INCIDENTS OF RAGE

Mr S Iswaran asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether there has been an increase in the number of incidents of rage, such as those that occurred recently in a cinema and a fast food outlet, and whether there are adequate provisions in the law against such misbehaviour.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: There is no specific offence of "rage" in our laws. Instead, depending on the acts and injuries that result from the "rage", one of the following offences may be committed: voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons, rioting or criminal intimidation. The penalties for these offences range from a fine to life imprisonment and caning. In serious cases, the prosecution will seek deterrent sentences. These provisions in our laws are adequate against such misbehaviour.

The number of cases of voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons, rioting and criminal intimidation dropped from 1,468 in 1998 to 1,109 in 1999. The recently reported cases of assaults in a cinema and fast food outlet should be seen in the context of this declining trend.

There is no cause for the public to be alarmed.