HIJACKING AND PROTECTION OF AIRCRAFT (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

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

Sir, Singapore acceded to the Montreal Convention in 1978. This Convention requires contracting parties to recognise as offences acts of violence against passengers and crew on board civil aircraft, and acts that endanger the safety of aircraft. Singapore implemented the provisions of the Convention by enacting the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act in 1978.

The Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports serving International Civil Aviation (the Protocol) supplements the Montreal Convention. It came into effect on 6th August 1989. This Protocol aims at preventing acts of violence at international airports so as to protect and preserve the smooth operations of international air services and the security of passengers, airline personnel and facilities. Contracting parties to the Protocol will be given jurisdiction to try all offenders who commit acts of violence against international airports or to extradite them to the country of offence.

Sir, this Bill therefore seeks to amend the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act (Cap. 124) to give effect to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports serving International Civil Aviation. Specifically, it seeks to make the following main amendments:

(a) create a new section 6A to make any act of terrorism committed against persons, airport facilities or aircraft parked at any international airport a specific offence;

(b) amend existing section 7 to make the abetment of such an act of terrorism a specific offence;

(c) make consequential amendment to the First Schedule of the Extradition Act (Cap. 103) to make these new offences extraditable crimes as required under the Protocol.

New Section 6A - Offence of Acts of Violence which Endanger Lives or Property and Safe Operation at any International Airport

Sir, the Protocol, as a supplement to the Montreal Convention deals, in essence, with acts of violence at international airports that cause serious injury or death, damage or destroy airport facilities or aircraft or disrupt airport operation. Clause 5 of this Bill, therefore, seeks to create a new section 6A. Section 6A(1) makes it an offence for any person to intentionally, by means of any device, substance or weapon, commit an act of violence at aerodromes serving international civil aviation, if such act causes or is likely to cause serious injury or death and endangers the safe operation of the airport or the safety of persons at the airport. A new section 6A(2) makes it an offence for any person to intentionally, by means of any device, substance or weapon, cause serious damage or destruction to the facilities of the airport or to any parked aircraft or disrupt airport services by such means and which act also endangers the safe operation of the airport or the safety of the persons there. Subsection 6A(3) makes it an offence for such acts to be carried out at any international airport and by any person, regardless of his nationality. The penalty for an offence under the new section 6A is imprisonment for life which is the same penalty applicable to hijackers as spelt out under section 8 of the Act.

Amendment to Section 7 to Extend Section to Cover Abetment of Acts of Violence

Sir, currently it is an offence under section 7 for any person to abet the commission of any offences under the Act. As a logical extension, it is necessary to amend section 7 to make abetment of any offence under the new section 6A an offence. Clause 6 of this Bill seeks to amend section 7 to make the abetment of any act of terrorism at an international airport under the new section 6A an offence.

Consequential Aamendment to Extradition Act (Cap. 103)

Sir, the Protocol requires that these new offences be extraditable crimes. Currently, hijacking and other offences under the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act are already listed as extraditable offences under paragraph 29 of the First Schedule to the Extradition Act. Clause 8 of this Bill therefore seeks to amend paragraph 29 of the First Schedule to the Extradition Act (Cap. 103) to include the new offences under section 6A, that is, acts of violence endangering safety of an international airport, as extraditable offences.

Other Amendments

Sir, as the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft Act has been extended to include offences relating to international airports, it is necessary to amend the long and short titles of the Act to reflect this. Clause 2 of the Bill seeks to amend the long title to include the Protocol. Clause 3 of the Bill seeks to amend section 1 of the Act to rename the Act as the Hijacking and Protection of Aircraft and International Airports Act.

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 Wong Kan Seng].

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