs, which takes an interactive and reflective approach to engage youths. This is how you have to do it. You cannot be dogmatic, you cannot just talk down to them.

The "Youth Hanging Out Late" initiative informs parents if their children are found outdoors engaging in "at-risk" activities after 11.00 pm. To date, Police has issued more than 650 letters. With only 7% involving youths who had repeatedly stayed out late, this scheme is achieving its objective.

So parents are forewarned and they take steps. I think it helps.

5.45 pm

Under a new programme started last year, adopting a "youth help youth" approach, something I have advocated, because I recognise the power of peer influence, NPCC cadets man School Crime Prevention Corners which tap the potential of computers to reach out to their peers, again in an interactive way. I see Mr Charles Chong nodding his head. He is the Chairman of NPCC. Well done!

As for the elderly, the number of elderly persons falling prey to crimes, such as robberies, snatch theft and cheating, fell by 7% between 2005 and 2006. I think Ms Ellen Lee and Dr Teo have mentioned the plight of the elderly. They will be heartened to know that. But, of course, we must press on. They all know that there are many efforts to do that, including "Crime Watch" programmes and also other programmes involving the ground. In particular, and this is something that I think both of them have mentioned, the number of cheating and related offences against them actually fell by 28%. But we all know that one case is too many, and every case is heart-rending. So let us all press on.

Last year, Police worked with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) on various activities that reached out to 58,000 elderly persons, including "Chit Chat" sessions by NCPC's Crime Prevention Ambassadors to raise awareness against crime. This is the point that our Members have made - that, in all these crime prevention efforts, we must not just do it in the normal way where you send the message in a way that is not comprehensible or which does not strike home. So, for youths, we have to be interactive and engaging. For the elderly, these Ambassadors are wonderful because they are their own kind helping them to keep crime away.

In all our crime-fighting efforts, the public's continued active involvement, where they assist Police in four out of 10 arrests for major crimes, is key, something which I would say, is very important for us, uniquely Singapore, and this is the point that Dr Teo also emphasises. Therefore, like DPM Wong, I would urge all Singaporeans to continue to do their part, for example, by reporting suspicious characters loitering in their neighbourhood. When they do this, they will help prevent crime, such as moneylending. I think Ms Ellen Lee has asked about this. This is something which I had also mentioned in the House before and I had enumerated all the steps that had been taken. Let me assure Ms Lee that we will continue to work with CID, MHA, together with the agencies, to keep moneylending under control.

This is also the same thing for Internet crime that I think Ms Lee has talked about. As for the use of private security agencies and the fight against crime, Ms Lee has made a good point. Yes, indeed, over the last three to four years working with NTUC, we have upgraded these security agencies. So, now, they are better paid and better trained. There is greater pride and they wear smarter uniforms. These efforts have helped us in the overall fight, not only against crime, but also against terrorism.

On fighting crime to maintain law and order, let me assure the House that not only will we press on, we will also explore innovative and new strategies. Let me just cite two examples. First, Police's SMS Crime Alert Scheme provides crime information via text messages to community partners and participating handphone subscribers. It is quick, it is instant. I think it is a medium that all people use. Another is the Handphone IMEI Tracing System, or HITS, which has helped to reduce handphone thefts. Here, again, it is online and accessible. But I am open to ideas from all the GPC members and, indeed, the House, on how we can do crime prevention efforts better.

Ms Ellen Lee then asked about vice. She asked how we manage vice here in view of our open-door policy towards foreigners. We take a pragmatic approach where we confine prostitution to traditional red light areas; we take enforcement actions against prostitutes who solicit in public and against pimps who force women into prostitution or live off their earnings; and we also keep syndicates out. That is why we tackle vice activities carried out illicitly in places such as massage parlours - I think Ms Ellen Lee mentioned that - vigorously, and also against other places like entertainment outlets where there may be vice. Therefore, the assurance to Ms Lee is that the situation regarding massage parlours is now under control. But, of course, we will continue to regulate through licensing requirements and also through constant checks.

Last year, some 4,310 foreign prostitutes were arrested, up 34% compared to the year before. The easing of our visa requirements to some countries to promote inbound tourism has contributed to this increase. To counter this, ICA takes a calibrated approach to detect non-genuine visitors. Thus, visitors suspected of coming here for vice activities are subject to further checks and interviews. In addition, foreigners, including student pass and work permit holders found to be involved in vice activities, are repatriated and banned from entering Singapore again.

As many of the foreign sex workers congregate in Geylang, Police has stepped up enforcement operations there. Last year, Police deployed CCTVs along selected streets generally to prevent crime, but they also had a salutary effect of deterring solicitation by sex workers. Police also works with partners, such as the Hotel Licensing Board and URA, to conduct joint checks on budget hotels and lodging houses there.

Let me therefore say that, like crime and drugs, vice is under control here. Police is well aware that on all three fronts, the Integrated Resorts will indeed present criminals with new possibilities to exploit. Hence, Police, together with the Casino Regulatory Authority which is under MHA, is already gearing up. And the assurance is that they will be ready to tackle this new challenge.

Sir, as our society matures, we will continue to refine our criminal justice system. Thus, we are calibrating our approach towards the rights of accused persons with regard to their access to counsel when in police custody, a point raised by Mr Hri Kumar and also by Mr Alvin Yeo in the House when he spoke on the Budget Statement on Tuesday.

Sir, the right of an accused person to legal counsel, as Mr Kumar will know, is found in our Constitution, Article 9(3). The courts have determined that this right may be exercised within a reasonable time, not immediately, upon arrest. Basically, I think we need to strike a balance between an accused person's rights on the one hand and the protection of the public interest to ensure that Police is able to effectively investigate the case. Our laws require every accused person to be brought before a Magistrate without unreasonable delay within 48 hours of his arrest. If Police wants to further remand the accused, it has to make out a case before the Magistrate.

A recent police study showed that more than 90% of arrested persons were released within 48 hours. A robust monitoring system ensures that for the rest, investigations are completed expeditiously, so that there is no unnecessary remand. In fact, only 1% of arrested persons were remanded beyond a week. Generally, this 1% involved more serious and complex cases that required further police investigations or more intensive police investigations. The key point, therefore, is this: that in the vast majority of cases, accused persons are released early and do have early access to counsel.

Still, we have looked at how we can improve the current situation. Therefore, Police piloted a project in March last year for remanded accused persons to meet their lawyers earlier, ie, towards the end of the one-week remand period, on condition that the accused person does not discuss the case with his lawyer. Police may allow this even though investigations have not yet been completed. We will review the outcome of this pilot some time in the middle of this year.

Next, Mr Kumar suggests that we video-tape police interviews to guard against police abuse. As he rightly pointed out, I have explained earlier in this House that doing this will not avert such allegations of abuse. This is because the suspect can still allege that he was threatened before the recording or during breaks in the recording. The court thus cannot readily rely on such recorded interviews. There is feedback also from jurisdictions which have implemented this. In fact, I understand in one jurisdiction, even in the police car, while the suspect is being transported to the police station, there could already be threat taking place.

To put things in perspective, let me say that the suspect's statements are usually only one piece of evidence, amongst others, such as the witnesses' testimony or physical evidence obtained at the crime scene, which Police uses to prove its case against the accused. Of course, Mr Kumar knows, in any case, in court, we have an established process called " voir dire " or "trial within a trial" to establish the voluntariness of the statement.

So the key question really is this: do Singaporeans have confidence in our legal system and our Police Force? Like I have said, surveys have indicated that on both counts, this is the case. Indeed, this is unlike some of the countries where video-taping of police interviews has been implemented, thereby creating pressure for the video-taping. Sir, this position in public trust in Police has been secured after a long time. I am sure Police will not do anything that will erode Singaporeans' confidence in them and, indeed, neither will DPM nor myself and the Commissioner of Police. So for police abuse, we will be the first to say, "Hey, don't do that."

Once again, Mr Chong presses me for an update of the Penal Code. I think this must be the fourth or fifth time in COS. Thank you for his compliments. Indeed, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I did report in COS last year that we would hold a public consultation exercise when the amendments were ready.

This exercise was launched in November last year via the REACH portal. Many Singaporeans took this opportunity to provide valuable feedback on the proposed amendments. We received, in fact, some 250 responses on the portal, and many more through the email and post which, of course, we were gratified to note.

We also organised three focus group sessions to seek input from Singaporeans from different walks of life. We are also seeking input from the Law Society and the courts. We are now studying the many inputs received and plan to introduce the Bill in Parliament some time in the middle of this year.

Mr Chong also points out that we have kept some archaic notions in the Penal Code. He talked about "horses and carriages" in various sections. Let me first say that we have actually updated and clarified many definitions, explanations and expressions in the Code, some 21 sections. But as for "horses and carriages", I have asked my officers to go and check with the Attorney-General's Chambers. I know that they have gone through it and found the phrase in some exceptions and explanations. But, indeed, if they detract rather than aid in explaining the section, we can remove them.

As for section 151A, yes, Mr Chong is correct. It is still there and is placed under another Chapter which has been re-captioned, because the offence is a serious one - to incite violence or disobedience to the law. And in line with some other provisions in the Act, the punishment has been raised.

Now, traffic rules. Singaporeans' sense of well-being encompasses some assurance that when they travel on our roads, they will be safe. This is as much law and order as well as safety. It is as much a matter of having a good road system and effective regulatory regime, as it is of getting Singaporeans to internalise and embrace a courteous and safety-first mindset whenever they go on the road, whether as driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist and, indeed, even as pedestrian. So I must disagree with Dr Teo when he says that our traffic rules are a "web of traps"! I think he knows that the statement does a disservice to the Traffic Police (TP).

On his suggestion that we standardise the speed limit for each type of roads, let me first say that setting road speed limits is not Traffic Police's sole responsibility but a shared one with LTA, taking into account factors such as road characteristics, profile of road users and surrounding land use. In a recent review stretching a year and a half, TP and LTA actually raised the road speed limits for about 250 roads island-wide. I think Members of this House who have been here long enough will appreciate this exercise.

Speed limits are set to enable our drivers to travel at a reasonable speed, appropriate for the road conditions, but without compromising users' safety or efficiency of the road network. Given this objective, standardising the speed limit for each type of road is actually not desirable. It may result in a situation where speed limits are not optimised because not all roads, even of the same type, are homogenous.

6.00 pm

On matters relating to zebra crossings, bus lanes and double white lines, and what Mr Arthur Fong mentioned about full-day bus lanes, actually these are under MOT and LTA, not under the Traffic Police, so I would suggest that the Members address them with the Minister for Transport.

Dr Teo also suggests that, instead of revoking his licence, an offender who accumulates 24 demerit points be given a six-month probation period. Sir, a motorist does not lose his driving licence after accumulating 24 demerit points for the first time. I think we all know that. It will only be revoked or made "of no effect", if he is suspended for the third time under the Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS). Indeed, the first suspension can be deferred upon him passing a Retraining Course, provided there was no accident caused.

Hence, DIPS is actually structured to give the motorist ample "opportunities to repent" so as to avoid any suspension of his licence, which is really what a proposed "probation" is intended to do. In fact, a motorist who maintains a clean driving record over specified periods will have his demerit points and previous suspension records removed. Therefore, the point I am making is that the DIPS framework does aim to change an errant motorist's driving habit, giving him ample opportunities along the way, and not just to punish him.

Mr Teo Ser Luck asks about accidents involving cyclists. Most of these accidents occur when motorists and cyclists either fail to keep a proper lookout, do not give way to traffic with the right of way, or change lanes without due care.

With greater recognition of their vulnerability, these accidents can be prevented. To promote safe riding, Traffic Police last year conducted road safety talks for local and foreign workers and exhibitions in schools and workplaces. Traffic Police also works with construction companies and worker dormitories to reach out to foreign workers, disseminating videos and posters in their languages featuring bicyclist safety.

The final point is by Mr Arthur Fong on child and booster seats. Research shows that proper use of child and booster seats can greatly reduce the severity of a young child’s injuries in an accident. Therefore, in Singapore, all children below eight years should be properly secured. Indeed, there is enforcement, because the rules are there. Any driver who fails to comply with the rule can be fined $120 and given three demerit points. Traffic Police does issue summons against errant drivers. But Mr Fong's point, which I think all of us must agree with, is that the key point really on this is getting parents to recognise that using child restraints can save the child's life. Thus, Traffic Police promotes their use through exhibitions and talks conducted at pre-schools and primary schools. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to urge all parents to do what is right for their young children who have no say in the matter. After all, it is impractical for us, as a society, to legislate and enforce parental responsibility.

What does all this mean? Let me now summarise the points that I have made. What I have shared essentially illustrates an important principle, which is this. Whilst we evolve as a society, seeking to maintain safety and security but also loosening up to create a more vibrant Singapore, there is a need for Singaporeans to step forward and take greater ownership of these issues. You may ask "How?" By exercising personal responsibility for safety and avoid becoming victims of crime; by showing greater tolerance and give and take in sharing all of this 700-odd-square-kilometre island which 4.3 million people call Home. I include here our permanent residents, because Singapore is their home for the time being. And, finally, by coming forward to partner the Home Team to tackle security and law and order challenges together.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Mr Chairman, Sir, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Christopher de Souza raised the concern that resource constraints may lead to compromises of public interest and about the challenges in attracting and retaining good police officers and other members of the Home Team.

Indeed, Sir, we are constantly optimising the use of resources through various innovations. One good example is the Police's move from the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system to the Neighbourhood Police Centre system. It was a strategic move made by the Police to evolve and keep pace with the changes in the operating environment, and to improve the system of community policing. Right now, we have, across the nation, 32 NPCs supported by 65 NPPs, totalling 97 police contact points. This is not much different from the good old days that we had which Ms Lim lamented when we had 90-plus NPPs.

This new system means that police presence is more visible in the neighbourhood, and not just confined to the NPPs. Also, under the current NPC system, all patrol resources in the precinct are managed directly by the NPCs. This will enable the NPCs to respond more quickly and flexibly to the needs of the community. The real measure of our safety is not just on how many contact points you have with the Police but on our sense of safety and security. Mr de Souza mentioned the Forbes report which reported well on Singaporeans' sense of safety. But other research institutions, such as the WEF, in its World Competitiveness Report, as well as PERC, also reported well on our Singapore Police Force and our sense of safety.

We are constantly reviewing our roles to focus on security and other core functions. One of the strategies in this effort is to outsource non-core functions, and this is done carefully to ensure that we do not compromise the public interest. This includes the outsourcing of enforcement of illegal parking.

Ms Lim mentioned that some of the outsourced traffic wardens appear over-zealous. Ms Lim should note that the performance of these wardens is not assessed according to the number of summonses they issued, which is a misperception by the public. If the aggrieved party feels that a summons was unfairly issued, he or she can appeal through the normal channels.

Ms Lim also mentioned yesterday's Forum letter which wrote about the delay in responding to a case of a body found. Police has informed me that that delay was due to poor command and control by the Police Division which resulted in a delay of about 25 minutes before the resource was sent. Upon arrival, the resource took another 20 minutes to find the location, as they were not familiar with the location. The Police is looking into the handling of this incident with a view to improving our Police service. But, please, do not shoot at the Police every time there is an incident. Give them a chance to tell you why and what happened. Of course, we do not condone mistakes which are made because of the officer's own neglect of his duty. But if an officer genuinely makes a mistake, I think we have to accept that and to help him improve. Ms Lim should be able to see a reply to the letter soon in the newspaper.

Sir, safety and security remain the Home Team's top priority. The overall crime rate for the past 20 years shows a general downward trend, with a clear decline in 2006. I will now ask the Clerk of Parliament to distribute a set of charts showing the general trends in crime, drug arrests, fire incidents, recidivism rates of prison inmates and the population at drug rehabilitation centres, to show that the general safety and security situation in Singapore is positive, and has improved over the past decade. Take your time, flip through it and understand what these figures mean for all of us.

We must continue to emphasise that we have to optimise all available resources to ensure that our public interests are efficiently and effectively served. So far, if Members look at the numbers carefully, the Home Team has been able to do so and has done it well.

Sir, we recognise that, today, security work is very demanding on the officer and his family. Each year, many of our officers have to forgo portions of their annual leave due to exigencies of service. Many of our ICA officers at the checkpoints routinely have to work overtime.

Finding the right officers to do these jobs is critical. They have to be security-cleared and be able to meet the demanding physical, intellectual and psychological requirements. Despite stepping up recruitment efforts in 2006, only 10% of applicants actually met the recruitment criteria for junior officers in the Home Team while 15% of applicants met the criteria for the senior service. So the pool is not very large to start with. This situation is further compounded by the higher resignation rate in 2006. Retention, therefore, is also critical. Experience and specialist training are valuable and not immediately replaceable.

So the Ministry must keep pace with the tightening labour market and offer a competitive remuneration package commensurate with the demands of the job. Otherwise, the Ministry will face difficulties attracting and retaining capable officers, leading to a degradation of our capacities and capabilities. We are undertaking a salary review for the different schemes of service in the Home Team and will be completing the review shortly.

Sir, the strength of the Home Team is in its officers. Attracting and retaining capable officers is the key to maintaining Singapore's low crime rate and good security. Many foreign visitors appreciate this when they come. Singaporeans have more or less taken our safety for granted. They would not feel it because it has always been safe. But when they come from a place that is less safe, they notice it straightaway. So, many of these visitors, after the visit, wrote to the Prime Minister, the Senior Minister and the Minister Mentor, expressing their appreciation for the safety they felt in Singapore and how much they had enjoyed Singapore and being able to walk in the streets, jog in the parks, and so on, without the fear of being mugged. Compared with their own country, they think it is a remarkable change. These fundamentals of safety and security are the foundation upon which Singapore's progress and development are built.

Sir, let me now make some concluding remarks regarding this afternoon's replies that both my Senior Minister of State and I have given to Members who have raised many questions in the last few days.

Firstly, a recurrent theme in our responses is that Singaporeans, whether as individuals, organisations or communities, are the ultimate stakeholders of Singapore's safety and security.

Secondly, we have highlighted the constant need for balanced judgements and trade-offs.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has to make judgements over the optimal deployment of finite resources, balancing competing imperatives without compromising its mission for a safe and secure Singapore for all. Singaporeans, too, need to make choices. Today, Singaporeans enjoy a low crime rate, low drug problem and good security. In the course of change, Singaporeans will have to ask themselves how much they value this quality of life and how much of it they want to put at risk.

If we think we can afford to go soft on drugs, for example, because they connote a fashionable, desirable lifestyle, then we will have to live with the consequences of drug abuse to our families and the next generation. Should we emulate societies which have gone soft on drugs because they have failed to deal with it or should we staunchly defend our success and our zero tolerance policy? That question Singaporeans would have to decide.

Similarly, if we choose to lower the threshold of security at our borders and inside the country to avoid inconvenience, then we must face the enhanced risk of a terrorist incident. I am not exaggerating this. We have had specific intelligence of how our strict security measures have deterred terrorists like the JI’s Azahari Husin from targeting us. Azahari Husin, of course, had been shot dead by the Indonesians.

Sir, I am confident that just as we have done in our fight against crime and drugs, we will cultivate an equally mature and effective partnership with our people to fight against terrorism. Together, we will make the right choices to navigate a future where the security landscape is more complex and uncertain than in the past. With the support of fellow Singaporeans, I have no doubt that the Home Team will continue to succeed in its mission to keep Singapore safe and secure.

6.15 pm

The Chairman: We have some time for clarifications. Dr Teo.

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, just a few clarifications. First, I am pleased to learn that there are 72 security watch groups being formed. What is the level of readiness of these 72 security watch groups and how effective are they, and has the Home Team provided some help to test the readiness and effectiveness of these 72 security watch groups?

The second clarification is on the traffic rules. Sir, I have been to many cities. I realise that our roads are very well-decorated, with a lot of road markings and signages all over the places. As compared to many other countries, we indeed have too many road markings and signs, different sizes, hung up on lamp-posts all over the places. So it is totally almost impossible to comply with all those road signs. I am not too sure whether they are effective or not, and I am quite puzzled that road safety comes under the purview of two Ministries - MOT and MHA. Is there any way to synchronise it so that it is only one set of rules, ie, the road markings and traffic rules come under one Ministry and one enforcement agency, so that it is easier to implement instead of having two Ministries?

The third point is that I am not too sure about the effectiveness of DIPS and whether over the years DIPS has indeed changed the behaviour of our motorists or not.

Looking at the statistics, it looks like the fire situation has not improved over the last 10 years. We still have about 5,000 cases of fires every year. I presume they are mainly home fires. I am just wondering whether the public education efforts have been effective in preventing home fires over the last 10 years.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, Dr Teo asked about the readiness of the SWG. There are 72 of them. They comprise security managers and senior people of the buildings where we have propagated this particular scheme. They take their job very seriously. Police also has a network of communication with them - in different forms - through emails or SMSes. If anything happens in a particular place, through an SMS broadcast, they will know what is happening in that area and be able to take steps to protect themselves. From time to time, there will also be exercises, checks, workshops and seminars, and so on. The Police is in close touch with them and we are going to expand such security watch groups because we find them very useful.

As Members know, we have divided Singapore into several sectors, so that the Home Team agencies can work with the stakeholders in their different areas. They are mapping out the key partners in their respective areas and domains so that they know that, at every place, every building, who are the key people in charge. In that way, they will be able to reach out to those people.

On traffic rules and why is it there are two different Ministries, the answer is quite simple: because the expertise required is quite different. Road building and road engineering obviously is not an expertise that MHA has. We are good at security. When it comes to road building and road engineering, we should depend on the Transport Ministry. When they design a road, in the way they have structured the road, and the way they have built the road, it can only take certain kinds of speed. So Police will have to take that into account as well. Does DIPS change driver behaviour? In fact, I just joked to somebody in the House not long ago that, if the public wants to change road behaviour, then they should be careful because there is no other effective way of changing road behaviour other than through DIPS and to take the driver off the road if he is a recalcitrant traffic offender. That is the most effective way of changing driver behaviour because he would no longer be able to drive.

On fire safety, if Members look at the chart carefully, I think we have done very well. If we just look at the number of fire incidents, from 5,008 to 4,007 between 1994 and 2006, then, yes, the drop may not seem to be very large. But do not forget, in the last 12 years, from 1994 to now, how many more new buildings have come up? How many more new flats have come up during this 12-year period? Well, definitely a lot more than it was in 1994. But if we look at the fire incidents per 100,000 population, I think that is a better measure of how effective our fire safety education has been. It has dropped from 170 per 100,000 in 1994 to 105 in 2006, and that is a very significant drop. And, mind you, we are also a very compact place. All we need is one naughty boy or girl, like a brother and his sister who burn something over the window, and it happens to fall onto some clothes, we will find that all the clothes that are hung out there will be burnt. People who live in flats, in fact, anyone, whether he smokes or throws a burning charcoal or whatever over the rubbish chute, please be careful. He may not just burn other people's house down, he may burn his.

Mr Teo Ser Luck: Sir, I am glad to know that there is some public education for the cyclists on road safety and how they should cycle safely on the road. But many a time, cyclists are the vulnerable lot on the road and vehicle owners are the ones that are causing the danger to them. If, let us say, there are more and more cyclists on the road today and the accident rate involving cyclists is not on the decline, then should we not do a bit more than just public education and educating cyclists instead of educating the vehicle owners? Would the Ministry actually consider other measures?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: In fact, in my speech, I said that all road users should watch out for each other, especially the vulnerable groups. Bicyclists are, in fact, a vulnerable group. So the tenor of my speech is not just to educate cyclists - cyclists play their part too because if they are cycling in a reckless way and in a way that exposes them to being hurt, then they are at fault - but I will agree that especially motorists, including heavy vehicles that Mr Fong talks about, we should be mindful of the vulnerability of cyclists. Basically, that is my message to everybody. The road space is a common place. Everybody has a duty when he steps onto this road space, to be mindful, to care for one another. Do this every time we step onto the road, and road accident rates will come down.

Ms Ellen Lee: Sir, I have two questions. One is on the cyclists - how vulnerable they are. In my MPS on Wednesday, I came across a case where a taxi-driver was being charged for reckless driving because, according to him, it was the bicyclist who came into his path, a blind spot. He got knocked down but he was not hurt. But it was because the cyclist had damaged his taxi, that was why he made a U-turn back to go and look for the cyclist to ask for compensation. Unfortunately, the cyclist called the police and said he was knocked down at a different location. So the police came and charged him for reckless driving. I have actually written to the Ministry on this.

My point is: is the Police so ready to believe that, in any road accident involving cyclists, whether motorcyclists or bicyclists, it is always the vehicle owner that is at fault, and not the cyclist, even though he could be the one who had been reckless? It is a question of who says what.

My second question is to DPM Wong. I am not criticising the police officers. Sometimes, they have been over-zealous. Again, on Wednesday, I have a resident coming to tell me that his brother, who is not mentally well and carries with him a letter from the doctor to say that he is mentally incapable, was found wandering in Ang Mo Kio at about 3 or 4 am. When he was caught, despite being shown the letter that was dated in 2002 from the doctor to say that he was not mentally well, the Police, nevertheless, arrested him and charged him, and he had to bail him out. I was told that the letter was not accepted because it was outdated. In order to prove his brother is actually mentally unsound, he had to get a fresh letter from the doctor. My question is: are police officers not given that discretion to accept the letter from the doctor even though it may be dated a long time ago to show that this person is really not mentally well and, therefore, he could not be loitering or committing any offence? It was reported that he was behaving suspiciously.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, I do not know the reason why that particular resident had to be at that particular place at that hour. I also cannot give an answer as to why the Police charged him. But since Ms Lee has written to the Ministry, I suppose she will get a reply and she may know the answer.

We always encounter in our MPS cases, people who come and tell us one story. But it is like a coin, it has the other side of the story. Please remember that. For these two specific cases, I will leave them to the officials to look at them. If it comes to our attention, we will take a closer look and see whether there is any case to do something about it or not. Ultimately, prosecution depends on the Attorney-General, who is the Public Prosecutor. But, at the same time, the police officers just want to do a good job. I think we should not run them down on one or two incidents or for whatever reason there is, but if indeed they have neglected their duties and abused their powers, then that is something that we will not condone. But, like in every organisation, there will be some black sheep. We will identify them and we will take them out. Or if they can be changed, we will retain them.

Mr Hri Kumar: Sir, I would like to make two points. First, on the access to counsel. What I am talking about is in the interest of justice. Where counsel is excluded because investigations are not complete, the implication is that the involvement of counsel somehow subverts justice. Whatever you may think about lawyers, and some do not think much about us, it is often forgotten that we are officers of the court and we hold a higher duty to the court and to justice than to the client. I am for one uncomfortable with the suggestion that once we involve a lawyer, somehow justice is perverted.

The second point is on the public confidence in the judicial system. I think the public has confidence and every reason to. But the issue is not about the system but the processes. And most Singaporeans have not been hauled up by the Police for questioning, thank goodness! But if we do a survey of those who have been, you will feel that the confidence is not as high. The reason is that anyone who has been questioned - and I have clients who have been - even if they are innocent, if they are going before the Police simply to tell them what happened, they come out feeling that they have done something wrong. And the reason is ---

The Chairman: So what is the point?

Mr Hri Kumar: The point is that the system has to be fair. We should have processes to ensure that the system is fair.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: He has spoken like a lawyer. No, we do not intend to paint all lawyers with a tar. But, essentially, Police wants to do a job. Without the presence of a third party, whether a lawyer or, in fact, a family member or other person, an innocent person will just have to tell the truth. That is the purport or the intention of an interview. Basically, the person is there to tell the truth. So who will benefit more with the presence of a lawyer? An innocent person or a guilty person? Indeed, surveys from other countries have shown that when a lawyer is present throughout the interview, it is more difficult to elicit the truth and the interview then becomes a process which, instead of serving public interest, makes it a bit more difficult.

Let me just say that we will review the pilot that we are doing in the middle of the year. The Law Society knows about this. My own sense is that it will help the process. At the same time, it is not as though there are so many cases where accused persons are remanded beyond a week. As I have said, it is only 1% of the cases. So, let us see things in perspective. To me, it is an improvement of the system, and let us assess it after a few more months.

6.30 pm

Ms Sylvia Lim: Sir, a clarification for the Senior Minister of State. He mentioned that there was this pilot going on where an accused in remand is permitted to see his counsel towards the end of the first week of remand on condition that they do not discuss the case. I wonder if he could clarify what is the purpose of that meeting.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, the pilot is ongoing. I am announcing it now. We expect lawyers whose clients are in police custody to make a request. This will be towards the end of the one week - in other words, those who are remanded for one week beyond the 48 hours. If Police feels that allowing accused persons to see their lawyer will not hinder or hamper investigations, they will do so, even when investigations are not completed. In the past, when investigations were completed, the accused person was released and then, of course, he consulted his lawyer. Now, let us say, towards the end of one week, on the fifth or sixth day, even though Police may say, "I have not completed my case", but it will not hinder investigations, Police can consider letting the lawyer see the accused.

When an accused person sees his lawyer, at least he will have some assurance that there is a lawyer out there who represents him. Basically, the lawyer will tell the accused to tell the truth. So, if there is any allegation at that stage of any undue police pressure, the accused person can tell the lawyer that this is so. But we do not wish to complicate matters, because if we start allowing the lawyer to discuss the case - this is the experience of other countries - then it makes it harder to extract the truth. That is my starting point - basically, to get the truth. Really, an innocent person does not need a lawyer to tell the truth.

Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, I agree with DPM and the Senior Minister of State that we should be proud of our Singapore Police Force and our officers in the SPF.

I would like to raise a point in clarification about recruitment statistics. 10% of applicants for junior officers are eligible. I think the other statistic that DPM gave was that 16% of senior officers are eligible. My clarification is: can recruitment be targeted at investigation officers? I say this for three reasons. First, I think it is peculiar or particular to IOs that they have unpredictable hours; secondly, their work load is heavy; and, thirdly, they are required to multi task. Take, for example, a situation when I was in court and the IO who was assisting me in court had to also investigate a crime simultaneously. So he had to go to and fro. Will this be considered by the Ministry?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Yes, indeed, when the Police look at the deployment of officers, they have to look at the person and see where they think the strength of the person lies. Not everyone can make a good police investigator. I think that is a fact. So they have to choose the ones who make good police investigators. But from the limited pool of people that they have, particularly from the sources, it is 10% for junior officers and 15% for senior officers, not 16%. Ultimately, there is a limit to the number of people who will be made available to the Police Force. And from that number, we will then train them, assess them as they go through the deployment, to determine who has the ability, the quality and the mentality to be able to make a good police investigator. Investigators are a specialty track and they are therefore given suitable recognition.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: Sir, I would like to present the other side of the coin on police officers' performance. I think it would be good if MHA could highlight some of the desirable, positive and progressive behaviour of the police officers. I have two examples. One is the police unit that is supporting my ward, the Rochor Neighbourhood Centre under the Central Police Division. They have done very proactive grassroots programmes with my grassroots to help the elderly, security programmes and crime prevention.

Second, when I recently asked for an emergency line for the deaf, a whole group of police officers who came to see me were very enthusiastic doing research and so forth. I think these are some very progressive behaviour that I feel should be highlighted to the others.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: In fact, one of the strategies that the Police adopts is proactive policing. This means that they go out, meet the public, talk to them, engage them and help those who need help. That is how they go about their work. Of course, I am not saying that all the 10,000 of them do the same thing. They are human beings like all of us. Some have their own weaknesses. Some, for whatever reason, may not have the right mood for the day. But we always demand high standards of them and we hope that they will carry the flag high for the Force, and set a good example and model for the rest of those who are lagging behind.

There is also counselling within the Force. The senior officers will keep watch and counsel those who are not keeping up with the task. There is a system of checks as well on the kind of cases that they deal with, whether they are behind time and so on.

The systems are in place. But, ultimately, no matter what system we have, no matter what kind of training we have, it is the officer's own interest, his own motivation, his own values and his own enthusiasm in carrying out his task. That is why recruiting people is not so easy, and we have to find the right people to join us.

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, after listening to the responses by the Minister and Senior Minister of State, I think we must change our behaviour. We are indeed very impressed by the good work done by the Home Team. I think we are more confident now to prepare ourselves for any security threat. Of course, we must also do our part to make sure that we play an active role to make Singapore safe. Once again, I want to thank the Minister and the Senior Minister of State for their comprehensive replies.

I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

That the sum of $2,198,293,910 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

That the sum of $407,181,800 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.