CRIMINAL LAW (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 3.25 p.m.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, formerly known as the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Ordinance, was brought into operation on 21st October, 1955, for an initial period of three years. It has since been extended several times and will lapse on 20th October, 1979. It is proposed to extend it for another five years with effect from that date.

The Act provides for the maintenance of public safety, peace and good order, the prevention of strikes and lock-outs in essential services and the detention and supervision of persons associated with activities of a criminal nature. It has proved to be very useful in suppressing criminal activities associated with secret societies or organised syndicates where the application of the ordinary laws for the prosecution of the offenders in court is ineffective because witnesses are not prepared to give evidence in court for fear of reprisals. The effectiveness of the Act in curbing secret societies is shown by the decrease in the number of secret society incidents such as assaults, riots, gang clashes and murders. From a peak of 416 such incidents in 1959, the number fell to only 10 in 1978.

The Act has also contributed significantly to the suppression of drug trafficking in Singapore. Over the past six years, 370 persons were detained for drug trafficking, but 311 of them were detained in the last 24 months when the battle against the drug menace reached a climax. It is the use of the powers of detention under the Act that has enabled the Government to move swiftly, and thus has contributed in no small measure to the successful disruption of the distribution of drugs in Singapore.

The Act also makes temporary provisions for the prevention of strikes and lock-outs in essential services, especially in the water, gas and electricity services. These provisions are still necessary.

The Act has contributed considerably to the maintenance of public order. It is still needed to further curb secret society activities and drug trafficking. It is therefore necessary to extend the provisions of the Act for a further period of five years.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Chua Sian Chin].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.