HEAD P - MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

Column: 1297

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head P - Ministry of Home Affairs (cont.) ---

Resumption of Debate on Question [11th March, 2004],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung].

Question again proposed.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Sir, may I just respond to some of the points raised by Members concerning homeland security and terrorism yesterday before we adjourned.

Sir, international terrorism remains a significant threat to global security in spite of increased efforts by many countries, including Singapore, to combat terrorism. Al-Qaeda is believed to retain the capability and intention to mount terrorist attacks, and its ability to inspire like-minded terrorist organisations and radical individuals to become instruments of terror has not diminished.

Terrorist attacks remain unabated. In May last year, suicide bombers attacked residential estates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing heavy casualties. Six months later, suicide bombers struck Riyadh again, also targeting innocent civilians. Just yesterday, the European Union experienced its worst terrorist attack in recent history in the Madrid train bomb blasts. These attacks not only underscore the ruthlessness of terrorists in their determination to harm innocent civilians, but also demonstrate the extent of our vulnerability. In addition to attacks on land, the possibility of a major aviation or maritime attack by terrorists, which will result in severe loss of human life and dire economic consequences, cannot be ruled out. Terrorists have even explored the use

Column: 1298

of chemical and biological weapons in attacks.

Sir, closer to home, terrorist organisations like the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf Group continue to pose a significant threat to security in our region. The suicide bombing attack of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in August last year is a case in point, as it is the worst attack in the country since the suicide attacks in Bali in 2002. "Soft targets" remain the greatest risk of another attack, as terrorists, who are constantly on the look-out for opportunities to carry out their operations, face more obstacles in targeting hard or heavily fortified targets like embassies. The Philippines continues to experience sporadic incidents perpetrated by suspected militants, while southern Thailand recently faced a spate of attacks early this year beginning with a raid on one of its military armouries.

Mr Ravindran has asked for an assessment of the terrorist threat faced by Singapore. Terrorism still poses the gravest threat to our country's security. Singapore remains a prime target for attack. The regional JI terrorist group has not been eliminated despite the arrests of key JI terrorists like Hambali and Arifin Ali and our crippling of the local JI network through a series of security operations that began in December 2001. The most recent one was the January 2004 detention of two more JI members and the placing of restriction orders on 12 Singaporeans.

JI militants, like Azahari Husin (who is an expert bomb maker), Noor Din Mohd Top, Dulmatin and Zulkarnaen remain at large, and are reportedly planning more terrorist attacks. Another concern is that the JI has shown itself to be a resilient organisation, which is already grooming its next generation of leaders and operatives. This is evident in the recent discovery of the JI "Al Ghuraba"

Column: 1299

(foreigners) cell in Pakistan in September 2003. What is more disturbing is that the arrests in Pakistan indicate that the next generation of JI leaders, if they are not stopped in their tracks, would be "better educated" and better trained. They would have undergone a more structured religious indoctrination at radical madrasahs, and trained with established foreign militant groups like Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Moreover, the fact that the JI has gone beyond Southeast Asia into South Asia demonstrates its resourcefulness and ability to network with other terrorist groups.

Mr Ravindran also asked about our state of readiness in preventing terrorist attacks in Singapore. We are well prepared. Till now, we have been able to stop planned attacks by using a combination of good intelligence, international cooperation and security measures, which we review regularly to keep pace with the changing conditions.

Mr Ravindran also raised the issue of whether our security agencies have become better at sharing intelligence. Intelligence sharing is not new. After September 11, we strengthened our inter-agency cooperation on counter-terrorism. A Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre, hosted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) and the Security Intelligence Division (SID), was set up to provide intelligence assessment on terrorism. ISD's Counter-Terrorism Research Division maintains a round-the-clock website for the security and intelligence community in Singapore. This website houses a terrorism database and postings of the latest terrorist threat alerts and information for immediate dissemination to all significant parties who need to know.

Sir, let me update the House on some of the key measures we have taken to strengthen security. First, we have imposed 100% security screening of visitors and vehicles entering Singapore

Column: 1300

by land since March 2003 to prevent terrorist infiltration and the smuggling in of arms and explosives. We make good use of technology to ensure effective checks, despite the heavy volume of visitors and vehicles. For example, radiographic scanners are deployed to screen sea cargo at PSA sea terminals at Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang. We will buy more such scanners to beef up our cargo screen capacity at our checkpoints.

Second, we have enhanced security for critical installations and "hardened" "soft targets" in Singapore. Recently, enhanced security measures were taken at areas where large numbers of people congregate, such as Mohamed Sultan Road, to minimise the possibility and impact of bomb attacks.

Third, we are acting to deter terrorists from mounting unconventional attacks in Singapore. Licences are now required for the import, transport and storage of flammable substances such as magnesium and hydrogen over a certain threshold quantity. We have also taken steps to prevent terrorists from gaining access to dual-use goods like explosive precursors, radioactive substances and toxic materials. A security review of critical biological laboratories has been carried out to reduce the likelihood of terrorists getting hold of highly contagious pathogens from the laboratories in Singapore.

Dr Mohamad Maliki has asked if the enhanced security measures have affected the productivity at our checkpoints. In the current global security environment, Singapore is not the only country that must balance efficiency with security needs. With the ongoing terrorist threat, we must build security considerations into the way we conduct commerce and businesses. Members may recall that last year, I informed the House that as we stepped up security checks at our checkpoints, some inconveniences

Column: 1301

might be experienced during peak hours. But the occasional inconveniences are but a small price to pay to enhance our security. Let me add that our officers at the border control points have done very well in responding to the added security demands placed on them.

Sir, the Government has done much to protect Singapore against terrorist attacks. But the war on terror is a shared responsibility between the Government and our people and businesses. Everyone must be aware of the terrorist threat and play his part in fighting terrorism. In the White Paper on the JI that we tabled here last year, the Government had asked Singaporeans to approach the authorities if they were aware of terrorist or other suspicious activities. I am pleased to report that Singaporeans have indeed become more alert. Last year, the authorities received some 120 calls, that is, one call every three days, from members of the public about suspicious people or vehicles. Such efforts increase our chances of busting yet another terrorist plot or attack.

It is also important to strengthen our social cohesion and resilience as a society, so that Singaporeans are strong enough to carry on with their lives, even if a terrorist incident were to take place. To achieve this goal, my Ministry works closely with other agencies, such as MITA, which drive mass-awareness programmes and public education efforts like the "Anti-Terrorism Preparedness Workshops" at the constituency level.

The Home Team is also engaging the community directly on security issues. For example, we have conducted nearly 1,000 briefings to build awareness of the terrorist threat and encourage everyone to assist the Government in combating terrorism. For the business community, in particular, the briefings seek to increase

Column: 1302

their security awareness and encourage them to take ownership of their own security. After the Jakarta Marriott Hotel bombing last year, about 300 CEOs and senior management of hotels and major commercial buildings were briefed, and given a security handbook "Guide to Securing Your Organisation's Security". I was encouraged to note that our efforts had been effective when I read a Straits Times' article on 10th December last year that hotels were treating the terrorist threat seriously, and were beefing up security on their premises. Some had set up clusters to coordinate anti-terror responses, while others had implemented security measures like restricting parking at critical frontages or erecting anti-charging barricades to deter vehicles from charging in.

For the general community, our efforts are aimed at educating everyone about the security threat and the measures that they can take to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) plays a key role in these efforts. It has refocused the theme of its Community Emergency Exercises to prepare the community for a terrorist attack. It has also enhanced the role of its civil defence volunteers. The Home Team, together with the People's Association, will build on the network of civil defence volunteers, in rolling out a new grassroots programme to prepare residents to deal with such emergencies as infectious disease outbreaks, water shortages and bomb blasts. I am pleased to note that the idea of forming teams to deal with emergencies was suggested by the grassroots leaders themselves - it indicates that our efforts to involve the community in security are making good progress.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force formally introduced the In-place Protection Procedure to public housing during Civil Defence Day in September last year, to help residents protect themselves against

Column: 1303

a hazardous materials release or terrorist attack. The in-place protection procedure is being progressively extended from residential buildings to commercial and industrial ones through their Fire Safety Managers. In January this year, the occupants of some 13 commercial buildings around the Raffles Place MRT station successfully exercised the in-place protection procedure during a multi-agency exercise simulating the release of a chemical agent within the station. The SCDF will engage more companies this year to guide them in designing in-place protection plans.

The Police also engage the community on security threats. They have distributed information pamphlets on counter-terrorism responses and instituted target-hardening mobilisation exercises. To-date, 51 Security Watch Groups, comprising representatives from

357 buildings, have been formed to encourage private building owners and security managers to implement target hardening measures.

11.15 am

Dr Mohamad Maliki asked whether we use a colour code in our public alert system like some other countries, for example, the United States . No, we do not. Instead, we inform those who are the potential target of a terrorist attack directly and quickly so that they can swiftly take the appropriate preventive and protective measures. This approach has served us well. It ensures that we do what we need to do, without generating unnecessary anxiety among the general population. If not, every time we raise a code, people get anxious; we bring it down, they will say, "Times are back to peaceful time again", and so on. That would cause a lot of anxiety to our population.

Although our security measures are resource-intensive, I would like to assure Prof. Chin and the House that our success

Column: 1304

on the terrorism front has not come at the expense of Police law enforcement duties. The Police has made the organisational adjustments to meet the surge for manpower, for example, by increasing recalls of operationally ready National Servicemen and deploying officers in staff positions to operations. I would elaborate on this later on.

Sir, international cooperation is a vital component in the fight against terrorism because terrorism is a transnational problem which no country can fight alone.

My Ministry has been sharing intelligence about terrorist identities, movements and activities with other countries. This has contributed to several successes, such as the arrest of the JI members, like Hambali, Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, Arifin Ali and the Singapore JI leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, in our neighbouring countries. Arifin's arrest had in turn led to the discovery of a terrorist plot to bomb certain embassies and targets in Bangkok , and the Singapore Embassy was one of those targets. This gave the Thai authorities the lead to investigate and arrest the culprits before they could complete their planning, thus averting a tragedy.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked about our cooperation with the Malaysians and the Indonesians. I wish to inform Members that cooperation with the Malaysians has been invaluable in our efforts against the JI. The Malaysians were the first foreign intelligence counterparts that ISD alerted on the JI case. We gave law enforcement officers from Malaysia and Indonesia access to our JI detainees to assist them in their investigations. We also assisted the Indonesian authorities in their prosecution of cases by allowing the detainees they had interviewed and who were willing to testify through video-conferencing at the trial of Abu Bakar Bashir.

Column: 1305

International cooperation is critical also in the area of aviation security. Our air marshals are operationally ready and are flying to selected countries, providing security cover to our national carriers. This arrangement allows us to meet foreign demands for protection for our national carriers flying to other countries. We are also working towards developing a protection system for our airlines against the threat of surface-to-air missiles.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon asked what my Ministry has done to deal with the threat of maritime terrorism and piracy. Mdm Ho Geok Choo has also asked on the extent that our Police Coast Guard (PCG) has beefed up its resources.

Within Singapore waters, Sir, the Police Coast Guard undertakes law enforcement and security policing. Mdm Ho would be assured to know that the PCG has increased its manpower establishment by 134 permanent posts, so that the security operational deployment within our Singapore territorial waters will be strengthened. PCG has also developed projects to boost its training and operational capability. These projects include enhancing surveillance and monitoring capabilities, and buying new training simulators to improve the realism and the scope of training options for our PCG officers. All these projects serve to improve the effectiveness and professionalism of our PCG officers. The PCG will continue to upgrade its capabilities to face new challenges. On the landward side, the security of facilities serving maritime assets has also been enhanced.

The Police Coast Guard's strong enforcement efforts have been highly effective. One measure of success is that since 1990, there has been only one reported sea robbery incident within our Singapore waters. We have also received

Column: 1306

intelligence that the stepped-up measures to safeguard our territorial waters have made it difficult for human smuggling syndicates to convey illegal immigrants to Singapore by sea that they now have to resort to asking the illegal immigrants to swim to our shores under the cover of darkness.

Sir, we have also taken a serious review on our port security. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is implementing security measures to meet the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) newly introduced International Ship and Port Facilitiy Security (ISPS) Code. In the pipeline are other proposals like the need for all vessels, including Singapore registered small craft, to be fitted with transponders to let authorities identify them electronically. This is beyond the IMO requirement for identification transponders for vessels above 300 gross tonnes.

Nonetheless, Mr Yatiman and Mr Tan Soo Khoon correctly pointed out that there has been an increase of piracy attacks, and a real risk of terrorists collaborating with pirates outside Singapore territorial waters, especially in the Straits of Malacca. This is a vital waterway not only for us but also to the world. International and regional cooperation is key to preventing terrorist attacks and piracy and ensuring the safety of our sea lanes. One international initiative to address piracy is the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy in Asia (ReCAP). All ASEAN nations, Japan , China , Korea , India , Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are working under ReCAP to set up an information network and a cooperation regime to prevent piracy and armed robbery against ships in the regional waters. We have worked closely with our neighbours too. One such example is the IndoSin Coordinated Patrols, a bilateral anti-sea robbery cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia , involving both the navies and police coast guards.

Column: 1307

Mr Yatiman Yusof and Mr Tan Soo Khoon also mentioned the dire consequences if a tanker were hijacked and used as a bomb as it is piloted towards our shores. To minimise this threat, vessels deemed to be of higher risks must give a 24-hour advance notice of their arrival, and are required to move along specific designated routes. Their movements are closely tracked using our Vessel Traffic Information System and the Automatic Identification System by the MPA. As a deterrent, the Navy also carries out selective escort of high value or high risk vessels through the Singapore Straits.

As piracy attacks and maritime terrorism grow in sophistication and complexity, we need to adopt a multifaceted approach on maritime security and to strengthen our linkages with the Government agencies. I would like to assure the House that my Ministry works closely with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport, the Maritime and Port Authority in maritime security. DPM and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tony Tan, recently announced the creation of a high-level Maritime Security Task Force to tackle piracy and to further strengthen our maritime security. The Task Force has identified a number of preliminary tasks, including strengthening multilateral cooperation, enhancing coordinated patrols and other operational measures to deal with the issue of maritime terrorism, and enhancing law enforcement to deal with piracy.

Sir, the Government has put in place a strategic National Security Framework, which enables strategic policy coordination and intelligence sharing among the Home Team, MINDEF, SAF and other Government agencies involved in security and counter-terrorism. This synergy, among these agencies, has been greatly enhanced since September 11, with the creation of new outfits, such as

Column: 1308

the National Security Task Force, the Homefront Security Office and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. These structures enable us to integrate our counter-terrorism efforts and streamline coordination between MINDEF, MHA and other Government agencies. Nevertheless, DPM and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, Dr Tan, is currently leading a review of our Strategic Framework for National Security to make our policy coordination and intelligence sharing even more seamless and sustainable in the long term.

Within my Ministry, we have reviewed our operational coordination framework to dovetail the overall strategic framework review. Sir, since 1978, the Government has an inter-agency management structure called the Executive Group (EG), which is tasked to manage all civil security-related incidents. The EG is headed by my Ministry comprising the Permanent Secretaries of Ministries and Chief Executive Officers of statutory boards. It has been successfully tested in such crises as the rescue efforts when Hotel New World collapsed in 1986, and the hijacking of SQ 117 in 1991. It has met regularly over the years to discuss contingency plans for managing crisis situations for a wide range of scenarios including terrorist bomb explosions, hostage situations, aircraft hijacks and civil emergencies, like building collapses and air crashes. More recently, the EG was activated to help the Ministerial Committee to manage the SARS crisis. It is currently maintaining an oversight on the Avian flu situation, and coordinating the inter-agency contingency plans to handle an outbreak, if one should occur in Singapore .

Sir, my Ministry has reviewed the crisis management structure in order to improve it. The Ministerial Committee, which I chair as the Minister for Home Affairs, will be formalised as part of our crisis management framework. It will

Column: 1309

provide policy guidance during a national crisis. The Ministerial Committee will be named the "Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee", while the Executive Group will be renamed the "Homefront Crisis Management Executive Group" and its scope expanded to deal with all civil contingencies, including security related ones. Multi-agency subgroups that report to the Executive Group can be formed, where necessary, so that cross-agency issues can be coordinated and resolved quickly. A Homefront Crisis Management Centre will be established to support the Ministerial Committee and the Executive Group to maintain the latest situation pictures and perform horizon scanning of emerging potential threats. The enhancement to the crisis management structure will enable my Ministry to plan for contingency responses more holistically.

11.30 am

Sir, our multi-pronged strategies and integrated approach towards security have thus far kept the threat of terrorism at bay. The right against terrorism will be for the long haul because terrorism has become a global and regional phenomenon. Dr Mohamad Maliki would be happy to hear that we will continually adjust our strategies to suit changing conditions and seek international cooperation

to narrow the space for terrorists to operate. However, whilst the Government can take all the necessary measures, we need the public and the business community to be firmly with us as strategic partners in the fight against terrorism. I am confident that we can win this fight, just as we have overcome the deadly SARS with our tenacity, determination and unity.

Youth Crime

Mr R Ravindran (Marine Parade): Sir, when the police force recently released

Column: 1310

the crime statistics for 2003, I noticed that there was a slight increase in youth crimes. I am very concerned whenever there is a rise in youth crime because, if we can check youth crime, we will prevent many youths from progressing to become adult criminals.

As such, I would like to ask the Minister whether any study has been done to identify the causes, and also to develop new strategies to deal with youth crime. In particular, I would like to ask whether many of these crimes are related to gang activities. I would also like to ask the Minister how MHA deals with schools, the community and families to help youths to prevent them from committing criminal acts. How does the MHA deal with youth offenders? Do all youth offenders get charged in court or do they get warnings and are given a second chance, because we do not want to spoil the future career of youths by charging them at a young age and getting a criminal record? What is the approach in dealing with youth offenders?

Mr Ahmad Khalis Bin Abdul Ghani (Hong Kah): Sir, in addition to the questions from the speaker before me, can the Minister enlighten us on the trends of crime involving youths, say, for the last few years? Is it true that more teenage girls are getting involved in gang-related activities? What are the lessons that we can learn from these trends and what efforts have been made to arrest such unhealthy trends? From the information culled thus far, are we able to have a profile of the youths who have a high risk of being involved in delinquency or crime? Having such a profile would enable the authorities to direct their efforts in a more effective manner and to take more preventive upstream measures. This should reduce the problem in the longer term. Is the Minister able to share with us the profile of such high risk groups? If the Minister is not disposed to do so, could he see whether the profile

Column: 1311

information could be shared in confidence with relevant persons, such as school principals or grassroots or community leaders?

As spoken earlier, there are other aspects to these issues besides legal enforcement. Delinquent behaviour could be related to family, social or school problems. Curbing delinquent behaviour among youths therefore requires the coordinated involvement of several parties, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports, schools and even parents. Would the Minister agree that such a coordinated and comprehensive approach would be more effective and, if so, are there efforts being made in this regard?

Mr Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar): Sir, building on the comments from the two colleagues who spoke before me, I also note with concern the rise in the figures for youth crime. I think it is important that we try to guide our youths on to the right path, so that they do not develop into adult criminals. In this connection, I would like to ask the Minister whether there has been any correlation between the increase in youth crime and the growing attendance of our young people at entertainment venues, and also whether or not there is a correlation between the increase in youth crime and the increased use of drugs by young people. I say this because, even as our society frees up, I think we have to strike a very good balance between allowing for more fun and not wanting to jeopardise the future of our young people, but at the same time maintaining the overall discipline of our society.

The Chairman: Proceed with your next amendment, Mr Heng.

Loan Sharks

Mr Heng Chee How: Sir, we hear regularly of the trauma that residents face

Column: 1312

as they are harassed by loan sharks. In many of these cases, the loan sharks harass those families because certain members of the family have taken loans from them and have not paid up on time and so on. At the same time, I also hear regularly of families whose members did not borrow from loan sharks, and those families include instances where they had purchased flats from other households, and then the loan sharks may be actually pursuing people who had borrowed from them but who had been members of the previous household, the one which had sold the flat to them. I also notice that there had been instances where it seems that different loan sharks pursue and harass these families, suggesting that the borrowers, after they had sold the flat, had continued to use the old identity card in order to take up new loans with different loan sharks, therefore, causing more harm and harassment for innocent parties.

In this connection, I applaud the stepped up efforts of the police in curbing loan sharking and in arresting the loan sharks. At the same time, I would like to ask the Minister whether more efforts are being done to track down these borrowers and, in particular, those who had borrowed using identity cards that have not been updated, and whether besides constituting an offence under the National Registration Act for not changing the address on time, there are other offences such people may have committed and therefore other penalties would then apply.

Auxiliary Police Force

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof): Sir, for many years, the CISCO and Auxiliary Police Force in Singapore have been known to be the major service providers for security services. Over the years, it has grown

Column: 1313

both in size and capacity. While we have seen other security service groups, such as the Airport Police and the PSA Police, entering the area, the very nature of these groups' operations which are confined within the geographical areas, has left CISCO to be the real monopoly in offering such services nation wide.

Sir, such services are not free. Over the years, we have found that the cost in hiring security service from CISCO has increased. Community and non-profit organisations organising major events, especially in open public areas are required to provide safety and security personnel to ensure public safety. They have no choice but to hire the CISCO police. I understand that for the last Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, the organiser had to fork out as much as $150,000 to pay for the CISCO service. The duration and scale of celebration are said to be the reason why they have to pay such a big amount. I wonder whether the continuation of this monopolistic situation is good for the public. As competition is known to lower the cost and improve the quality of service that will ultimately benefit the consumers, I think it is high time to allow new player or players into the field. This, I think, is the direction that we should take. I would like to strongly suggest that the Ministry help to initiate or facilitate the creation of a competitive auxiliary police service. I would appreciate the Minister's comment on this matter.

Quality of Security Guards

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, I am very heartened to hear from the Minister this morning about his Ministry's very integrated homeland security policy and its very comprehensive series of measures to deal with the security threat. It is in this context that I am raising the question

Column: 1314

over the quality of security guards that we have.

Traditionally, security guards are employed to safeguard properties and premises and the safety of people in such premises and at events. Now, of course, they should actually form part of a new vital link in our anti-terror efforts. What are the various policies and regulations that we have pertaining to the recruitment, training and monitoring of service standards of the security guards that we see so prevalently in shopping centres, condominiums and other places? Are they appraised and brought into this whole Home Team effort, so to speak, so that we can also rely on them for preventive as well as remedial action? In this regard, are there national standards in the recruitment, training and service quality of this category of personnel? And are these standards adequate in today's security-conscious environment?

Citizenship Policy

Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Sir, I had prepared a speech urging the Minister to amend provisions in the Constitution on citizenship by descent to ensure gender equality for both Singaporean men and women. I had also taken quotations from speeches made by Members in this House, from Dr Kanwaljit Soin in 1994, several other MPs through the years, and from Ms Irene Ng who made a speech on this subject just last year. However, DPM Lee's response to Dr Amy Khor's speech on Wednesday had made my speech really redundant. It now leaves me just to request the Minister for details as to when the constitutional amendments will be made, and could the Minister also explain the circumstances which led the Government to change its position on this issue. Perhaps, hon. Members would benefit by getting an insight into how sacred cows or "scared bulls" get slaughtered in Singapore.

Column: 1315

Dr Jennifer Lee (Nominated Member): Sir, similarly, as with Mr Charles Chong, I was very happy to hear DPM announce that the Government has decided finally that the children born overseas of a Singaporean mother and a foreign father will be accorded citizenship by descent in the same way as children born overseas to a Singaporean father have been all these years. This is in fact the only tenable decision possible in this day and age if we are to claim to be a modern and progressive society.

While the absolute numbers of children to benefit from this may be small, the significance of the change is huge, as it heralds the recognition that Singaporean women are not second-class citizens. I would like to acknowledge the Minister's efforts in presenting a persuasive argument to Cabinet to move them to this decision and, as with Mr Chong, I would like to ask when we can look forward to the constitutional amendments that will enable this. I trust that there will not be any remaining conditions which will continue to differentiate between the citizenship rights of Singaporean men and women in this matter.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, many Members have spoken on the rising crime rate and expressed concerns on specific areas concerning law and order, youth crimes, crime against the elderly, and so on.

Let me first touch on the overall crime situation so that we can all see this in perspective and not just look at little peaks from time to time on specific issues and then get too concerned about it. Of course, we are very concerned about every increase and every aspect of crime. I will deal with them one after another later on.

On the overall crime situation, last year, the total seizable offences increased by about 5% to around 33,600 compared

Column: 1316

to the year 2002. The corresponding increase from 2001 to 2002 was 10%. That means that we increased at a slower rate. The increase was mainly attributed to increases in offences, such as drink-driving, housebreaking, cheating and related offences. The increase was also due in part to the intensified policing efforts which resulted in more arrests. Last year, nearly 24,000 persons were arrested, an increase of about 8% over that of 2002. These figures should, however, be seen in the context of an overall declining crime rate since 1988. The crime rate in 2003 is still lower than that in 2000. It works out to about 800 crimes per 100,000 population, a figure lower than that in many other parts of the world. Singapore remains a safe place to live, work and bring up families. As I have said, even during times when the crime rate was falling, the reality is that the crime rate will go up and down from year to year. It will fluctuate. Whichever way it goes, the police will continue to take effective steps and work with the community to keep Singapore safe and secure. Keeping Singapore safe and secure is not just the primary responsibility of the Police. As it is with the issue of counter terrorism, all Singaporeans have a part to play.

On crimes against the elderly, Sir, a few Members expressed concern over crimes committed against the elderly. In year 2003, there were 104 elderly victims of robbery, a slight increase from the 95 cases in 2002. Many of these were actually committed by two serial offenders. One of them was responsible for over 50 cases of robbery, most of which were committed against elderly persons. The number of elderly persons who were cheated also rose from 63 to 87 last year.

11.45 am

Although these numbers are small when compared to the 389,000 elderly

Column: 1317

persons in Singapore - by that, I mean those who are aged 60 and above - Police views such crimes seriously and will spare no effort to track down the perpetrators. In 2002, Police noted a spate of robbery, snatch theft and cheating cases committed against the elderly. Only 21% of the cases were solved at that time. Police quickly intensified its crime prevention and public education efforts. This bore some results as Police managed to solve half of such cases last year.

Mr Heng Chee How suggested prescribing tougher penalties in the law for those who commit a crime on an elderly person. The Member no doubt drew this idea from the enhanced penalties we have for specific offences in the Penal Code when these are committed against a domestic worker by the employer or member of the employer's household. These provisions were introduced as domestic workers are kept in the confines of their employer's home and isolated from the rest of the community for most of the time. This makes them more vulnerable to being abused by the employer. But the situation is slightly different here for the elderly, for the young and so on. Besides the elderly, there are also other vulnerable groups such as young children, the handicapped and people with mental deficiencies who may be vulnerable and fall prey to crime. Do we then prescribe heavier penalties for offences committed against these groups of people? The answer must be no, we should not do that.

A better and more pragmatic approach is that, at the prosecution level, when the case is being put up in court, the prosecution will ask for a deterrent sentence, after taking into consideration the various aggravating factors, including the circumstances in which the crime was committed. That is a better approach. In

Column: 1318

other words, if there are reasons why a deterrent sentence should be asked for, an offence, which has been committed against an elderly person or a young child, then it will be up to the prosecutor to make his case for a deterrent sentence. This will give flexibility in the application of the law. Let me give an example. In the case of a serial robber who preyed on the elderly, the offender was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane. Already, the prosecution knows what to do when there is a need to ask for an increased penalty.

Besides tracking offenders and bringing them to justice, the Police also works with other agencies to organise crime prevention activities. Last year, there were over 1,100 of such events reaching out to nearly 110,000 elderly persons. Those with elderly persons in their family can help by explaining the various crime prevention messages to the elderly.

Prof. Ngiam suggested that elderly persons be equipped with personal devices, such as sirens, like some ladies used to carry. These are already widely available. If the elderly want to use it, it is up to them to decide. Nevertheless, where the Government can help, it will, and it has already done so. For example, to deter people from committing robbery in lifts, CCTVs and lift doors with glass panels are already progressively introduced in our HDB estates. Members would have seen these in the newer estates and upgraded HDB precincts. I would encourage the private condominium developers to also do the same.

On youth crime, Sir, several Members have raised concern over the increase, in particular, shop theft and rioting. Several Members asked what is being done to address this problem. Last year saw a marginal increase of 5% in the number of youths arrested, from 4,441 to 4,658. This is a much smaller increase compared

Column: 1319

to the 61% increase from 2001 to 2002. Similar to the trends in the previous years, 60% of the youths were arrested for shop theft, simple theft and rioting. First-time offenders made up 70% while 74% were students.

Just like the overall crime rate, we should not read too much into these fluctuations. Mr Ahmad Khalis asked about the fluctuations in previous years and what were the figures and whether we share such information concerning the profile of these people. The fact is that, firstly, the figures can go up and down year after year. What is important, however, is to focus on the comprehensive slew of programmes and measures to deal with youth crime. This issue is coordinated and led by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Youth Crime (IMYC) chaired by Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee. This inter-agency collaboration provides a useful platform to examine important issues concerning juvenile delinquency and youth crime, and to discuss preventive measures to address these issues. The Committee comprises representatives from the Education Ministry, Community Development and Sports Ministry, key youth organisations like the NYC, and several other stakeholders. There are principals who are represented in that Committee as well. So the crime statistics concerning youth and their profile, their background, their socio-economic environment are all presented at the IMYC. They would then look at the profile and target the areas which they think we can do something about.

For example, the National Crime Prevention Council and educational institutions organised a series of Youth Crime Prevention roadshows for 198 educational institutions in the second half of 2003. The roadshows focused on theft, shop theft and rioting which were the crimes most commonly committed by youths, and aimed to impress upon

Column: 1320

students the adverse effects of committing crime and to inform them of the simple steps they can take to avoid the lure of crime.

The multi-agency approach has contributed significantly to slowing down the number of youths arrested. Youths arrested for shop theft fell by 5% last year. For simple theft, it increased by a smaller 18%, compared to the whopping 90% increase in 2002 and again, for rioting, it increased by 7%, compared to 78% than the year before that. Not all these rioting and other youth crime occurred in entertainment outlets, as Mr Heng suggests. It happened whenever there is an opportunity for crime, when they stared at each other and they did not like the face, they will start a fight. Sometimes, their youthful exuberance got carried away.

Mr Ravindran asked if all youth offenders get charged in court. The answer is no. First time offenders who had a minor brush with the law may be put on the Guidance Programme managed by the Ministry of Community Development and Sports. This programme helps to reform youth offenders by giving them a second chance. Upon completing the programme, the Police may caution the youth to stay away from crime, instead of charging him. I would like to assure the Member that Police officers are trained to deal with offenders of all ages, from youths to the elderly. The Police is also mindful of the need to handle young offenders sensitively. For example, young offenders are not put together in the same cell with other adult offenders when they are detained in the police station.

So what more can be done, especially in reaching out to the youths who are at risk of turning to crime? Let me just briefly mention some of the new initiatives under the IMYC. Police will work with the Ministry of Education to

Column: 1321

introduce electronic gaming as a channel of communication that youths can better identify with to drive home the crime prevention message. Police will also emphasise the seriousness of rioting offences by impressing upon our youths that they can be charged in court even if they are not fighting, but merely supporting their friends in the fight.

Other IMYC partner-agencies will also implement various preventive measures to fight youth crimes. For example, MCDS will enhance the capabilities of voluntary welfare organisations in school-based social work. MCDS will also be setting up a secretariat to coordinate the various programmes targeting out-of-school youths. The Minister for Community Development and Sports will elaborate on this in his Ministry's Committee of Supply.

Parents must also play their part, in other words, parents should not leave it to the school nor the Police to deal with their children. Parents must play their part by paying attention to the company that their children hang around with. Voluntary welfare organisations are also encouraged to come forward and work with the Government agencies to tackle the problem of youth crime. I would like to put on record my appreciation to the volunteers and there are many of them, but I will just name two - Elim Chew of 77th Street and radio personality, Danny Yeo, for putting together a book, "My Voice" to help bridge the communication gap between the youths and adults, and the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers, which intends to publish a book to explain the law simply to the youths. These are examples of how the many-helping-hands approach can be used to address the problem of youth crime.

Sir, Mr Heng Chee How spoke about the harassment by loan sharks. There

Column: 1322

was an increase of about 80% from 2,800 such cases in 2002 to about 5,000 last year. A small number of these were due to borrowers who had used their NRICs with the old addresses when borrowing from illegal moneylenders. For such people, when they are caught, they will definitely be punished for committing another offence. They are the ones who have moved homes and therefore did not change their address leaving the new owner the ordeal of having to deal with the loan sharks.

I can understand the frustrations and anguish of these victims. But there is no easy solution. Police's investigation and enforcement are often impeded because the debtors themselves are not forthcoming in providing the information. Indeed, in many instances, the debtor is a member of the family being harassed. In addition, the syndicates are careful to evade attention. It is difficult to catch them red-handed, short of having Police officers lying in wait for weeks in all these flats that have been harassed, and sometimes for months, to ambush the offender. Members would appreciate that this would be a waste of Police resources. Instead, what Police can practically do is to continue to conduct anti-loan shark operations based on intelligence, and targeting the syndicate leaders so as to cripple the entire syndicate. Last year, Police carried out about 580 operations, and arrested a total of 330 persons for illegal moneylending and harassment. This is an improvement over 287 arrested in 2002. Just last week, Police arrested 45 members of three syndicates in a major sting operation. They were believed to be responsible for more than 600 instances of harassment against debtors over the past 12 months.

12.00 noon

The Member also suggested having tough penalties for borrowers who did not change their addresses and continued

Column: 1323

borrowing. I fully agree with him. The penalties are already severe. A person who fails to change his address can be fined up to $5,000 and be jailed up to five years. When we come across such cases, the Police will press for a deterrent sentence. Last year, 48 offenders were investigated and those convicted were given fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 and imprisonment of 1-3 months.

On house-breaking, which was raised yesterday, Prof. Chin and Mr Charles Chong would like to know if there is anything more that the residents and the community can do to prevent house-breaking. Mr Chong was particularly concerned about the rise in the number of house-breakings in HDB flats. Many of these break-ins were committed by serial offenders in HDB flats and commercial complexes. About three-quarters of the break-ins into HDB flats were committed during the day. Most of the culprits forced open the sliding windows and grilles facing the common corridors. It would be overly simplistic to attribute this to a deficiency in the design of the HDB's grilles and windows. Rather, it shows that many Singaporeans pay scant attention to the security of their premises. They should secure their doors, windows and grilles properly with good quality locks. They can also install an alarm system to deter would-be burglars. Residents can take other simple steps, such as not leaving notes outside the home and cancelling all deliveries while they are away, even for a few days because these are clear tell-tale signs that there is no one at home. If residents need help they can always have access to the police who can give them crime prevention tips. In fact, crime prevention roadshows have been held from time to time in the community and I hope residents take a close look at them and see how they can prevent the crime being committed in their own homes. Clearly, and certainly, the residents themselves

Column: 1324

must take the initiative and not leave everything to the police.

Thirty-five Community Safety and Security Programmes (CSSP) have been formed to specifically address house-breakings in estates where house-breaking was prominently higher. I am pleased to note that quite a few of these have been successful and I just want to cite one example. In early 2003, two flats in Hong Kah North Zone 4 were broken into in separate incidents and a large amount of property was stolen. The residents came together with the Hong Kah North Zone 4 and the Bukit Batok Neighbourhood Police Centre to implement the Community On Patrol (COP). Residents and RC members conducted regular joint patrols in the neighbourhood and helped to spread the crime prevention message. As a result, no further case of house-breaking has since been reported in Hong Kah North Zone 4. The residents living there now feel safer. So, for those estates where residents feel that they are fearful of house-breaking crime in their own estates, please do something to help themselves.

Let me now move on to the topic of community policing which some Members have raised yesterday. Mr Ahmad Khalis asked how effective community policing has been. Since its introduction in 1983, community policing has served us well. There are three strengths of community policing. First, it brings together different stakeholders to address concerns of the society or neighbourhood which, if not tackled at their roots, may otherwise degenerate into crime. Second, the involvement of different stakeholders, and not just the Police, allows expertise, knowledge and resources to be brought together to tackle a problem. Third, the extensive involvement of various parties help to generate civil responsibility and a pro-social attitude and behaviour.

From 1989 when the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system was fully

Column: 1325

operational, the crime rate declined from 1,871 per 100,000 population in 1989 to about 800 per 100,000 population last year. The proportion of arrests for major offences with public assistance has also generally risen and currently hovers around 30% to 50%, which means that the residents' involvement in anti-crime as well as in the arrest of individuals who commit crime has been very encouraging. That is the kind of public-spiritedness that we want to see in our people.

Police officers and their CSSP partners are given training on how to formulate and implement community safety and security programme projects. We also recognise good community safety and security programme projects through the CSSP Awards. These best practices and experiences, accumulated through past CSSP projects, are then shared with their other community partners. This will help the new Residents Committees kick-start their CSSP projects. So, to answer the Member's point, yes, there is a proper and a structured framework for the implementation, monitoring and sharing of the community safety and security programme projects.

Mr Charles Chong also asked for an update on the CSSP. Last year, over 800 CSSPs were implemented in over 600 Residents Committees and Neighbourhood Committees, which shows that practically all our RCs and Neighbourhood Committees have got a CSSP of one sort or another. Not all CSSP projects are the same because the kind of problems that each estate and each precinct face may be different and, therefore, they have to identify what is needed in their own neighbourhood. The large and growing number of diverse CSSP projects, addressing a wide range of concerns and implemented with active support of residents, shows that CSSP is not an illusion. Nevertheless, my Ministry is well

Column: 1326

aware that numbers alone do not tell the whole story. CSSP activities that seek to raise safety and security consciousness, such as exhibitions on fire safety and crime prevention, are clearly necessary and useful. However, the true benefit of the CSSP can really be reaped only if Members are able to encourage residents in the community to play an active part in coming up with solutions to their own community's safety and security concerns, which means that they must take ownership of the problem that they face in their own constituency and find a solution to that with the help or resources of the Police.

Mr Ahmad Khalis asked if the Police is willing to intervene and to address the disparity and quality of CSSP projects in the different precincts. I would like to assure the Member that the Home Team will continue to support and assist the community to implement these projects. But I must stress that for these CSSPs to work, the strong support of the community is crucial. But we cannot even out the performance of all the CSSPs. Much depends on the leadership, as well as the enthusiasm and interest of the community leaders and the residents.

Prof. Chin suggested a unified approach instead of having different kinds of committees and structures in the neighbourhood to address emergency and crime, instead of having, for example, Emergency Preparedness Groups, Neighbourhood Watch Zones, Civil Defence Executive Committees and so on. The Emergency Preparedness Groups (EPGs) were introduced by the People's Association to lead and coordinate emergency preparedness activities of the various grassroots organisations, and to prepare the residents to deal with such emergencies as an infectious disease outbreak, water shortages, a huge fire, or even a bomb blast. The EPGs are deliberately formed under the Citizen's Consultative Committees because, being

Column: 1327

the apex of the constituency grassroots organisations, the CCC will have the necessary overview of the capabilities of existing grassroots organisations and the community resources. In this way, the EPGs are best positioned to leverage and assemble the appropriate package of resources to respond to different kinds of emergencies. While the various groups will continue with the regular programmes, for example, the Civil Defence Executive Committee (CDEC) will continue to deal with civil defence issues, and the Neighbourhood Watch Zone to deal with crime prevention, some of them may well have to build new capabilities to discharge new emergency roles.

Turning to the security industry and the training of armed guards, let me first touch on the issue of security guards' training as a few Members, like Prof. Ngiam, have voiced some concerns. We all know that security guards play an important role in ensuring security in the place where they guard. To complement our efforts in combating crime, Police will also continue to work closely with the security industry. I would like to assure Prof. Ngiam that we take the training of security guards seriously. To enhance the competency and standards of private security guards, the Police, SPRING Singapore, the Workforce Development Agency and the security manpower industry have jointly developed a set of skills standard under the National Skills Recognition System (NSRS). Under this framework, which was introduced in November 2002, security guards undergo a five-day course where they receive training on skills such as how to perform access control and patrols, preserve crime scenes and manage a bomb threat. On completing the course, they are required to pass a four-hour hands-on assessment conducted one-to-one by former law enforcement and military officers engaged by the Workforce Development Agency. From 1st March 2005, only guards who

Column: 1328

are trained and certified to be competent can be deployed as security guards. This is a licensing condition for all security agencies which they will have to comply with. That means, only those operating as security guard agencies will need to comply with this requirement.

But Prof. Ngiam also mentioned security guards in condominiums. Now the condominium guards are different. The condominium guards are employed directly by the condominium management corporation. It is no different from employing a gardener or a technician, and so on. So, if the condominium management corporation wants these guards to be trained, by all means send them for training. But the Police will take a step further to engage them, that is, by informing these management corporations the kind of necessary training that they need to perform their guard duties in their own condominiums.

The training of armed guards is a totally different matter. It is more robust. All armed guards, or what you call auxiliary police officers, carry weapons. They have to go through a mandatory six-week course conducted by CISCO. Their training syllabus is vetted by the Police. It includes training in physical fitness, protective security, police procedures, law, and the handling of firearms. They are also trained to manage bomb threats, deal with difficult persons, check suspicious items, vehicles and personnel and in the usage of equipment such as X-ray machines and metal detectors. The training is conducted by serving CISCO police officers with many years of ground experience and who have to be certified by Police as trainers. In other words, they are trained as trainers. At the end of their course, the trainees are assessed by the Police, and must pass a shooting test because they are handling arms, as well as a written and other scenario-based tests.

Column: 1329

Mr Yatiman asked if it is timely to introduce competition to the armed guards industry. Today, besides CISCO, there are six other auxiliary police forces that provide armed security services. However, as Mr Yatiman pointed out, they are only allowed to operate within specified locations, such as the airport or the sea port areas. Unlike these auxiliary police forces, CISCO can operate islandwide as it was formed way back in 1972 to take over from the Singapore Police Force the functions of providing armed security services to Government departments and commercial and industrial establishments.

Despite being a monopoly, the prices that CISCO charges have been reasonable. CISCO's prices have not risen over the years. Its current prices remain at 1997 levels due to its aggressive cost management measures. The example cited by Mr Yatiman, for the cost of engaging CISCO guards seems high only because of the scale and the duration of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown this year. The celebrations lasted 19 days, five days longer than last year, and it covered a much larger area. As a result, more guards were required.

Let me now address Mr Yatiman's queries about competition in the armed guards industry. With the increasingly challenging security environment, my Ministry has been looking at how to strengthen the armed guards industry. Later this year, the Ministry will table an Auxiliary Police Force Bill in Parliament to enable all auxiliary police forces, other than CISCO, to operate islandwide provided they meet certain conditions. This move will introduce limited competition to the industry, which we hope will raise standards and performance. This also means that community and non-profit organisations

Column: 1330

such as the ones Mr Yatiman mentioned would not be limited to engaging only CISCO guards when they need such services. With this development, we are hopeful that prices will come down. In the meantime, Mr Yatiman may wish to note that CISCO is reviewing its pricing tier for non-profit and non-commercial entities to see if prices can be lowered.

The proposed Bill will empower the Ministry of Home Affairs to mobilise any Auxiliary Police Force to support the Home Team during peacetime contingencies and other crisis situations. In other words, we can mobilise them. With these changes, we are confident that the armed guards industry will become a capable and competent partner of the Home Team in ensuring homeland security.

Now, Sir, let me address Mr Charles Chong's and Dr Jennifer Lee's question about citizenship. She asked what caused the Ministry to change. Well, times have changed. As times change, we review what we have done before and, therefore, now is the time to change because the situation has changed.

It is as simple as that.

12.15 pm

The Remaking of Singapore Committee, last year, also made a similar observation. Dr Amy Khor also raised this and DPM Lee has already given Members an idea of what the Government will do. The Government will review the citizenship provision in Article 122 of our Constitution.

Right now, Article 122 of our Constitution says that only male citizens can pass on citizenship by descent to the children born overseas. Children born overseas to female Singaporeans can acquire citizenship but by registration. It is not that female citizens with children born overseas cannot have their children

Column: 1331

registered as citizens. They can, but it is under a different Article - by registration and not by descent. Even though Singapore is customarily still very much a patrilineal society, we need to recognise that an increasing number of Singaporean men and women travel overseas to work, to study or to pursue their other personal goals. Correspondingly, there is an increasing number of Singaporean women who marry foreigners, and some may even start a family abroad. We recognise this new trend and we want them and their children to remain connected to Singapore . The Government has therefore reviewed this policy and will amend the Constitution to allow female Singaporeans to transfer citizenship by descent to their children born overseas. This, effectively, makes the grant of citizenship by descent gender neutral.

Related to this issue of citizenship by descent is that the Constitution currently does not allow a Singaporean citizen by descent to pass on citizenship by descent to his or her foreign born children. This is the current situation. The child can only acquire citizenship by registration. The intent behind this provision was that we do not want to end up with a generation of absentee Singaporeans who do not even know much about or feel for the country. Nevertheless, with the recognition that there are more mobile Singaporeans - more Singaporeans are now going abroad - we have reviewed this policy and will be amending the Constitution to lift the limitation on the transfer of citizenship by descent to one generation. However, the Singapore parent must demonstrate a nexus to Singapore . This will take the form of a residency criterion. The Singaporean parent must have stayed in Singapore for a stretch of at least two years within the five years before the birth of his or her child. This is similar to the criterion that we use for overseas voting for determining whether a Singaporean is eligible for overseas voting.

Column: 1332

Alternatively, the child can qualify for citizenship by descent if the parent had been resident in Singapore for a total of five years or more cumulatively over his or her entire lifetime up to the birth of the child. The Bill to amend this part of the Constitution will be tabled in Parliament by the end of this Committee of Supply.

I would like to emphasise that the Government values every citizen. The grant of citizenship by descent is one of the privileges that Singaporeans enjoy. However, I must stress that we should not take citizenship for granted. All Singaporeans have a stake in the nation's success and share a responsibility for the welfare of their fellow Singaporeans. Even with the changes, Singaporeans living and working overseas must continue to make an effort to ensure that they and their children remain rooted and committed to Singapore .

In conclusion, Sir, as I have covered quite a few areas this morning, I would like to summarise the key points of what I have said. Terrorism will remain as the most severe threat to our nation's security. However, the House can be assured that my Ministry will take all the necessary and practical measures to prevent a terrorist attack. We will ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place and we will continually review our contingency plans and crisis management mechanisms to meet the changing environment. The enhancements to the crisis management structure, which I have just announced, will be improved in tandem with the operational imperatives. We will also continue to work closely with regional countries and with the international community on counter terrorism cooperation. Nonetheless, there is no foolproof defence against terrorism. The population must remain vigilant and be prepared for the possibility of a terrorist attack. Together we can and must work to minimise the terrorist threat.

Column: 1333

We will also not let up in our efforts to keep the crime situation under control. Singapore remains a safe place to live, work and bring up the family. Our crime rate is one of the lowest in the world. But there will always be specific areas such as youth crime and crimes against the elderly which confront us from time to time. We will rise to the challenge and take all the necessary steps to nip the problem in the bud. The Ministry will keep abreast of the changing environment and, where appropriate, bring about changes to the laws and policies to keep up with the times. The proposed changes to the Constitution and the enactment of the Auxiliary Police Force Bill are just two examples. It bears emphasising that the community must also continue to play its role in ensuring the safety and security of Singapore .

I have outlined a few examples of how the community and the Home Team successfully brought together the expertise, knowledge and resources to address a particular issue, and I encourage more of such efforts. We will also leverage on the security industry to complement our counter terrorism and crime prevention efforts. Our security environment is constantly changing and getting more complex. We will continue to pay attention to the training of security guards. There will be no sacred cows, bulls or any animal.

The Auxiliary Police Force Bill that we intend to table before Parliament this year will further strengthen the armed security industry in Singapore so as to gear it up to meet the new challenges that lie ahead as a strategic partner of the Home Team. Together, all of us can make <Singapore a safe and secure home.

Penal Code

Mr K Shanmugam (Sembawang): Sir, the recent convictions under section 377

Column: 1334

of the Penal Code for oral sex offences have triggered public debate and concern. The convictions raised at least two serious questions. First, is whether oral sex should be considered a criminal activity; and, second, there is a principle of certainty in relation to the nature of this offence and the prosecution. I do not propose to deal with the first question. Whether oral sex should be criminalised depends on society's values and, ultimately, what this House decides. I am not, in this speech, touching on whether it should or should not be criminalised.

My focus is on the second issue. The question is quite fundamental. As we sit in this House today, do we know for certain whether oral sex will always in all situations be considered an offence and will it be prosecuted? Or does prosecution depend on a host of factors which we are not certain about? I ask this question against the backdrop of the recent cases, the public debate that followed and the explanations that have been put forward. A number of points can be made.

(1) The public debate confirms the conventional wisdom, which is that oral sex appears to be common amongst a not insignificant part of our society. Let us not shrink from acknowledging that. Facts have to be confronted squarely.

(2) There is a wide degree of prosecutorial discretion. The prosecution can choose which cases to prosecute. Indeed, the Hon. Senior Minister of State has confirmed in this House, in another context, the wide extent of that discretion.

(3) That results in some cases of oral sex being prosecuted while many would not be prosecuted.

Is this a satisfactory state of affairs? Should we have a situation where we believe that many are committing an

Column: 1335

offence but accept that the prosecution will prosecute only "deserving" cases? That derogates from a very basic principle that underpins our society, which is the rule of law. If it is an offence, then it should be made clear that there might be a prosecution in every case that comes to the notice of the police. Whether or not there is a prosecution should not depend on whether the offender is a policeman or whether his partner was 15 or 16 years old. These are factors relevant for sentencing. They are not relevant in deciding whether an offence has been committed in the first place.

The Chairman: Mr Shanmugam, could you hurry up with your amendment, please?

Mr Shanmugam: Last point, Sir. If it is an offence, it does not matter whether you are a Minister, MP, judge, police officer or a private citizen. It should be the same for all and it should not be a matter of discretion. I understand the law is being reviewed. Can we know when that review would take place? And whether, in principle, until then there will continue to be prosecutions?

Mr Charles Chong: Sir, the Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs told this House at the beginning of this year that MHA's review of the Penal Code would be completed in 2-3 months' time. As mentioned by Mr Shanmugam, of particular interest would be the possible reform of provisions dealing with so-called unnatural sex offences contained in section 377. While I am not known to be a cunning linguist, I will nevertheless try my best to convince the House that the current provisions are not in line with today's mores. A true crime must have a victim. It may be an individual, a corporation, and might even be a state. But I would contend that any form of safe sexual activity between consenting adults

Column: 1336

of full capacity in private surely cannot be considered a crime. Furthermore, it does not do us any favour to have crimes on our books that either cannot realistically be policed or, even worse, are selectively prosecuted, as mentioned by Mr Shanmugam. Of course, we have to draw the line somewhere. But our emphasis should be on the protection of those whom the law deems to be unable to protect themselves - the young and people of not full capacity being prime examples.

Sir, I was delighted that the Chief Justice took a very sensible view of the recent case of Anis Bin Abdullah in stating that the protection of the young was of paramount concern and that consent of victims below the age of 16 was to be disregarded.

Sir, I would also like to ask the Minister to review the Penal Code to make it more gender neutral. Section 498 of the Code, for instance, makes it an offence for a man to entice a woman away from her husband for the purpose of illicit intercourse. The penalty may extend up to 10 years in jail and fine thrown in for good measure.

Sir, I take issue with the suggestion that a man may be criminally liable for enticing away the wife of another man, while a woman who entices away the husband of another woman will have no sanction applied to her in the Penal Code. This surely flies in the face of our efforts to become a more gender equal society.

I also hope that the Penal Code review will deal with sections 366, 493 and 509 that appear to target only men. I am not advocating a reduction of protection for women in criminal law. All that I am saying is that while women are deserving of protection, the same levels of protection should also be extended to men, wherever applicable.

Column: 1337

Review of Criminal Laws

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): Sir, like old books, old laws are left in the books, passed by lawmakers long forgotten for reasons many of which are no longer relevant and appropriate to our present society. We forgot about them until, from time to time, someone is hauled before the court. The laws in our books about victimless sexual offences between two adults fall into this category. What takes place between two consenting adults behind close doors is increasingly being viewed as a private matter between them. The State should not come between them.

In this respect, Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee's reply to Mr Ravindran's question on 6th January this year that there has not been any prosecution for consensual oral sex in private between a male and a female for many years, except in justifiable cases, is no comfort. It merely means that the State retains the discretion to selectively prosecute some while turning a blind eye to others. These people are criminals in the eyes of the law. They are just not caught. So the message seems to be that as long as they are not caught, it is OK. This is definitely not a healthy attitude to the law that we should encourage in Singapore . Further, the recent case where the Chief Justice reduced the sentence of a convicted offender highlighted the disparity of penalties meted out under different sections of the Penal Code.

I urge the Minister to bring his review to a speedy conclusion and to decriminalise all sexual acts between consenting adults and to bring about a better parity between penalties under sections of the Penal Code.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast): Sir, the conviction of a male police corporal for oral sex with his wife's sister has

Column: 1338

aroused much public outcry recently. In light of it, it is timely to consider this question: should oral sex between persons of the opposite sex be criminalised? The public outcry suggests that oral sex between consenting persons of the opposite sex should not fall within the ambit of section 377 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224).

12.30 pm

I understand that judges are divided over this issue. The former Judicial Commissioner, Mr Amarjit Singh, was of the view that oral sex between a male and female does not come within the ambit of section 377 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224). But it is also my understanding that his decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal which prefers the decision of Justice Lai Kew Chai whose opinion is that oral sex between a man and a woman, which is performed as a lustful substitute for and not a prelude to and enhancement for natural sex, is carnal intercourse against the order of nature and punishable under section 377 of the Penal Code.

Sir, the recent outcry clearly suggests that this distinction, that is, it finally leads to intercourse, is absurd and untenable. What if one consenting party subsequently changes his or her mind about proceeding to have sexual intercourse after having had oral sex? What if the male experiences premature ejaculation while having oral sex? What if the female suddenly becomes frigid and would no longer proceed?

Oral sex itself is either a perverse form of sexual conduct or it is not. Its legitimacy cannot depend on whether it leads to full natural intercourse, in which case it is acceptable and lawful. Whereas it is perverse and unlawful, it does not lend to full natural intercourse. Therefore, such a distinction is untenable. The public outcry over the conviction of the police

Column: 1339

corporal, therefore, suggests that oral sex between a male and female is not perverse or depraved conduct. If this is so, then there is no reason to criminalise such a behaviour. In a letter to the Forum page of 4th March 2004 edition of the Straits Times , a writer Mathias Korber expresses mockery at the fact that a soldier who knocked down a cyclist while driving under the influence of alcohol only got a four-month jail sentence, whereas the police corporal got a jail sentence of one year for oral sex.

Sir, if the law is archaic, we should amend it so that the law will not be held in mockery and over time, will lose the respect of the public besides earning their ridicule. On the other hand, if indeed an amendment is passed, then how should we deal with the case where a man forces a woman to perform oral sex on him? Also, is there an age limit to be considered if both parties of the opposite sex are minors?

Sex with Minors

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam (Nominated Member): Thank you, Sir, for letting me speak on this topic.

Sir, the number of children who are abused is rising - 193 in 2002; 205 in 2003, of whom five were below the age of five. A third of these children, I am told, were sexually and/or emotionally abused. It is this last group that I am concerned with.

I would like to ask the Ministry if there is a special team to handle such cases where children are involved in such sexual offence against their will, of course. And if there is such a team, how are they trained? I am also told that the average length for such investigations is right now about nine months, putting the children through much psychological revisiting of their trauma. Can we streamline this

Column: 1340

process and shorten the investigation process in any way?

I would like to also ask the Ministry how do prosecution charges come to bear on the offenders in such cases. Let me explain. In some cases, it is incest, and in others it is statutory rape. I would like to know where the bloodline, in terms of the victim-offender relationship, really ends in certain cases.

The next question in relation to this is that, in some countries, these charges are turned into charges on paedophilac activities. In Singapore, I am just wondering why they remain as incest and statutory rape when it involves very young children. Is the sentencing structure in other countries stiffer for paedophilia, and is there any comparison? I would like to know if, in Singapore, the incest/statutory rape charges, when it comes to young children, are adequately stiff both in stigma and in sentencing as opposed to paedophilac charges of other countries. And why do we label them differently?

Lastly, I would like to ask for cooperation with Interpol when it comes to paedophiles who are passing through Singapore en route to other countries.

Drug Abuse

Mdm Halimah Yacob (Jurong): Sir, I am very concerned about two trends that are taking place in the drug scene in Singapore. First, there are now many more synthetic drug users compared to heroin abusers. In 2003, for instance, 54% of the drug abusers arrested took synthetic drugs. Among new drug abusers, an alarming 72% took synthetic drugs.

The second worrying trend is that the number of young people abusing drugs as a percentage of the total number of drug

Column: 1341

abusers continues to be high. In 2002, 28% of drug abusers were in their 20s. Last year, the figure had increased to 34%. For new abusers, those in their 20s, they continue to form the majority of new abusers arrested at 52%.

Sir, I am concerned over these trends as drug abuse is a terrible malice that causes wastage and death. I have seen some cases in my own constituency. Once trapped, they cannot get out of it. They cannot hold a job and their family life is torn apart. Despite our stringent laws to prevent drug peddling and drug taking here, I am concerned that our young continue to be attracted to drugs.

I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister how effective are our measures to fight drug abuse, particularly among the young. Are there any reasons for the huge increase in the use of synthetic drugs and what new strategies have been developed to deal with them? Has there been any in-depth research done to identify the causes of drug abuse in Singapore, particularly among the young? Are the synthetic drugs that are in the market manufactured here or are they smuggled from overseas? And what measures are in place to prevent the manufacturing of synthetic drugs in Singapore? Can some of the laboratories here, for instance, be used as a cover for the production of drugs? What public education programme has the Ministry embarked on, specifically targeted at warning young people about the dangers of synthetic drugs, as some were under the mistaken impression that such drugs are less deadly compared to the traditional drugs?

Expunging Criminal Records

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (Sembawang): Sir, this is my third COS

Column: 1342

debate, and I am making this cut many times. I know I am not the only one who has been raising this. Many Members before me have raised this matter at every COS debate. I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I suppose the matter is important enough for me to continue to pursue this cut.

Sir, we all know that persons who commit crime must pay their dues. Their freedom must be taken away from them; thus, the need to incarcerate them. The belief also is that society must be protected from them. But while we incarcerate them, we also rehabilitate them. But rehabilitation is not limited to the periods of incarceration alone. Upon release, they need to feel accepted and welcomed in society. Many struggled to get back on their feet because society, especially employers, views them with suspicion. Marriages have broken down due to the chronic instability in their lives. Innocent children suffer as a result.

Sir, we should help those who have shown grit and determination despite the odds. These are the people who have been able to resist the temptation of returning to crime when all else fails. But still we are already lagging behind in this.

I recently came across a resident whose criminal conviction (when he was 18 years old) prevented him from getting a job as a security guard. The relevant authority had apparently rejected his application. He is now near 50 years old. Some 30 years of leading a crime-free life, his criminal record is still held against him.

Sir, our employers must be more forgiving. Last year, DPM Lee told the House that the civil service has begun employing ex-criminals. Though the numbers are small, it is a good start. As a Government, we should really set the tone for the development of a more forgiving society, of course, not at the expense of public safety and security.

Column: 1343

The Senior Minister of State had on two previous occasions, in the COS debates, reported to the House that the Ministry is reviewing the Registration of Criminals Act, so that those convicted of minor offences will have their criminal records spent or expunged after a certain period, if they do not re-offend. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State on the outcome of that review. I hope we do not have to wait much longer for the review to be completed, so that this broken record need not be played again at next year's COS.

Sentencing and Prison System

Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair (Nominated Member): Sir, the sentencing system in Singapore appears to emphasise on deterrence as the most effective measure to deal with persons convicted of crimes. Whilst this may be one of the effective ways of dealing with convicted accused persons, one could ask: what happens to persons who are sent to prison, especially for a long period of imprisonment? I would urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the effectiveness of deterrence and long imprisonment sentences to serve the cause of justice.

Would it be better if shorter imprisonment terms are given, especially for first-time offenders, and coupled with long compulsory community service, including work in charitable homes, old folks home, hospitals, etc? This may make them better citizens rather than angry and frustrated people when they come out of prison. A task force could be formed, encompassing the Ministries of Home Affairs and Law, Attorney-General's Chambers, the courts, the Law Society and the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore, to analyse critically and carefully the best ways to deal with different people who are sentenced for different crimes.

Column: 1344

There are also other forms of sentences available which are seldom utilised by the courts. They are probation, conditional and unconditional discharges under the Probation of Offenders Act, reformation, rehabilitation and retribution. Our courts do not seem to exercise the discretion so willingly to adopt these forms of sentencing lately. Why is that? Are these dead letters in our statutes book? Do we have a strict court system that is overly deterrent-minded? Does it work well for our criminal justice system and the long-term interest of prisoners and our society? And, if so, is this the best route to take? Let us really analyse these things with impartial specialists in criminal law and sentencing, so that we come up with a better system of sentencing convicted persons.

There is also often talk, Sir, amongst criminal legal practitioners about the "yellow book" which guides the Subordinate Courts judiciary on the tariffs to be imposed in criminal cases. If so, should that book be made available to the public or, at least, to the criminal bar so that accused persons can be advised on possible sentencing for the crimes they have committed. This would save the courts' time. Is it in some ways superseding the written laws as Parliament has passed the punishment for each offence in the Penal Code and other criminal statutes in Singapore? Perhaps, it was all meant well for efficacy and sound management. That is all right. But, most importantly, it must be emphasised that Subordinate Courts judges must be given the full discretion within the law which Parliament has passed and, overall, there must be compassion and long-term reformation of prisoners when sentences are imposed on convicted persons.

We have a good and efficient prison system. Can we improve the prison system in Singapore? With the new Prison Complex to be located at Changi and

Column: 1345

which will be ready soon, there will be greater facilities available, I am sure. I do hope that a good system is in place for rehabilitation and reformation of prisoners.

The Chairman: Please wind up your speech, Mr Chandra Mohan.

Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair: Lastly, Sir, are there facilities within the prison for work-related activities and facilities for studies for prisoners? We must do our level best to give these prisoners a second chance in life. Perhaps the Minister could give us an update of the new Changi Prison Complex. There should also be better access for spouses, children, parents, siblings and relatives to see prisoners, so that prisoners would always be in touch with their loved ones, and this must be good and rehabilitative in nature.

Rehabilitation of Prisoners

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: Sir, firstly, I would like to commend the Ministry for moving into a more offender oriented approach towards the prisoners. The Singapore Prisons Service is now called Captains of Heart with an emphasis on rehabilitating, renewing and helping ex-offenders to restart. I would like to ask the Minister, in this aspect, the number of staff and the quality of the staff who have been retrained to take on this approach and to help offenders to rehabilitate. Where else have our prisons officers gone for training to cope with this approach? There is also

a customised recovery route under the Prisoners Housing Unit Management System and an Integrated In-care System. What are the details of these systems and what are some of the outcomes where prisoners' rehabilitation is concerned?

12.45 pm

In the current climate of job instability for some of our own citizens, could I also

Column: 1346

ask the Ministry how successful has the care network been since it was formed in 2001, I believe, in helping ex-prisoners to secure jobs?

Lastly, the last statistics on the relapse rate that I could find was one of 1977, concerning prisoners with criminal records covering five years, where the relapse rate was 30%. A search in the Library, both NUS as well as the National Library, did not turn up a similar research. Is it possible to look into good academic research area, if it has not already been done, to see how our prisoners are rehabilitated and to also look at lessons that we can learn?

The Chairman: Ms Indranee Rajah, you have two cuts. Can you take one after the other?

Stateless Persons

Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar): Sir, with respect to the first cut on stateless persons, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Ministry of Home Affairs has reviewed and looked into the status of stateless persons in Singapore . I have, for example, in my constituency at least two stateless persons, one who is quite elderly, and another one who is fairly young. I am particularly concerned, especially for the young one, because if a person is stateless, he or she is a lot more restricted in the ability to move. Perhaps, if the Ministry could inform us as to the status of their review and what could be done to redress the situation of these persons.

Legislation on Harassment

With respect to the next cut, Sir, legislation on harassment, I had first raised this issue in the COS debate in 2002. At that time, the Minister of State had indicated that this matter was being looked into. I would like to ask what is the current status of legislation on this

Column: 1347

issue. I am concerned particularly because there are many ways in which people can be harassed nowadays: one is stalking, another through e-mail, thirdly, through SMS. The legislation that we presently have does not appear to be adequate to deal with the advances in technology and the changing situation. So I would be grateful if the Minister could let us know the status.

Societies Act

Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair: Sir, it is commendable that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registry of Societies have taken positive steps lately in expediting matters like registration of certain societies under the Societies Act through the newly implemented Registry of Societies Electronic System (ROSES). It is also positive to know that there are better feedback sessions between the Ministry and Registry of Societies with our citizens, civic society organisations to improve the system and liberalisation of civic organisation activities.

In order to assist new societies, Sir, and the 5,000 odd registered societies in Singapore , may I suggest that certain payments be waived, or reduced, under the Societies' regulations. As it stands now currently, under the Societies' regulations, for instance, to register a society costs about $400, to change the place of business or registered society, $25, the name of a registered society, $55, etc. And also under the regulations, every application to inspect or to be supplied with a copy of or extract from any document from the Registry of Societies also requires some form of payment. For instance, inspection of a document is $35; search, $5 and copy of a document extract, $10 per page. Perhaps, these amounts could be reduced, if not, eradicated completely.

We must be more generous with our voluntary organisations. They are not rich

Column: 1348

like our state is. The electronic filing under the ROSES fees should be cheaper, or should be waived. Would the Ministry please consider my plea so that more activities could be created by volunteers without worrying about fees payable?

Sir, I would also strongly urge our Government to give more space and freedom to our civic organisations and non-governmental organisations to express their views, organise public forums, with no or minimal restrictions. The Police permits constantly asked for should be waived in most, if not all, cases, except very sensitive cases which affect peace and public security in Singapore . Let the responsibility lie with the management committees of these societies which are organising these functions. This will create more excitement and colour to our lives in Singapore . We must have more faith in our citizens, have the confidence even to allow them to be different and even to challenge the Government fairly on various issues. There are many volunteers who are genuinely interested in wanting to contribute and make the changes and improve Singaporeans' lives. Some of these have been roped in by the Government at the last elections to serve the country too. I wish them all the very best in high office.

Our Government seems to be opening up the last few years, and for this, we must thank the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet. More should be done with confidence and I am sure our people will respond positively.

Efficiency in the Police Force

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, last year, I had been very concerned about a spate of loan shark and arson cases in my constituency which had remained unsolved. I believe other Members may have similar experience in their constituencies. Such cases not only

Column: 1349

tarnish the physical environment of the neighbourhood, but they could also in turn lead to other crime, if not solved quickly. It has also affected people's confidence on the Police. I was glad to read about the successful Police operation which led to the arrest of loan sharks in several areas in Singapore . But my question is whether there is a performance indicator to measure how efficient Police would solve a case of crime. For example, how fast the Police will respond to a member of the public who makes a police report on crime? I believe that Police are trying to work within the resources available to tackle the crime situation. But the question is whether they can cope with the current operational demands.

Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, we know that the Police has had to deploy additional manpower towards protecting sensitive, vulnerable targets. Air marshals will also be drawn from the Police. In June 2003, the Minister for Home Affairs assured us in a Written Answer that the Police are able to handle the twin challenges of combating crime and preventing terrorism. However, a look at the crime situation over the last two years raises concern. Based on Police statistics, the total number of seizable crimes in 2002 was up from 2001 by 10% and in 2003, there was a further increase from 2002 by another 5%. There are also significant increases in street crimes, especially robbery, house breaking, snatch theft and cheating. I do not know how many more cases are unreported to the Police.

The Minister has earlier answered in this House that the increase in crime rate should be seen from 1988 as the trend has been declining. Sir, I am puzzled why from 1988. Based on his logic, why not from 1960? The plain fact is that the crime rate had increased 10% in 2002 and was increased again by another 5% in

Column: 1350

2003. Feedback has shown that people are beginning to question whether the Police is as efficient as before in maintaining a safe social environment. My concern is whether the Police has enough resources allocated to them, whether the operational readiness of the Police will be affected, especially with the 2% budget reduction for MHA this year. Is the Minister not concerned that resource constraint will further reduce the Police effectiveness in the light of the increased demands on them?

Role of the Police

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, I have a cut on the role of the Police. The role of the Police is quite clear to me. It is to keep the peace, prevent and to fight crimes, etc. But these days, the Police is also needed to combat terrorism.

In Singapore , there is an additional role of the Police and, that is, to escort RC members on their house-to-house visits. From this, three issues arise. One, whether the Police in Singapore is truly apolitical? Are they supposed to accompany grassroots members on their political work? It is political in nature because they associate themselves with support and also do the work for the PAP prospective election candidate in my constituency. Two, can a superior officer in an NPP order his junior officer to go on duty with RC members? Three, can a RC member give orders to a Police officer?

Police officers may not be trained to do this kind of work - going on household visits with RC members. They want to do real police work. If not, are they compensated to do this additional duty? A Police officer must be neutral and must be apolitical. The Police officers whom I saw went around on escort duty with the RC members and they were not carrying any crime prevention leaflets. They were not on their rounds to give the crime prevention message. Even if the Police

Column: 1351

officers were to visit households to convey the crime prevention message, surely they are trained to go on their own. They need not be accompanied by RC members.

Road Safety

Mr Tan Soo Khoon (East Coast): Sir, last year, there were a total number of 201 fatal road accidents. This is a slight increase over the 190 fatal road accidents in 2002. My concern today is with pedestrians, the second most vulnerable group after motorcyclists and pillion riders. Sir, there were 63 pedestrians who were killed on our roads last year. But what is most alarming is that one out of two pedestrians killed were over the age of 60 years. My question to the Minister is how can we focus our effort on this age group, bearing in mind that the older you get, you tend to be less nimble and less alert. I know that we have road safety outreach programmes. We work very closely with the community groups, such as the Singapore Action Group for Elders. But I believe that much more efforts can be made in this direction so that we can prevent more road deaths in the older age group.

Sir, this brings me to my second point and that has to do with jaywalking. I remember that, years ago, we used to take very firm action against jaywalkers. And, of course, a lot has to do also with the way we design our roads. Take, for example, the stretch of North Bridge Road , just in front of the Peninsula and Capitol Shopping Centres. Each time, when I drive past that stretch of road when I come to Parliament, I notice that there are a lot of pedestrians who just dash across the road, just because in this short stretch of road there are three bus stops. For some reasons, very few people are inclined to cross the road at the traffic junction, although the traffic junction is less than 50 metres from the bus stops. Perhaps, roads like this, we cold construct

Column: 1352

barriers to prevent people from haphazardly crossing the road and compelling them to use the traffic light junctions.

Sir, the last point I would like to raise pertaining to road safety has to do with the road works and even things like tree cutting along our roads, especially along the expressways. I think the contractors do place pylons to warn motorists of the danger ahead. As a motorist, I have come across many instances where there are so few pylons that you have to brake very suddenly or you have to switch lanes and this can in itself be a very hazardous act to other motorists who are driving behind me. My question to the Minister is whether there are any regulations to determine the number of pylons that must be placed or a minimum distance ---

The Chairman: Please speed up your speech, Mr Tan.

Mr Tan Soo Khoon: --- for warning motorists.

The Chairman: Dr Ahmad Magad, you have three cuts. Can you take them one after another?

Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Sir. I am taking road safety and pedestrian-first policy together, followed by traffic in school zones. Sir, building on what Mr Tan Soo Khoon has just said, the topic of road safety is becoming an increasingly perennial issue in this House. Pedestrians are increasingly left at the mercy of motorists and cyclists on our roads, car parks and even at pedestrian crossings. As a larger number of Singaporeans use public transport,

the Government needs to ensure that the free mobility and safety of pedestrians are at the top of the hierarchy of road users. In essence, it affects all of us also, as we too are pedestrians at some point in our journey. I would like to propose for the consideration of a

Column: 1353

balanced approach to divide and increase the responsibilities of road users among the three groups, namely, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.

1.00 pm

Pedestrian-first Policy

First, pedestrians. I suggest that we move pedestrians to the top of the hierarchy. Our present set-up places pedestrians behind motorists and cyclists in terms of getting the right of way, particularly on minor roads or in residential areas. We need to create an environment where motorists and vehicular traffic develop greater respect for pedestrians in such areas. I would like to ask the Government to review and improve current conditions to keep pedestrians within proper sidewalks to enhance their safety. This could be done by (a) improving and quickly restoring damaged sidewalks in various parts of the island; (b) broadening sidewalks in busy road zones to keep pedestrians off the road; and (c) to use more street walk signs to indicate proximity of crossings and forewarning poor crossing spots. In turn, there should be stricter enforcement action on pedestrians who disobey rules, such as jaywalking, as what Mr Tan had said earlier, across dual-lane carriageways, or those who fail to use pedestrian crossings properly.

Second, motorists. Aggressive driving starts with lax laws. Stop signs are becoming more and more irrelevant in Singapore, as motorists nowadays tend to not yield at stop signs and drive continuously without stopping. This increasingly dangerous practice poses a serious threat to pedestrians. In this regard, I would like to ask the Minister to consider stricter enforcement action on motorists, before more lives are lost due

Column: 1354

to this irrational act. I also feel that there is a need to calm traffic down in residential and some industrial areas. Too often, motorists behave as if the highway starts as soon as they move their vehicles from the parking lot and have no respect for the speed limit of pedestrians around them. I would suggest that we continue to find ways in calming and slowing traffic down in such environments. The present speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour may be relatively high, considering a 10-kilometre per hour margin. Perhaps, lower speed limits in high density environments could be considered to protect pedestrians. Another suggestion is to require headlights to be turned on round-the-clock when motorists travel in urban and high population density areas. This is implemented in Canada, and the results have been very encouraging. Turning on headlights in busy areas increases the alertness of people to approaching vehicles and improves their distance judgement.

Let me now turn to cyclists. I note, Sir, that cyclists too are increasingly posing a danger to pedestrians. They ride on pedestrian pavements, pedestrian crossings, in the parks, and do not stop for passengers alighting from buses. I have had a number of complaints from residents at my meet-the-people sessions complaining about irrational cyclists. The irony is that the police seems to be not too willing to take action on irresponsible cyclists. Where does the safety of pedestrians stand relative to cyclists? Do we have to wait for a fatal accident before the police would act? I have nothing against cyclists, and would like to encourage cycling as part of healthy lifestyle, but we need to make them more responsible and wary about pedestrians as well as their own safety. I would like to ask the Minister if stricter enforcement action could be taken by the police on errant cyclists in the interest of enhancing our overall road safety.

Column: 1355

Can I move on to the next amendment, Sir?

The Chairman: Which cut are you going to, Dr Ahmad Magad?

Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad: Sir, this is on the second cut.

The Chairman: You mean you were on your first cut all the time? It was a rather long first cut!

Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad: No, that was the first and third cuts. I am sorry.

The Chairman: Your second amendment, then.

Traffic in School Zones

Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad: Sir, the issue of accidents occurring at or near school zones came to the fore last year when two school children were knocked down and died in my constituency division, Pasir Ris East. Research has evidence that it is the design of the street rather than the posted speed limit that determines how fast people drive. Hence, apart from education and enforcement, engineering methods should be considered as part of a holistic approach to traffic calming. Changes in road surface, including changes in paving materials or colour can make the road appear narrower than it is and, therefore, can augment the visual message to tell motorists to slow down. The use of interlocking concrete blocks has been successfully applied in many European countries. These concrete pavers, available in various colours, effectively provide the visual and physical contrasts causing motorists to quickly react and reduce the speed of their vehicles. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider the use of interlocking block pavers in school zones, especially on roads leading to a pedestrian stop, to enhance the safety of our school children crossing within school zones.

Column: 1356

Civil Defence

Assoc. Prof. Ngiam Tee Liang: It is good to hear from the Minister earlier this morning of new developments in enlarging the role and functions of civil defence volunteers. It shows the Ministry's innovative and pioneering spirit in adapting existing resources to meet new needs and changing societal circumstances.

In this regard, I would like to ask if the Ministry could consider including in the training of CD volunteers basic nursing care in addition to learning of first-aid, so that these CD volunteers can, for example, assist Home Nursing Foundation nurses when these nurses visit discharged patients from hospitals and visit them in their own homes to follow up on their nursing needs. These discharged patients could be their own family members or their neighbours, eg, a single elderly person or an elderly couple living on their own where one of the spouses needs such nursing care. This would actually help enlarge the scope of CD volunteers, particularly where it comes to helping neighbours. The CD volunteers can play a useful role in promoting neighbourliness and, therefore, we achieve twin purposes. There is also the promotion of people sector involvement in encouraging family and community bonding. So, this is something new, but I hope the Minister could consider this and collaborate with the Home Nursing Foundation, for instance.

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee): Sir, let me thank the various Members for speaking. They have covered quite a wide area. I will take each area in turn.

First, let me take the cuts by various Members on the review of the Penal Code, in particular, review of the sexual provisions. This topic has indeed aroused some passion in this House. This

Column: 1357

question of oral sex is a topic of some interest to our Members. Some Members have indeed painted the situation in quite graphic terms.

Mr Charles Chong, in particular, asked about the review of the Penal Code. This is Mr Chong's favourite topic. He has asked it successively at each year's COS. Let me assure him that work is in hand. In fact, it is something that we want to complete. It is taking some time. But, as I have explained before in this House, because of the massive nature of the exercise involving more than 400 provisions, and because we have to look at other legislation, it has taken some time. But we are nearing completion. We are doing this not alone but also with other Ministries.

Broadly speaking, as I have said before, this review will look at the Penal Code and see whether there is a need to introduce new offences, to expand and clarify the scope of existing offences and update existing definitions and terms. We will also look at the penalties in the Code to ensure that they retain their deterrence value, especially on account of inflation. In deciding the appropriate penalties, we will also dovetail these penalties with other legislation.

As for sexual offences, which I think was the focus of Members' speeches, let me say that we have a multi-agency committee to review the provisions on such offences in the Penal Code and other legislation. What we will try to do is to tie disparate provisions on sexual offences together in a coherent and consistent manner, because they are found in different pieces of legislation, eg, the Penal Code has some, the Children and Young Persons Act has some, the Miscellaneous Offences Act would have some, and the Women's Charter would have some. So, we will take these

Column: 1358

provisions as a discrete group and see whether we can bring greater coherence to the entire area. In particular, we will study whether the current provisions are adequate, focusing on the scope of these offences, whether they should be expanded or further clarified. So, we are looking, for example, like marital rape, whether that should be enhanced or reduced.

We will also look at whether there is a need to introduce new offences and, indeed, if certain offences need to be repealed. I think Mr Chong mentioned section 498, enticing a married woman and then causing her to have sex, is one offence we are looking at, whether to repeal it. As to whether the terms should be more clearly defined or clarified, I think this point also has arisen in the course of the debate, in particular, in regard to section 377, although some terms are fairly clear already. I think Ms Braema Mathiaparanam mentioned incest and asked when incest is committed. The Penal Code, section 376(a) states the relationships in which incest would be deemed to have been committed but, then, it uses words like carnal knowledge. This is one area which we can look at, whether it is carnal knowledge or carnal connection, whether there should be greater clarity in when these are committed.

Mr Chong also mentioned gender specific provisions. Yes, that is something that we will look at, eg, section 509, although on this point I should add that, as a starting point, I think we should not be too hasty - Mr Chong also makes this caveat - to make everything gender equal. No doubt, we have done it for citizenship, but I think Penal Code offences, particularly those that relate to sex, they start from a different point, especially in terms of deterrence. I think all of us in this House will agree that the males are normally the aggressive party in such matters. So,

Column: 1359

really the provisions should seek to deter them. But, with that in mind, we will take a very open approach and see whether any of the provisions can be made gender neutral. We will also ensure that the sentences for these offences reflect the relative seriousness of the offences. I think Dr Wang mentioned this point, with reference to the recent case decided by the Chief Justice. In fact, this is one area we are looking at. For example, in the specific instance in that case, he was comparing the punishment for the offender who has natural sex with a girl under 16 when he would be prosecuted under the Women's Charter (section 140) for carnal connection. The maximum jail term is five years. An offender who has oral sex with a girl under 16, in terms of his possible punishment - that goes up to life - under section 377, it is 10 years or life. But that is because section 377 covers such a wide range of acts. I will come back to that later on. In that case, the Chief Justice took pains to explain why two years' imprisonment was out of line with other similar cases. That was the crux of the decision.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam has raised some points. Let me assure her that for sex offenders who have sex with minors, we do have tough laws in place. In fact, the thrust of our laws with regard to sexual offences, in particular when consent is given, is targeted at those who, because of their age, are vulnerable. So, whether it is statutory rape under 14 or carnal connection under 16, the laws are in place. Of course, we will look at the sentences in these provisions to see whether they also need updating. For example, she compared statutory rape and incest. One has a higher range of sentences than the other. So, these are areas we are looking at to see

whether there is a need for greater relativity or parity in the light of present circumstances.

Column: 1360

1.15 pm

Ms Braema Mathi's other concern is how we handle cases relating to young victims in sexual cases. Let me assure her that Police is very mindful of the need to treat them sensitively. In fact, in this House, over the years, I have taken many questions and had debates with parliamentarians who have also expressed this point that Police should be open to being trained by voluntary welfare organisations when it comes to matters like this. This in fact has happened. I want to assure Ms Mathi that this is so not only in terms of the training, but also in terms of the officers who are chosen to handle such young offenders. I understand that whenever there is a rape case being investigated, we will have a female officer who is present. So what more if the victim is a young person. I think more care is taken. In fact, if she goes down to CID, she will find that the room is specially configured to help the young offender in recounting the incident without causing too much trauma to her. All these are taken into account.

Let me address the points that Mr Shanmugam has made. Mr Shanmugam argues that the law in section 377 should be consistently applied. I think this is also the point that Dr Wang raises. Let me first say that section 377 has indeed been applied in a clear and consistent manner. There may have been some doubts before the Ministry clarified. We issued a statement earlier on this year to assure Singaporeans how section 377 is prosecuted, notwithstanding its wide phrasing. What is the section really targeted at? What sort of mischief is being addressed? The statement made it very clear. But let me just say it once more here. Basically, the prosecution's approach is to prosecute an offender under the section, when oral sex is performed with a minor under 16 years of age or when the act is carried out in

Column: 1361

public or involved deception, coercion or which amounted to sexual assault. We will also prosecute persons who have taken advantage of the mentally deficient or who abuse their position of trust, dominance or authority to sexually abuse and exploit those who are in their care. In these situations, for example, when there is a mentally handicapped victim involved or when the victim is a minor under 16, or if there is a relationship of trust, authority or dominance, even though there may be apparent consent, it is not consent recognised in law because of the vulnerability of the victim. The facts in the case bear this out. That is an important point.

As I have said before in this House and also in the statement, no man or woman engaging in consensual oral sex in private, even though, strictly speaking, coming within the ambit of the section, has been prosecuted for many years now. Indeed, in all the other cases that have been prosecuted, there have been these factors present, sometimes, single factors, and quite often, more than one factor. We will continue with this approach. Mr Shanmugam asked whether pending the completion of the review, what will happen. This is the approach that AGC has been taking all along. We will continue with it. Then we will see after the review, what will come out of it. I am sure the thrust of this approach will be maintained.

Underlying the concern is the fact that section 377 is framed in wide terms. Yet, AGC only prosecutes certain cases, not others. Is this a desirable approach? As all of us know, under Article 35(8) of the Constitution, the AG as the Public Prosecutor (PP) is vested with the discretion to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for any offence. There is a Privy Council case emanating from Malaysia, of persuasive

Column: 1362

authority, which says that there are many factors which a prosecution authority may properly take into account in exercising its discretion whether to charge a person at all. The PP takes into account all the relevant factors of an individual case before taking a decision to charge a person. Essentially, our Constitution requires all cases to be given unbiased consideration by the PP and that the decision made not be dictated by irrelevant considerations.

What is at stake is the primary consideration whether it is in the public interest to prosecute the offender. Hence, as the clarification stated, even if the victim purportedly gives consent, the public interest in such prosecutions is to protect those who are vulnerable. That is the scope of coverage that is also evident from the other legislation, whether it is the Children and Young Persons Act or the Women's Charter. When there is consent given, it is really looking at whether this victim is a young victim whose apparent consent is not valid in law. I should also add that this is also a similar approach taken in other jurisdictions. Hence when AGC takes this approach, it is not a derogation from the rule of law.

Members have asked about the review of section 377. Indeed, we are doing just that. We are considering decriminalising consensual oral sex done in private between a male and female above 16 years. We will study the most appropriate approach to effect changes to this aspect of the law which will also ensure that non-consensual oral sex remains an offence. This is where Mdm Ho makes her point whether if we have a review and after that, what happens to non-consensual oral sex if a man forces a woman to perform oral sex on him. I think Mdm Ho can rest easy because even now, for non-consensual oral sex, it is an offence. Let me say that any amendment we make to section 377 would make

Column: 1363

clear what the scope of the section is. Then, there will be clarity in the law.

Mdm Halimah asked about the drug situation. I want to assure her that the drug situation remains well under control. The number of drug abusers arrested last year dropped sharply by 47% over the year 2002 to a record low of 1,809. This was due to the 75% fall in the number of heroin abusers arrested. With the sharp decline in heroin abusers, synthetic drugs displaced heroin as the main drug of abuse for the first time in history. Synthetic drug abusers form 64% of abusers arrested, while heroin abusers form 31%. While the proportion of abusers who take synthetic drugs has gone up, the overall number of synthetic drug abusers has thankfully remained relatively stable over the last two years.

Mdm Halimah raised concerns about drug abuse among young adults. Although the proportion of drug abusers in their 20s increased last year, compared to the year 2002, in terms of absolute numbers the figure fell by a significant 33% from 946 in the year 2002 to 634 in the year 2003. Similarly, for new drug abusers in their 20s, the number fell by 19% from 463 in the year 2002 to 374 in the year 2003.

Mdm Halimah asked about the causes of drug addiction. Regular surveys by Prisons Department show the common causes are peer pressure, curiosity, stress and depression but we will continue to work at the Home Team to try to identify other causes and pinpoint how to address these causes. I must add that the increasing popularity of synthetic drugs is not peculiar to Singapore. It is a world-wide phenomenon. For example, for ketamine, last year, locally, ketamine abusers continued to show a rising trend, increasing from 78 in the year 2000 to 252 in 2002. Last year, 497 ketamine abusers were arrested, forming 27% of all abusers arrested and 51% of synthetic drug abusers arrested. But, thankfully, for

Column: 1364

methamphetamine abusers, the number arrested dropped 40% to 369 in 2003 compared to the year 2002. I am happy to say that Ecstasy is under control.

Let me say that MHA takes a very serious view of what is happening on the drug scene. We are thankful that overall, the drug situation is well under control but we are focusing now on synthetic drugs, but, of course, not neglecting heroin abuse, seeing what more can be done. For example, we are studying whether the penalty for trafficking of synthetic drugs should be enhanced to deter would-be traffickers. We will look at that. The other area is that we will continue with strict enforcement. I think CNB does a good job to ensure that our laws are strictly enforced.

In the area of preventive education, NCADA will continue its good work. Some Members would have seen the recent advertisement on this. And for rehabilitation, we are considering whether or not for synthetic drug abusers, we should send them to DRCs as well. Currently, they are sent to prison because the DRC regime is now only for heroin abusers. But having studied the problem, we have reviewed this and we will be introducing a DRC regime for synthetic drug abusers which will, hopefully, help them rehabilitate and this will bring the numbers down in due course. We will continue with this multi-pronged approach.

On the penal and rehabilitative system, let me say that we do have a balanced system - there is deterrence, there is rehabilitation, there is retribution and there is protection of society. The main plan is still deterrence, but let me assure Members that rehabilitation is something which the Prisons Department has been doing a lot of. Prisons officers are trained to do more of that. That was Ms Braema Mathi's point. Training is important and so prisons officers take being Captains of

Column: 1365

Lives - not Captains of Hearts - seriously. Not only have they introduced a lot of programmes, but they have also improved in terms of the quality of their staff. That is something that we are mindful of.

As Ms Braema Mathi has said, there is an integrated rehabilitation approach, from in-care to after-care. Even when they are in prison, there is a personal roadmap where prisoners will have a supervisor who will be in a way, a friend, who will help them through their time in prison. This through care approach has, in fact, shown good results because the re-incarceration rate has fallen from 56.8% in 1995 to 41.3% in the year 2001. We will press on.

What are some of the new measures that we will introduce to improve this process of rehabilitation? First, the Home Detention Scheme. This scheme was introduced in May 2000 to promote the re-integration of amenable offenders into society. Between May 2000 and December 2003, more than 3,000 prisoners were emplaced on Home Detention, of whom over 99% successfully completed the programme. Given the success of this scheme, MHA will be expanding it to allow more inmates to benefit from it. Details will be announced in due course.

Another initiative is the Halfway House programme for inmates serving long-term imprisonment. This was piloted in 2001. Since then, more than 95% of the participants have completed the programme. These are people who have completed a three-year long-term imprisonment because they are third-timers. So far, only less than 10% of those who completed the programme have returned to prison. That is very encouraging. We will see whether we can increase the intake and expand this scheme.

Column: 1366

Education is another area where more is being done. I think we all know about the prison school. More of our prisoners will be given the opportunity to acquire scholastic knowledge. Hopefully, more will have 'N' level qualifications. This is where, for example, the VWOs and others in the community can help out. For example, we have the Lee Foundation who has come in with a scheme to help fund prisoners after they leave prison who want to continue their studies but cannot afford it. They have come up with

a scheme to help them.

1.30 pm

The new Changi Prison Complex will facilitate more of these rehabilitative efforts. That was Mr Chandra Mohan's point. This is an opportunity for Prisons to plan a custom-made building. Changi Prison was inherited from days past, serving a different purpose. Now, we have the opportunity to plan a Prison where there will be more space, more opportunities for work, more opportunities for rehabilitation. I agree with both Dr Maliki and Ms Mathi that it is important that employers should be more enlightened. So work scope will also increase.

Ms Braema Mathi asked about the CARE Network. CARE Network is a very inclusive programme, where we have got many partners. There are SACA, SANA, Halfway Houses, SCORE, all coming together to ensure that the prisoners, from in-care to after-care, their needs are taken care of. For example, SCORE, on this front has worked relentlessly with companies to offer ex-offenders a second chance. Last year, SCORE helped over 700 ex-offenders to secure employment.

Let me address Dr Maliki's point. Here again, like Mr Charles Chong, he is a constant reminder to me that we have this on-going exercise to expunge records or consider them spent. Let me assure

Column: 1367

him that we are not slackening on the job. MHA does not slacken on the job, but this is a big exercise. We want to get it right. We have been taking some time to study our approach, and also the approaches of other countries. Last year, I told him that we will look at Hong Kong and the UK. Indeed, we have done that. But we find that they do not go far enough because they only consider records as "spent", so that if the person comes to court again, the records will surface. We want a situation where we can consider the records to be expunged. So in a situation where, if the ex-prisoner has to fill in a form by a potential employer: "Have you been convicted in a court of law before?", he can truthfully say, "No", because the record has been expunged. So it is a clean slate. Here, again, we are completing the exercise soon. So my assurance to Dr Maliki, as I assure Mr Chong, is that we have made progress. We hope we will turn out something this year.

For stateless persons, let me assure Ms Indranee that we do take care of the plight of stateless persons. There are about 2,800 such people in Singapore at the moment, and about 75% of them are over 50 years, 57% over 60 years. They come from various situations, eg, three-quarters of them came from other countries to live and work in Singapore. They came during the early days of our independence, and later became PRs here on their own merit. Some of them held foreign citizenship, but over time could have lost their citizenship after being away from the country for a long time. There is also a small number, about 6% who claim they were born here, before Singapore became independent in 1965. However, they are unable to prove that they were born here and, therefore, could not be conferred citizenship after Singapore gained independence. Then, there is also a third group of people who were born here, about 6%, but could not

Column: 1368

get Singapore citizenship at birth as their parents were not Singapore citizens. They should have followed the citizenship of their parents, but their parents did not register their births with the respective countries.

The basic point I want to tell Ms Indranee is that we are mindful of these people. I know they want to upgrade their status and, therefore, when they make their applications we will consider them carefully. Of course, they will still have to satisfy the requirements of PR and citizenship. But I am happy to say that almost all, about 95% of these stateless people have had their status regularised as permanent residents. And, over the last five years, 730 stateless persons have become Singapore citizens. And, indeed, if they want to travel, we will issue them a Certificate of Identity, which is valid in the first instance for five years.

On stalking, this is another favourite topic of Ms Indranee Rajah, it is something that we are looking at, although I did say last year that given Singapore's close urban setting, we must be careful that any laws must be enforceable. So we will not rush into it but we will study the extent and characteristics of the stalking phenomenon in Singapore, both in the physical and virtual world, and see whether we need to implement new measures such as provisions or legislation on stalking. But even then let me assure all that without such specific legislation, there are other provisions which could be invoked. It may not cover the entire gamut of stalking situations, but provisions such as sections 506 and 507 of the Penal Code, section 13(a) or 13(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, and indeed even provisions in the Computer Misuse Act, may be invoked when the elements of the offence are made up. But I know that many of these provisions may require elements such as the causing of alarm, or

Column: 1369

harassment in a public place, and so forth. So, there may be gaps that need to be filled.

On Mr Chandra Mohan's point on the Societies Act, I note his comment that we have been doing quite a bit to facilitate the growth of civil society in Singapore. Indeed, this has happened. In 1999 there were 5,377 societies. Now, there are almost 5,800 societies. ROSES, for example, which was mentioned, has made information on societies more accessible to members of the public.

On fees, we will take a look at them. We are introducing a system called the Automatic Registration of Societies where societies which are assessed not to pose law and order or security considerations, or where registration will not be contrary to national interest, will be given automatic registration. Then, they can commence activities rightaway once they have submitted the necessary documents and paid the prescribed fees. We will amend the Societies Act to effect this. In fact, this is already work-in-progress because we have consulted members of the public on this. The feedback has been favourable. With this new system, we will see whether the fees can be reduced because there will probably be less work involved. So that is something that we can look at.

On civil society in Singapore, again I note Mr Mohan's point that this, in fact, has been growing in Singapore over the years. No society will find it difficult, for example, to hold talks. Many licences for talks are issued to many groups over the years and, in particular, when it is indoors and when there are no law and order problems, a licence should be very expeditiously granted. My point really is that civil society should make use of this space. Where we can we will lighten up

Column: 1370

the licensing regime, but we must also bear in mind the need to ensure, as what we have talked about this morning, law and safety and that Singaporeans will feel safe in Singapore. This must also be borne in mind.

On Mr Low Thia Khiang's point about the efficiency and responsiveness of Police, I thank him for his concern. I want to assure him that the Police is up to the mark. The Police is stretched - with terrorism and other concerns, SARS last year, but it has looked at its resources and it has managed its resources so that it is keeping Singapore safe. This is shown in many ways, eg, international polls and surveys, the Mercer Report, the PERC report, all said that Singapore and Singaporeans feel safe here. We have been rated very highly in these polls. And, indeed, even in terms of compliments and complaints received by the police, compliments have gone up, complaints have gone down, which shows that the public is appreciative of the good work done by the police.

There are some performance indicators that show this. For example, I think he mentioned responsiveness. That is one key factor. The percentage of urgent incidents that police responds to within 15 minutes, first dipped initially, arising from the terrorism threat, it dipped from 93% to 85%. But, thankfully, last year it went up again to 95%. And so Police is indeed able to respond to these urgent incidents.

The speed of investigation has also improved. The number of days required for Police to complete investigation has fallen from 55 days in 2001 to 45 days in 2002 and to 33 days last year. So Police will continue to leverage on technology and also on better-trained officers and better-qualified officers to ensure that they are able to carry out their core function of maintaining law and order.

Column: 1371

On Mr Chiam's point, first of all, it is very clear the Police is not political. It is apolotical because the police officers serve all Singaporeans regardless of political affiliation. That is why Mr Chiam and Mr Low also have an NPP in each of their constituencies. That is the first point. Why do Police officers accompany RC leaders on their house visits? Again, from this morning's discussion, the Minister has said that RCs play an important part in crime prevention because RCs and CCCs and other grassroots organisations are part of the People's Association's wider network. So there is a network in place. There is a ready body of volunteers who are also residents where they are. So, as residents, they know the place. Other residents are familiar with them because they are fellow residents. They also know the local problems. When they visit them, there is connectivity, there is identity, and that is why police walks with the RC leaders. I do not know about the incident he mentioned but I think there will be brochures and pamphlets that they bring along. But even without them, on such visits, as part of the Neighbourhood Watch Zone scheme, police will knock on the doors, and say, "Hello, how are you? Any problems?" Maybe they will take down particulars if the residents want to give them and they will encourage them to form neighbourhood watch groups. So let us not be suspicious about what the Police is doing with the grassroots leaders because together they are partners to ensure Singaporeans continue to feel safe.

But no one gives orders to each other. Mr Chiam asked whether Police receives orders from these people. I think they work together. There is community involvement and the community here includes key grassroots leaders. This is why Singapore continues to be safe and secure. Incidentally, this morning, as I got out of the lift, a woman was coming in and she commented to her maid,

Column: 1372

"Singapore is very safe." That reflects Singaporeans' view of the Police.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Encik Mohamad Maidin B P M): Sir, some Members raised questions concerning road safety in Singapore which boils down to the question whether our roads are safer today than before. Sir, in general, compared to many countries, such as Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Japan, Singapore's accident fatality rate of 5 per 100,000 population is one of the lowest anywhere in the world. Dr Ahmad Magad and Mr Tan Soo Khoon raised concerns about our senior citizens. Yes, this group could be vulnerable on our roads, as has been shown. However, Sir, although the number of senior citizens who died in road accidents last year comprised more than half, 33 out of 63, overall there has been a drop in the number of pedestrians involved in accidents - from 923 in 2002 down to 850 last year. Of this figure of 850, 752 of them, including senior citizens, sustained slight injuries. Many of these accidents are attributed to the fact that people still jaywalk, a matter raised by Mr Tan Soo Khoon just now. There were also drivers who failed to look out for pedestrians.

Sir, in these two respects, I must say that the Traffic Police is very well aware of such incidents and has been taking action against jaywalkers. In fact, last year the number of people booked for jaywalking has gone up. The Traffic Police is also taking action against the drivers who have become a danger to road-users, pedestrians, especially the elderly. But what is the long-term effort that we are doing to make our roads safer? Sir, the Traffic Police is taking a 3-pronged approach, comprising education, enforcement and legislation.

In terms of education, we work with many community groups. Last year,

Column: 1373

Traffic Police organised more than 330 road safety talks and exhibitions for school children, senior citizens and others. And we have also organised another 220 road safety training programmes for school children and other groups, altogether reaching some 300,000 Singapore citizens. These efforts have proven to be useful.

For senior citizens particularly, the Traffic Police is going to be of greater help to them by leveraging on Rediffusion to broadcast some road safety messages in Chinese dialects so that some of them who only speak dialects could at least understand and learn more about how to use the roads in a safer manner. For senior citizens also, we are looking into the possibility of allowing the green light signals for crossing the road to last longer in areas where we know there are a lot more senior citizens staying. So the green light will probably stay longer. This is being looked into and, hopefully, it can be implemented soon.

Sir, in terms of enforcement, yes, there are traffic patrols all over the island every day, and we also undertake special operations to keep violators in check. One example is the action against drink driving, and this has resulted in a number of accidents due to drink driving and the number dropped over last year. We have also clamped down on other drivers who continue to put the lives of pedestrians at risk. One example is that last year, almost 3,000 motorists were booked for committing offences against pedestrians, such as failing to give way at pedestrian junctions and crossings. This is an increase from 2,700 in year 2002.

Finally, the third prong is tough and effective laws. MHA and Traffic Police regularly review the laws to ensure that they remain relevant and to provide

Column: 1374

sufficient deterrence to undesirable driving behaviour.

Sir, there are some other suggestions made by Members, eg, lighting throughout the day. I am not sure whether the weather referred to by Dr Ahmad is similar to Singapore . But drivers can switch on their lights all day and this is not against the law. But to make it compulsory is another thing. I think the Traffic Police has got to look into this proposal.

On his idea of interlocking concrete blocks in school zones, at the moment, we find it not appropriate partly because it is going to cause a lot of noise pollution and it is going to incur a lot more maintenance cost as a result of frequent wear and tear. However, his concern is recognised. We are having some programmes to ensure that cars will slow down, especially near schools. We have provided safe crossing facilities. There are traffic calming measures like road humps and speed regulating strips as well as road dividers to discourage indiscriminate parking and overtaking.

Even in industrial parks, similar provisions are provided to slow down vehicles. However, at the moment, in these areas, the speed limit is already very low at 40 km per hour. We are not sure whether we should reduce it further because it will impact on the traffic efficiency in such areas. Anyway, if there is a need, Traffic Police with the LTA will look into the specific needs of certain areas and if 40 km per hour is regarded as dangerous we will look into it.

1.50 pm

The Chairman: Mr Maidin, it is guillotine time. Prof. Chin, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung: Sir, I thank the Home Team Ministers and

Column: 1375

Parliamentary Secretary for doing their best in the limited time to give comprehensive answers.

I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $1,826,647,090 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $522,176,200 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.