Extended Operating Hours for Low Vice Risk Massage Shops

Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether extended operating hours beyond 10.30 pm can be allowed for low vice risk-exempt massage establishments at which massage or foot reflexology services are administered in full view of the public.

Mr Speaker, "open-concept" massage establishments provide massage services in full view of the public. They are exempted from the need to apply for a massage establishment licence.

At the reading of the Massage Establishments Bill in November last year, several Members of Parliament had cautioned that "low-risk activities" that are not required to obtain a massage establishment licence could, nevertheless, be fronts for vice activities.

Indeed, while open-concept massage establishments operate in full view of the public, they can offer any kind of massage to adult customers. This is why even though open-concept massage establishments are exempted from licensing, they have to adhere to a number of conditions. This is to prevent them from being used as fronts for vice, as pointed out by Members of this House. These conditions include ensuring that there are no rooms, partitions or cubicles within the premises that allow massage services to be provided in private; not obscuring any windows and entrances; and operating only from 7.00 am to 10.30 pm daily.

If the operator of an open-concept massage establishment wishes to deviate from any of these conditions, the risk associated with the establishment becomes higher. The operator is thus required to apply for a licence instead.

Therefore, should an operator of an exempted open-concept massage establishment wish to operate beyond the stipulated hours, they should apply for a Category I massage establishment licence and request for extended operating hours. Police will assess these requests on a case-by-case basis.:

I thank the Second Minister. May I clarify: because I read from the newspaper that above the Badminton Hall, there is this very big open-concept massage place. If they apply, then can they get to operate beyond 10.30 pm? Because for a lot of these open-concept massage places, in fact, from 10.00 pm to past midnight is actually the peak-hour timeframe for them.

Mr Speaker, in response to Mr Yee, they will first have to apply for a Category I massage establishment licence. Then having secured the massage establishment licence at Category I level, they can ask to be considered for extended operating hours. The Police will look into the various factors, for example, proximity to residential areas because the stipulated hours were introduced in the first place in response to concerns about massage establishments operating 24 hours near residential areas. The Police will also look at the track record of the operator, whether they have been able to observe, adhere to the conditions that were previously set for them. And, of course, if relevant, the Police will also ask for feedback from the community.