AIRPORT SECURITY (Risk assessments of incoming flights)

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AIRPORT SECURITY:

(Risk assessments of incoming flights): 3.

Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether our civil aviation authorities proactively assess the risk of the various airports from which

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flights to Singapore originate and take precautionary measures accordingly; and (b) if he will encourage the airport authorities of other countries to strengthen their terminal security and, in particular, follow Changi Airport's example of building isolation rooms at the gates so that passengers can be effectively screened immediately before embarkation.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, our security agencies regularly conduct risk assessments on all flights coming into Singapore. Our airlines assist to provide inputs for a security assessment of foreign airports. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs' officials also conduct regular security audits on the ground operations of Singapore Airlines abroad. Appropriate security measures are then taken, based on the assessed level of risk. We have been pursuing agreements with many foreign authorities also to accommodate air marshals on select flights. This is an on-going process.

Security measures at the Changi Airport have also been stepped up considerably since 9-11. Apart from out-bound checks, which are staple in all airport security regimes, we also subject all arriving passengers not just to immigration and customs checks by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at the Arrival Hall, but also security screen in-coming passengers when our security risk assessment requires it. Although some inconvenience is caused to passengers, let me assure the House that the security agencies are constantly working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to reduce the inconvenience without compromising security.

Sir, as to whether we encourage other airport authorities to strengthen their security screening of departing passengers in the same way as Changi Airport, the International Civil Aviation

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Organisation (ICAO), which is the governing body of all international civil flight operations, spells out guidelines and requirements on aviation security for member states to meet. The specific security measures to adopt to meet these guidelines and requirements are left to individual member states to decide and enforce, because the design and security considerations differ for every airport. For example, Changi Airport screens departing passengers at the individual gatehold rooms immediately before boarding, but other airports prefer to centralise security screening for all passengers at the point of entry into the Departure Hall. Because our configurations are different, we have arranged the security screening in the way we want. As the considerations differ from airport to airport, Singapore is, therefore, not in a position to prescribe a specific method of security screening for other airports. This would be left to the ICAO to audit. However, there are close cooperation and regular exchanges of information and best practices between us and our foreign partner airport authorities.

Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang (Nominated Member): Sir, I thank the Minister for the comprehensive and candid reply. May I ask whether the authorities take due care even with flights originating from what might seem like large world powers, such as the United States. In particular, may I ask the Minister if our security agencies are aware of a recent report published by the US Congress' General Accounting Office which reports:

"The Transportation Security Administration lacks adequate internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that screeners received legislatively-mandated basic and remedial training and to monitor its recurrent training programme."

I further quote - this is in regard to covert tests run by the Transportation Security Administration:

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"These tests identified that overall weaknesses and vulnerabilities continue to exist in passenger and check-baggage screening systems at airports of all sizes."

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, we, of course, pay great attention to whatever other airports are doing and, particularly, when there are reports of their inadequacies or reports of slip-ups or lapses of security screening. We will pay close attention to them and find out why. Let me also say here that we can have the best of systems, procedures and equipment but, ultimately, it must depend on the person who implements those procedures, executes the various security measures and screens the passengers. That is the part which we must also pay attention to. It is not just buying the best equipment. So, when there are airports which we discover to be lacking, we will also pay particular attention to them.