HEAD P - MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

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Head P - Ministry of Home Affairs

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Madam, may I just have a slight interruption here. May I remind Members to address the Chair as Chairman. There is no Deputy Chairman in the Chair as this is a Committee of Supply. When Mrs Lim is sitting up there in the Speaker's Chair, please address her as Deputy Speaker.

Homeland Security and Crime Control

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Madam, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100.

Madam, the Minister, his staff and the Home Team have done well for yet another very difficult year, protecting Singapore from the twin threats of terrorism and crime. The Home Team has managed to provide a level of security second to none. Some have euphemistically referred to Singapore now

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as "Fortress Singapore". However, there is a danger that such a reputation, of course, would make us an even more attractive target for terrorists. The war against terrorism is difficult to bring home to Singaporeans, who think that we are safe and secure. That is how much trust our people has placed in the Home Team. But the war goes on. On Wednesday, the Straits Times reported that the spiritual leader of the JI had his sentenced halved, an alarming signal that JI may be rejuvenated by this news. On the same day, it was reported that Tom Ridge, US Security Chief, gave a speech in Singapore emphasising that the war against terrorism is global, on-going and long-term. In other words, it is a world war. Shorn of diatribe, it is clear that the war is very much fought in terms of intelligence gathering and sharing on a global basis, and that the domestic situation is only part of a much larger picture. However, with the 2% cut in the budget, and with the increase in the crime rate, can the Home Team cope with the challenges ahead this year, in keeping Singaporeans and Singapore safe from terrorism and relatively crime-free? In particular, I would like to ask the Minister to brief us on whether security agencies in the world have improved on their level of intelligence gathering and cooperation and whether he is satisfied that the assistance we received from abroad has enabled us to fight terrorism more effectively.

Madam, we live in a particularly vulnerable area, with the Malaysian election just round the corner and some political instability in Indonesia. Are we prepared for the onset of what might be a very tense period in the region as far as terrorism is concerned?

Finally, can Singapore, probably the most stable country, the most proactive in terms of combating terrorism, take a non-intrusive leadership role in the region to fight terrorism?

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Terrorism

Mr Ravindran: Madam, we as Singaporeans must be very proud of our Home Team and our Homeland Security Team for providing a peaceful environment for Singaporeans, in particular, from the security challenges posed by terrorists in the region. If there is something that is certain, that is that this threat of terrorism will continue for some time. I think the Home Team has sent the message to the Singaporean public that each and every one has a part to play. And I am very proud that even grassroots leaders, the business community and many business enterprises in Singapore have come together to work with the Home Team to ensure that we take all necessary security measures to prevent any terrorist mishap in Singapore. While this is the scenario, I would also like to take the opportunity to praise our unsung heroes who are very seldom seen in the public domain. They are our intelligence officers both belonging to the ISD and our external intelligence agencies who always work in the background and provide constant vigilance for Singaporeans.

Madam, the query that I would like to raise with the Minister is: what are the challenges and threats that we can foresee in the immediate future, and what are the measures that the Minister and his Ministry will be taking to ensure that this vigilance is maintained over the next few years.

Secondly, I would like to ask the Minister what is the level of intelligence sharing between agencies both within Singapore and outside Singapore.

Thirdly, what further measures does the Ministry intend to take to ensure that this constant education of the public, the business community and the various grassroots organisations can be maintained so that this vigilance is shared

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not only by our security apparatus and agencies, but also by the wider community in Singapore?

Homeland Security

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: Madam, it was not too long ago that we were all awakened by the real threat of terrorist attacks here. Despite the relative calm and Singaporeans moving on with their daily lives, I am sure our security agencies are working very hard to ensure our safety and security. We have appointed Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan as Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, indicating our resolve at putting security as our top-most priority.

We have recently introduced air marshals on some of our flights. Madam, I would like to ask the Minister on the status of our homeland security preparedness. How much more resources, eg, manpower and others, have been committed to enhance our security? For example, we know that the SAF now has to place personnel to ensure the security of Jurong Island. Also, how has security in the different entry points been enhanced? In this regard, Madam, I would like to ask the Minister if there has been any discovery of materials at any of the entry points indicating signs of any terror plot. Also, I would like to ask the Minister what is the level of cooperation between our security agencies and that of those in the region.

Madam, in this regard I would like to ask the Minister how has productivity at the airports and ports been affected by such increased security measures. Also, I would like to ask the Minister what is the nature of collaboration between the different Government agencies to ensure our readiness and preparedness. We also know that security is not the responsibility of the security agencies alone. How has the community been involved and prepared for any

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emergencies? Is there a system of assessment of the degree of terrorist threat like that in the US where it is kind of colour-coded? And, if there is, at what stage will the community be involved to ensure an effective community response to such a threat?

6.15 pm

Sea Lanes and Piracy

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof): Madam Chairperson, I have heard the question of piracy in the sea lanes raised by my colleague, Mr Sin Boon Ann, and the reply made by the Second Minister under the MFA cut. However, the issue I would like to raise here is different. It is about terrorism and sea piracy.

I would like to congratulate the MHA for its success in handling the terrorist threat, especially Jemaah Islamiyah, in Singapore and the region. This success is made possible because of close cooperation that Singapore 's security agencies have with our neighbours, especially Malaysia and Indonesia .

Recently, there were reports on increased piracy activities along the sea lanes around Singapore . So far, the approach to the problem is to treat it as a piracy threat. However, there is a real possibility of the terrorist group collaborating with the pirates. For example, how are we going to deal with the scenario of a hijacked oil tanker being piloted towards our harbour or the sea lanes before being exploded? The result, in terms of damage, loss of lives, pollution and the changing perception of the security standard here, could be devastating. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether MHA could extend its successful cooperation with our neighbours on JI to include preventive

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measures against possible terrorist collaboration with the pirates in our sea lanes.

Maritime Security

Mr Tan Soo Khoon: Madam, I too would like to join Mr Yatiman Yusof in expressing my concerns about the possibility of terrorist attacks on the high seas around us. He has spoken of the possibility of an attack on our ports. In fact, another possible scenario would also be where a ship is laden with explosives and rams into, say, an oil tanker in the Straits of Malacca, and this would therefore cause a lot of disruption to the passage of ships along the Straits. In fact, a recent report by the Institute of South East Asian Studies has pointed out to the fact that if such an event were to take place, either along the Straits or in our port, the impact, not just on our economy but on the world economy, would be even worse than the 911 attacks on the World Trade Centre. It has been said that half the world's oil passes through the Straits of Malacca and as much as a quarter of world trade, in fact, passes through the Straits as well. One can well imagine the impact of such an act of terrorism on our high seas.

I would like therefore to ask the Minister on his overview of the situation. What steps can be taken to further enhance the safety on the high seas?

Regional Cooperation on Terrorism

Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast): Madam, I would like to raise the issue of the progress of our efforts in cooperating with countries that are fighting terrorism. The threat of terrorism is a cross national one and the response must similarly be cross national. We have been engaged in information sharing and capacity building with other countries since the events of 11 September 2001 . Lack of cooperation between countries can simply open the

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doors to other attacks, given the global nature and the illusive nature of many of the criminal group. Our own intelligence and security agencies must similarly adopt an integrated approach. Chasing bad guys does not work. We need to target their processes as well.

In this connection, I am concerned about the state of our cooperation with neighbouring countries in combating terrorism. I have two questions for the Minister.

(1) To what extent is the Indonesian government making progress in the fight against terrorism, and has there been the kind of cooperation rendered by the Indonesian government to our Government in our efforts to monitor the movements and activities of suspected terror networks and groups?

(2) To what extent are we beefing up the resources of our Police Coast Guard in terms of manpower, funding and monitoring stations? And related to that, are we getting the kind of cooperation that we would like to see from Malaysia , Indonesia and other countries as well?

Community Policing

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Madam, I would like to raise the issue of community policing. These days, the Community Safety and Security Programmes, in engaging citizens in worthwhile projects in safety and security in the neighbourhoods, have been paying off in terms of protection around the various zones in each neighbourhood. However, we know that the crime rate is rising and, at the same time, there are new organisations being introduced into grassroots level. I like to mention the newest one, which is the Emergency Preparedness Groups (EPGs). They are to be formed to prepare for emergencies of

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all sorts. Many see this as yet another organisation for safety and security when we already have the civil defence groups and the neighbourhood watch zones.

The Home Team has distinguished itself operationally by being able to integrate and be seen as a whole, even though comprising several uniformed agencies. My question is: should not the various safety and security grassroots groups be integrated to form just one task force in each constituency, maybe a Home Team group or Home Team task force, to deal with emergencies which may include crime and disasters as well? This will make the lines of authority and accountability much clearer, and it will also benefit from some economies of scale in terms of resources to be allocated to them.

Currently, the allocation of resources to such organisations is not high. I think that if the Home Team wants to engage citizens in a meaningful and active manner, it needs to give them more support and resources and, at the same time, it needs to make sure that the organisational structure is not so dissipated.

Mr Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani: Madam, on community policing, several police officers told me that there is a direct correlation between low crime rates and strong police-community relationship. The Police has also been making statements in clear terms about the role of the community in combating crime. The Police has been instrumental in the setting up of community safety and security programmes (CSSP). Such measures on the face of it seem to have enhanced the safety and security of our residential neighbourhoods.

May I ask the Minister for his assessment of the effectiveness of community policing, in particular the CSSP, in lowering the incidence of crime,

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and what have we learnt from the experience thus far? Not all neighbourhoods or RCs have CSSPs. May I ask whether the Ministry has a master plan to achieve a level of CSSP readiness which covers all residential areas? Presently, CSSP in some precincts are not as active as others. It may not be possible to ensure uniform CSSP standards in all precincts. However, too much disparity between adjacent precincts can cause confusion and dissatisfaction among residents. Is the Police willing to intervene so as to address the disparity? Some RCs, especially new ones, need help to start CSSP. Through their representatives, the Police greatly assist in this respect. It is good to allow grassroots activists to develop their own CSSP strategies at their own pace. But the Police should not hold back suggestions that could jump start CSSP or to demonstrate more effective methods. Has the Ministry consolidated and analysed its CSSP experiences over the years? If it has, would the Ministry consider sharing the information to CSSP operators so that they need not reinvent the wheel each time a problem arises?

Crime

Mr Charles Chong: Madam, although the total number of seizable offences last year rose by a slower rate of 5.3% compared to the previous year, housebreaking recorded the largest increase of 20.5%, from 1,110 cases to 1,337 cases. Of concern also are the break-ins in HDB flats which increased by more than 41%, from 316 to 446 cases. It was reported that the modus operandi of housebreakers was generally to force open sliding windows and grilles facing common corridors. Could the Minister tell us if there are any design deficiencies in the windows of our HDB flats? If so, has the Police provided feedback and suggestions to the HDB to design more secure windows? Or is the problem due to residents not taking enough

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precautions in securing their premises sufficient to deter housebreakers? If this is the main reason, then surely the responsibility cannot lie solely with the Police to reduce such crimes. Could the Minister tell us what additional measures his Ministry has taken to promote public awareness and community involvement in safety and security programmes? And like the speakers before me, I would like the Minister to give us an update on CSSP and also the effectiveness of this programme.

The Chairman: Mr Steve Chia is not here. Mr Heng Chee How.

Crimes Committed against Senior Citizens

Mr Heng Chee How: Madam, last year, I brought up the question of crime against the elderly and asked whether or not perpetrators of such crime should be subjected to heavier punishment when the victims are the elderly. I said that because I wanted to push for some kind of deterrence, so that they do not home in on this vulnerable group.

With the population aging in Singapore , the number and percentage of the elderly will increase over time. That is a fact. I think we do have to do more to better protect this group, or to do more to deter criminals from picking on the elderly as an easy target. I continue to see reports of crimes against the elderly, whether they be cheating or robbery type of crimes. Many of the victims, as we read in the news reports, are not very well educated. Therefore, whilst we can continue with our crime prevention education and reach out and try to explain to our elderly how they can better protect themselves by taking sensible measures in terms of crime prevention, I think there is also a realistic limit to these efforts. Therefore, it remains for us to find additional ways of sending a clear signal to criminals who pick on the elderly as their victims in order that they may be

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deterred from this. And I urge the Ministry to consider such measures seriously.

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): Madam, I share the sentiments of Mayor Heng. I just like to reinforce the point that there is an increase in vicious assaults against older persons or senior citizens when they are victims of crime. In this regard, I wonder whether the public education efforts have to go beyond just telling them to be wary, not to wear expensive jewellery or how they should move around in the lifts, and whether we could actually guide them with some kind of personal alarms, like for women who have alarms that can let off a siren or whatever, and whether better design features can be built into the apartments, corridors and lifts. I think the increasing aging of our population means that this is going to be a very serious problem in time to come. I am just wondering whether we could redouble our efforts in looking into this area.

Youth Crime

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Madam, the current crime statistics show that there has been an alarming rise in youth crimes. What is significant in the offences that have been committed are shoplifting and rioting. It seems that an increasing number of youths these days are engaging in theft to keep up with the times. They want to be seen to be cool and fashionable. At the same time, there are apparently more street gangs and rioting is up. Many law-abiding citizens have reported to Town Councils, the Police and MPs that there are groups gathering around in void decks and so on.

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This is a particularly unsatisfactory state of affairs.

I understand that there is an inter-Ministerial task force looking into how youth crime can be tackled. And they have actually gone all the way down to cooperation from schools and other institutions. But it seems that the results are not there to be seen, because we do not seem to be able to control this rise in youth crime. Have there been any new strategies that the task force has come up with? We do not seem to be able to nip the problem in the bud. How should we look at the new ways of dealing with youth crime, rather than looking at the usual ways of informing school children and so on? This does not seem to have been effective.

The Chairman: Order. It is 6.30 pm .

Thereupon Mdm Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Madam, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2004/2005, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.

Mdm Deputy Speaker: So be it.