SECURITY IN LOCAL HOTELS

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the recent killing of a Japanese tourist in a five-star hotel is an indication that the security in our local hotels is lax and whether the Government intends to take steps to rectify the situation with a view to maintaining the image of Singapore as a safe place to visit.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, the murder of a Japanese tourist in the Oriental Hotel last month is a most unfortunate and regrettable incident. It is an isolated incident, and is not an indication of lax security in our hotels.

The crime rate in our hotels is not only low, but has also been declining over the years. This is the result of the close cooperation between the Police and the hoteliers. The Police meet with the representatives of the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) regularly to brief them on the crime situation and to advise them on crime prevention measures. In conjunction with the SHA, the Police has also published a booklet for hotels on such crime prevention measures, and to remind hotels that security is a vital part of hotel service.

The Police have met with the managers of the major hotels and representatives of the SHA shortly after this incident, and advised them to review and further tighten their security arrangements.

By ensuring that there is good security not only in our hotels but also on our streets, we will be able to maintain the image of Singapore as a safe place to visit.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, I understand that the group from which this Japanese lady was killed left for Japan the following day. My question is whether or not the image of Singapore as a safe place to visit has in any way been hurt by that particular incident.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, it is true that some members of the group left. However, the discussions carried out by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board with the major Japanese tour operators have shown that the image of Singapore has in no way been affected. The Japanese are still very sure about Singapore as a safe place to visit. And in fact the initial figures show that there have hardly been any cancellations at all of tours by the Japanese.