MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

MR WONG KAN SENG Minister for Home Affairs

1. The Home Team will strengthen its strategy of continued vigilance, tough laws, effective enforcement and community partnership to ensure the safety and security of Singaporeans.

Enhancing Operational Capability

2. The Home Team will collaborate with other agencies to undertake a fundamental review of our response plans to deal with unconventional threats:

(a) MHA will implement an electronic emergency information centre that will deliver up-to-date information to the public during crises, and emergency preparedness information at other times;

(b) The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will strengthen its capability to respond to chemical and biological agent attacks. It will reorganise the fire stations and National Service units to handle these threats. SCDF will develop a new framework to regulate the storage and movement of hazardous materials;

(c) The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will focus on improving the three main areas of homeland security, policing, and public order, and review its other services. The role of Police NSmen will be reviewed and enhanced. SPF will work with the private security industry to improve security awareness and professionalism. It will further augment the capabilities of its Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office to counter money laundering and detect terrorist monies passing through our financial systems. SPF will also continue to leverage on joint intelligence and enforcement actions to combat transnational crimes and global syndicates; and

(d) The Internal Security Department (ISD) will remain vigilant against internal security threats to Singapore. We will enhance ISD's capabilities to better deal with the new threats of terrorism and subversive activities.

Combating Drug Abuse

3. There will be no let up on our tough stance against drug abuse. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) will continue to take firm measures to prevent new synthetic drugs such as amphetamine-type stimulants from gaining a foothold in Singapore. CNB will also work with community organisations to develop a preventive drug education programme targeted at synthetic drug abuse.

Leveraging on Technology

4. SPF will establish a DNA database to facilitate crime-solving and collaborate with industry partners to develop computer forensic capabilities.

5. Singapore Immigration and Registration (SIR) will deploy advanced biometric identification and vehicular X-ray systems to enhance security checks at immigration checkpoints. It will also enhance its service to the public by introducing more on-line applications.

Responding to a Changing Singapore

6. MHA will review laws and practices under its purview and contribute to the effort to remake Singapore. Where feasible, regulatory controls will be relaxed. We will engage the community on licensing matters, through the establishment of advisory panels. SCDF will also introduce a new performance-based fire code to make compliance with fire safety regulations simpler and cheaper.

7. SPF will engage non-governmental organisations and voluntary welfare organisations more, especially in the areas of dispute resolution, family violence and juvenile delinquency. It will also draw more on community resources, such as the Community Mediation Centres, to resolve non-crime issues such as disputes between neighbours and noise complaints.

Improving Our Prisons and Rehabilitation Framework

8. Our prisons will expand the use of community-based sentencing options by introducing Front-End Home Detention for selected offenders. A seamless throughcare rehabilitation system, to enable drug and criminal offenders to re-integrate into society more effectively, will be developed. Our prisons will also reach out to more employers to offer employment opportunities to match the skills and abilities of discharged offenders.