MANDATORY CANING FOR MOLESTERS (Legislation)

Dr Toh Keng Kiat asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he proposes to introduce legislation to provide mandatory caning for molesters.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, under existing laws, a person convicted of outrage of modesty can be jailed, fined or caned. The law therefore already enables the courts to impose caning if they deem it fit.

The law provides for mandatory caning where outraging of modesty is committed in aggravated circumstances, for example, when the offender voluntarily causes or attempts to cause death, hurt or wrongful restraint to his victim. Mandatory caning also applies when the offence is committed in a lift or where the victim is under the age of 14.

Further legislation is unnecessary at this stage because the law, as it stands, gives adequate powers to the courts to mete out appropriate and deterrent punishments including caning.

Dr Toh Keng Kiat: Sir, as there was some disquiet over the caning sentence on a young molester who was thought to be educationally subnormal, may I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether the Government would consider alternative punishment such as chemical castration for molest by persons who are feeble-minded or mentally incapable? There are several reasons for this.

Mr Speaker: Dr Toh, no speeches. You have asked your question.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, what the Member asked is something that is not related to caning. The Ministry of Home Affairs is always prepared to examine and study practical measures to see how we can further bring down the crime rate. Therefore, I will ask the officers in the Ministry to carefully study this suggestion and, particularly, we will look at the experiences of other countries where this has been done to see whether it has the intended impact of curbing any rise in the number of molestation cases.

Dr Toh Keng Kiat: Sir, will caning also apply to a SIA passenger who has his own notion about what a great way to fly is?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: Sir, a person who is subject to Singapore law, and that would include a person who is flying SIA, must surely be subject to caning if it is meted out by a court of proper jurisdiction within the framework of the law.