Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)

Madam, the community plays a critical role in our efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure. Recognising this, the Ministry has made structural changes to promote community engagement. In 2012, following the launch of the Community Policing System, our Neighbourhood Police Centres were revamped to enhance their crime fighting and community liaison capabilities. More foot and bicycle patrols were introduced to allow Policemen to become more familiar with residents and neighbourhoods, thereby enhancing Police engagement with the community.

These structural developments were complemented by a range of schemes. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) runs several volunteer schemes, including the Neighbourhood Watch Zone, which cultivates mutual assistance among residents in the community to help to prevent and detect crime. We have the Crime Prevention Ambassador project and the Volunteer Special Constabulary, which recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to work with the SPF in helping to enforce law and order in Singapore. We also have programmes like the Community Safety and Security Programme which provide an additional platform for residents and grassroots to work with the Home Team.

Madam, there is no doubt that these schemes are important, but there is scope for further engagement. A study published in 2012 from Ottawa, Canada, confirms that crime prevention and law enforcement are more effective where the community takes collective responsibility for them. According to the study, the reported incidents of crimes against persons or properties in three communities that adopted community-based crime prevention techniques were tracked and the results were significant. From 2006 to 2011, the rate of reported incidents in each of the three communities fell far more than the overall city average. The overall city average fell 15% and the three communities fell between 20% and 27%.

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What was critical to each community's success was the diverse and holistic range of initiatives launched. Police conducted outreach sessions, resident-led walkabouts were organised to identify and report safety issues, such as signs of drug peddling and prostitution, and community forums were organised to bring residents together to discuss security and crime-prevention strategies. What is clear from the study is that crime prevention is not about enforcement or enforcement-type activities alone.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister what strategies MHA will adopt to continue engaging and building strong relationships with its community partners, and to continue supporting the Home Team's work in keeping Singapore safe.

Mdm Chair, in September 2013, it was reported that a young Singaporean was the fifth to be self-radicalised and was detained for two years under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for trying to join an insurgency in Thailand. According to reports, he had been influenced by what he read online to join this insurgency. I understand that, in this case, he was detained under the ISA after he had been handed over by the Thai authorities following his arrest and conviction in Thailand for immigration offences because he entered Thailand illegally.

The threat of self-radicalisation is one of particular concern because it seems that the material on the Internet that influenced this individual is readily available and continues to be readily available. In this regard, is MHA able to provide an update on the regional terrorist threat and, in particular, on any measures it plans to take to deal with the threat of self-radicalisation in Singapore?

Mdm Chairperson, the crime rate in 2013 fell to 549 cases per 100,000 population and it was the lowest in 30 years. It also fell 4.3% compared to the year before in 2012. But, Madam, these are statistics and numbers. These are not numbers that we can afford to be complacent about and we need somewhat to look into the details as well.

The decreases were in relation to crimes against persons, housebreaking, theft and other miscellaneous crimes like vandalism, trespassing and disorderly behaviour. But what is troubling and remains troubling is that there were

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increases in violent and serious property crimes as well as commercial crimes, such as cheating and other related offences. Anecdotally, we have seen how the Kovan murders, the Little India riot and other such fairly high profile newsworthy incidents have dominated the headlines in the course of 2013. And it is these concerns which I would like to focus on.

Madam, the Home Team is responsible for various aspects of security in Singapore and it is something that we can never take for granted. There are other issues which remain pertinent to security in Singapore today and will continue to evolve. It is a threat that will continue to evolve over time and I would like to highlight a few.

The first, cyber crimes. The usage of the Internet has grown. It has proliferated to an extent that we have an Internet penetration rate of 160% of our population having broadband access; a mobile penetration rate of 150%. Access to wireless, location-based cloud computing and other such technologies has become pervasive in daily life. That itself has led to an increased Internet usage and penetration, with a corresponding increase in the number and type of cyber crimes.

Take, for example, cheating using e-commerce. That has been the main contributor to the increase in commercial crimes. It has seen a rise from 238 cases in 2012 to 509 cases in 2013, almost more than double the number. Further, there have also been significant increases in multiple payment online purchase scams involving culprits who posed as sellers of various products and advertising them on the Internet and failing to deliver at all.

The number of cases demonstrates that the Internet-savvy audience, typically the young, the vulnerable, had been targeted and we have to pay particular attention to how these crimes continue to evolve on the Internet. We have also seen in the last year how various high-profile prominent websites had been hacked into. This hacking into the servers and websites of entities, which are otherwise considered to be the most secure in Singapore if not the world, in a matter of days if not weeks, almost with impunity, makes for interesting news. But they highlight just how much of a threat this can be and how much this will cripple the day-to-day life which relies so much on technology.

Second, on the areas of drug enforcement, we have seen how in recent times the number of drug-related arrests has gone up. Just in the month of February 2014 alone, and based on the CNB website, we have seen that in that 28-day period, two-and-a-half kilograms of heroin and more than two kilograms

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of cannabis were seized, with a street value worth more than hundreds of thousands of dollars. The number of drug abusers arrested has gone up. The number of repeat abusers has gone up. The number of new abusers has gone up.

Third, counter-terrorism measures, which Mr Vikram Nair has outlined earlier, I would simply say that the recent apprehension of Masyhadi tells us that extremist terrorism remains a real and potent threat. The underlying structures, which have training camps supporting terrorism, remain in place. Self-radicalisation remains a growing phenomenon and we cannot afford to assume that no terrorist threats will materialise. To deter terrorism in Singapore, we need strong operational capabilities with a variety of different skill sets just to be commensurate with the ever-changing methods used by these small cells to evade detection.

Fourth, Madam, on civil defence readiness, a seemingly simple and straightforward issue, but one must look at the underlying numbers as well. We have seen an increase in the emergency ambulance services by 5.3% year to year. But the demand from the elderly alone, which comprises 10.5% of our population, has accounted for 36% of those requests or calls for emergency assistance. That illustrates that there already is and will continue to be, in light of our ageing population, an increased demand on the resources of the civil defence operators.

Finally, on immigration, we have seen in 2013, 203 million travellers cleared for entry into Singapore, a slight increase of about 3.6% compared to 2012. The ICA faces the constant challenge of accommodating these increasing traveller volumes while at the same time having to clear them efficiently and ensure that security is not compromised.

Madam, I raise these points because all of them require a few challenges to be met by the Home Team: one, the increase in resourcing which Mr Hri Kumar has touched on; and two, the increase in the amount of training to deal with these ever-changing and evolving threats through different means will continue to be a serious challenge to the Home Team.

In that context, I would ask the Deputy Prime Minister what MHA is doing to ensure that the Home Team is able to rise to meet these operational demands as well as to remain constantly vigilant and ready to deal with these threats on the horizon which one may not be able to anticipate today.

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Mdm Chair, Singapore is an attractive city state that many have come to work, play and live. Our resident population has increased over the years. In this respect, our security forces, particularly the SPF, needs to keep up. Sophisticated criminals are quick to adapt to new technology, demographic changes and increases in resident population. The Home Team needs to and will have to prepare, equip and deal with demands that such changes bring.

In the 1980s, the Home Team was quick to realise that efficiency and speedy response could not be just placed with the divisional Police stations. With larger housing estates, they required a relook at the response and policing system. That led to the NPP system that was decentralised to better serve an increasingly urban Singapore.

The NPC of today and the success of the Community Policing system in an even more urbanised setting is testimony to the foresight of that strategy. Even as we actively promote community involvement in crime prevention, we need more resources to address crime and emergency incidents.

While the Little India incident had alluded to manpower issues, I am even more concerned that multiple incidents could have arisen from that. The ripple effect from, say, multiple incidents of terrorist action will put the Home Team's resources and deployment into question.

Are we preparing ourselves in enlarging our Force size to cope with increasingly complex security situations that can befall upon us? Can our officers cope with the air and land checkpoint loads that Mr Tong alluded to?

I understand that with increased expectations from a more affluent and educated public, hiring of officers to meet such expectations will be more difficult. Our education system has made our graduating cohorts attractive for the private sector. It would have to be a compelling, appealing and rewarding career for men and women to join up.

Our current Force size is about 10,000, including civilians in service. Even if we harness technology as a multiplier to the Home Team in its work, we still need boots on the ground. As mentioned, will our young men and women be attracted to this noble profession and spend extended time on the beat?

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We can increase our Force size through enlarging the pool of reservists by having a larger intake of NS Policemen. Through a few cohorts, we can build up this ballast. Therefore, training resources and facilities must be prepared and future budget allocated.

I urge the Minister to review policies as well as training and doctrines relating to security coverage, crowd control, incident response and rules of engagement. Organisation structures that directly affect frontline operating systems and response time could similarly be reviewed so that manpower gaps, resource re-allocation and hybrid solutions can be considered.

In similar vein, Madam, I am concerned about many Home Team uniformed services turning to outsourcing as a response to increasing demand for services and manpower shortages. For example, in October 2013, the SCDF added only four more emergency ambulances to increase its fleet to 50 vehicles, but doubled the number of private ambulances to 20. Today, the number of Auxiliary Police Officers stands at 6,000 officers, compared with over 8,000 regular officers in the Singapore Police Force. At the Woodlands checkpoint, Auxiliary Police Officers make up 20% of officers. Recently, the Prisons Act was amended to expand the role of Auxiliary Police Officers to allow them to conduct inmate escort and patrols within prison premises.

Will the trend of outsourcing of Police, security and emergency functions to private operators increase further? If so, where is the line to be drawn before we see the quality of functions compromised and cost-effectiveness eroded? Should the issues be dealt with not by outsourcing, but instead by allocating more resources and support for recruitment and retention to the Home Team? And instead of outsourcing with its limits, should we not focus on "best-sourcing" instead?

I would like to point out three problems. First, Auxiliary Police Officers do not have the same level of training as regular officers. Regular officers go through a six-month basic training course at the Home Team Academy, while auxiliary officers attend a much shorter in-house training course offered by Aetos or Certis-Cisco. Police Officers also attend continuous training to keep their skill up to date with societal and criminological developments. The esprit de corps of belonging to

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the Home Team also instils a greater sense of purpose, pride and discipline.

Second, best-sourcing is about choosing a provider, be it a public agency or a private sector provider, who could deliver the services most efficiently and effectively. Here we have a paradox. To maintain standards, private operators have to comply with equivalent deliverables and ensure their staff are just as competent in those functions. If the public officers also have to conduct constant auditing and supervision to ensure the outsourced entity is up to mark, as in the case of emergency ambulances, would it not be more cost-effective to increase the regular services?

Third, best-sourcing is targeted at non-strategic functions of public agencies, so as not to compromise public health and safety. But what are considered non-strategic security functions to be outsourced to auxiliary officers? As the recent breach at Woodlands Checkpoint suggests, the secondary security check by the Auxiliary Police Officer is very important and has implications on public safety.

With 300,000 people and 130,000 vehicles passing Woodlands checkpoint each day, co-ordination between ICA, SPF and Auxiliary Police Officers is a huge challenge. Likewise, prison inmate escort within the prisons is not merely a security function but requires proper training to ensure the prisoner's rehabilitation is not compromised. Furthermore, injuries or death of an inmate resulting from improper handling can be disastrous for the services. In today's complex policing environment, every Police Officer requires strong situational awareness and adaptive leadership skills, and foresight in exercising discretion.

Outsourcing clearly has its limits. Should the focus instead be on Home Team manpower recruitment and retention, and ensuring they have the best resources on hand to protect our Home?

Madam, Singapore's total population has grown over the years. At the same time, the mix of the population has also become more cosmopolitan. This growth in population density and complexity increases the likelihood that friction would occur as groups and people, so to speak, rub each other the wrong way, whether intentionally or otherwise.

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To deal with this challenge, it is right that measures be put in place to emphasise and catalyse continued racial and religious harmony, as well as increase mutual understanding and integration between locals and migrant communities.

While we pursue these proactive and preventive steps, we must at the same time plan for the worst, which is the scenario where larger scale public disturbances occur. The recent Little India riot is an example of that. However, I am not referring specifically to that particular riot as the Commission of Inquiry (COI) is ongoing.

What I am concerned about is whether the Police riot control function, in terms of sheer manpower, as well as equipment and access planning, given the more congested roads, for example, has kept pace with population urbanisation trends over the years.

Sometimes, when things appear to be calm, emergency resources may be less emphasised. Some may think of such "standby" resources as somewhat of a dead weight. However, when emergencies occur, we may then find the resources insufficient or quickly over-stretched and not sustainable. A proper balance has to be struck between the two, taking into account the assessments of threat and the likelihood of multiple concurrent needs.

Madam, I want to help make sure that our troops on the ground get the support and resources they need to do a good job. How will MHA ensure that there are enough riot troops in headcount terms, SOC and divisional resources together, to keep pace with population changes, so that deployment would not be stretched too thin and the security forces are able to dominate the ground quickly when called upon?

Mdm Chair, biometric information is increasingly being used for security purposes. Recently, the National Environment Agency is using face scans to clock in hawkers to prevent illegal subletting and a pre-school is using the same technology to control door access for parents and guardians to drop off and pick up their children.

With the proliferation of biometric information collection and usage in society, the theft of it becomes easier and likelier. Furthermore, biometric information technology is undergoing mass commercialisation, as smart

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phones are now capable of thumbprint and face recognition.

Many organisations are also outsourcing their information technology and security systems. It was previously pointed out in this House that the Government's outsourced systems experienced many instances of unauthorised access and other security vulnerabilities.

Biometric information is very important for our border security. How are the Ministry of Home Affairs and its agencies, particularly the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, prepared for security breaches and identity theft? Are there contingency plans to maintain the same level of security and functionality in the event of system glitch or breakdown? Is there a need to update the Personal Data Protection Act to tackle the specific problems caused by biometric information and to regulate its collection and usage?

Mdm Chair, there is the human tendency to value effort almost independent of outcome. Effort alone, even when apparent to all, is not enough. And so, the sweet spot for the Home Team is one where it is not only working hard but also getting things right and well.

These are challenging times for the Home Team. Convictions of senior Home Team officers for a variety of criminal offences in the last few years, the lack of coordination between Home Team agencies in the Woodlands Checkpoint security breach and the seemingly inadequate response in the Little India riot all conspire to undermine the image and standing of the Home Team.

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This is unfortunate.

It is no surprise if the public has legitimate concerns of the Home Team's integrity, competence, professionalism, coordination, operational readiness and the ability to adapt to the rapidly changing operational realities.

To be sure, we must not exaggerate the challenges and issues but every lapse in performance dents the public confidence in the Home Team. Major lapses are body blows, detrimentally affecting the morale of the dedicated men and women of the Home Team.

The harsh reality is that people mostly pay attention when the Home Team gets things wrong or does not measure up. The fact that the Home Team is performing well matters little as the public perception is more often than not the prism through which trust in and confidence of the Home Team is measured by.

There is no doubt that corrective actions are always taken to tackle the lapses, including internal disciplinary sanctions and criminal prosecutions. However, if there are systemic issues and problems resulting in sub-par performance, is it fair to punish the officers concerned, especially the rank and file men and women? Yes, they may not have measured up but there may well be systemic factors beyond their control.

It is easy to dissect or micro-analyse a Home Team officer's conduct and judgement after the event. But we should bear in mind that how a reasonable officer exercises his discretion and powers in any given situation is very much a function of his or her training, the applicable standard operating procedures and operational doctrines. If they did not equip the officer well to do the job well, then the officer should not be solely culpable.

As such, I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide details on the ongoing effort to renew confidence and trust of the public in the Home Team, and what efforts are being taken to maintain and improve the morale within the Home Team itself.

Like Policemen wearing shorts, community policing is actually not new. It has been around for about 30 years, since the early 1980s and it was modelled after the Koban system in Japan. We launched

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our first neighbourhood Police post in 1983. It was these NPPs which brought the Police closer to the ground, closer to the community and making them more effective as patrols were made on foot, on bicycle and the familiarity of the Policemen and community was seen as an advantage. Over the years, the system has been reviewed to ensure that it is kept up to date and in tandem with the operating environment. In 1997, the NPP system was redesigned to the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) system. The NPCs were empowered with more resources and capabilities for community policing.

In May 2012, the transition of the NPC system to the Community Policing System (COPS) was made and this was in response to the changing needs of our population. Under this system, we strengthened localised crime fighting capabilities with the creation of crime strike force in each NPC. The officers in the crime strike force are familiar with local terrain, and therefore more effective and responsive than tackling crime.

A community policing unit was also set up to deepen our community engagement and Police Officers now interact more with residents in these local communities. Today, I think COPS has about 20 over presence in the 30-odd NPCs that we have. It has been about two-and-a-half years or so since the programme started. In that respect, I would like the Deputy Prime Minister to comment on whether the results have been encouraging, what improvements, if any, should be made to the system and the extent to which this would be continued to be rolled out to the rest of the NPCs.

The other benefit of having the NPCs close to the ground is something which I find quite laudable, which is the use of non-traditional means to also engage the public. I believe some NPCs have their own Facebook pages, and this in turn has assisted with the apprehension of suspected criminals. Some advertisements have been put up on Facebook. The community has also responded with various suggestions and tips. Using that, I think the Police has been able to better apprehend the criminals.

Finally, the importance of the community as the key partner of the Police can only grow with time, given the challenges of the increasing changing environment for the Police and crimes being more complex. The trust, confidence and support of the community are critical for the Police to be successful in community policing. To stay effective, Police forces around the world will need to continually evolve in the way they serve and engage the

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communities and to keep up with the operating landscape. It is in that context that I invite the Deputy Prime Minister to comment on these issues.

Mdm Chair, our crime rate is low by international standards. Community policing is a principal policing strategy that has shown success since the NPPs were set up in the 1980s, and then the revamp of the same towards the NPCs in the 1990s.

My residents in Clementi Division can testify to the effectiveness as well as the significant impact on the ground of community policing introduced two years ago as a pilot, through the various initiatives such as the Community Safety and Security Programmes and the very successful Citizens on Patrol. Our resident volunteers and the Police work together to detect, report, suppress and prevent crime in the neighbourhood. Through this experience, our residents learn that crime prevention is a community responsibility, as much as it is the Police's enforcement of law and order. It cannot be just a Police issue. Residents are involved in community policing.

Safety and security can be enhanced if the community can be persuaded to do more for itself. Public education about the kind of crime, criminal behaviour and effect of different types of crimes in the community can further bring citizens to the growing force of community crime fighters. I congratulate the SPF for being proactive and incorporating community policing into its crime fighting strategy. At the same time, this ownership of the community and not allowing criminals to roam free encourages community integration and mutual trust.

It is my belief that the Police Force is stretched and community policing will help our Home Team officers to concentrate on problem solving and investigation, rather than just incident response at the outset. Community policing cannot be successful if the partnership between the Police and the community is not established and strong. As a result of the information provided by the citizen cops, the Police will able to apprehend UML harassment activities. This public-assisted arrest has contributed to the overall positive effects on residents over the safety and security of the neighbourhood. What other initiatives or support for community policing can we expect? Can the Minister update the House if the goal to roll out community policing at the 35 NPCs has been achieved? What is the progress? Are there any intentions to

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scale this up further and to include other partnerships?

Madam, ensuring law and order is essential and enabling in an environment in which we can be freed up to focus on our lives, work, families and aspirations. Against the backdrop of rising expectations and tight labour force, the Police has actively leveraged technology to attain efficiency of scale, accuracy and effectiveness in law enforcement.

In public housing estates and even on the roads, the Police has deployed cameras to deter offences and fight crimes. Therefore, I would like to ask how effective have the cameras been in fighting crime? Are there any other initiatives or examples that the Ministry can share to illustrate how the Police is leveraging technology to support its policing efforts?

As of the end of 2013, a total of about 1,000 cameras would have been installed by the Police at HDB void decks and multi-storey carparks under the larger community policing system initiative. There is a public expectation that these cameras would go a long way to address the scourge of loansharks who harass HDB residents even if these residents are not involved in any illegal moneylending. At one block in Bedok Reservoir, where such cameras have already been installed, a resident not involved in any illegal moneylending activity remarked to me that he had to endure harassment to his family by loansharks who masqueraded as salesmen when he was out at work, causing him much consternation.

Have the Police determined whether loansharks have changed tactics in light of installation of such cameras? In tandem, I would like to ask for an update of this specific programme under the Community Policing System with cameras already installed in a number of precincts in Singapore, and its success in addressing the scourge of loansharks. Separately, would the Ministry consider allowing Town Councils to access video footage on an ad hoc basis from these cameras to tackle unauthorised dumping, for example, and other anti-social activities?

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I turn to my second cut. In view of the heavy use of Auxiliary Police Officers for various policing and patrolling responsibilities in Singapore, from foreign worker management in places where they gather to the staging of international events, I seek to enquire what sort of formal training these Auxiliary Police Officers undergo to manage and communicate with the culturally diverse public they face.

As Singapore diversity becomes more apparent with Filipinos, mainland Chinese and Indian families, and yet other races and transient population coming to Singapore for work and long-term residence, have the relevant agencies under the Ministry reviewed their training programmes to take into account the demographics changes in our society? Is there a formal training package for mainstream Police Officers for our Auxiliary Police Officers to tap on? Would the Ministry consider setting up a cultural advisory unit or institutionalising similar training to work with migrant groups in particular, as they tend to congregate in large groups on their off days, so as to build up trust and understanding, as seen in other immigrant communities in Commonwealth countries, such as Canada and Australia?

Separately, have there been any operational examples where there has been a lack of Auxiliary Police Officers with the appropriate language training to communicate their intentions or instructions to the public, and how are these challenges overcome? Finally, for our Auxiliary Police Officer force, how many are Singaporeans, PRs and foreigners respectively?

Madam, when vulnerable persons are detained and interviewed by the Police, they often do not understand the questions, the significance and the intent of the questions asked, nor the significance of their replies due to their mental state or capacity. These persons are not limited to only children or those with intellectual disabilities. They include those with other learning difficulties like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and high-functioning ones with Asperger Syndrome and others with mental or personality issues.

The Appropriate Adult (AA) Scheme is a common feature in progressive Police and criminal justice systems. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the role of an AA was created alongside the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984. The AA supports, advises and assists the vulnerable person especially

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during Police interviews.

In Singapore, a workgroup comprising members from the Law Society, the Attorney-General's Chambers, Bedok Police Station and several others started a pilot programme. They convinced a group of volunteers to sign up to support AAs. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. I seek the approval of the official adoption and funding of an Appropriate Adult Scheme by the Ministry and to include (i) all key disabilities, and (ii) across all Police Divisions.

First, sexual crime investigation. According to the 2013 report on the International Violence against Women survey on Singapore, only 17% of women who experienced sexual violence reported the matter to the Police. Victims were found more likely to report if they had been injured, felt that their life was in danger, if they perceived the incident was serious, or if they regarded it as a crime. It does appear that women who do go to the Police, go with some expectations – for protection or seeking justice. Yet, the Police data raises questions about whether these victims' concerns are met.

According to the answer to my Parliamentary Question on 17 February this year, there are about 180 reported cases of serious sexual crimes handled by the Criminal Investigation Department each year for the last three years. Of these, only close to 30 cases are charged in Court each year, or about 17% of the reported cases. This means that about 83% of reported cases are not charged in Court. These cases were instead dealt with by a warning or no further action taken against the accused. Besides the low prosecution rate, the investigation procedures also seem long and cumbersome. The same answer revealed that, on average, it took 12 months to conclude investigations. Since this was an average, some cases would have taken much longer.

Beside having to undergo medical examinations and polygraph tests during investigations, victims are left wondering about their status of their cases for months. Given the above, I seek the following answers from the Ministry. First, why is the prosecution rate only at 17%? Two, what are the main reasons for issuing a warning in lieu of prosecution? Three, where lies the bottleneck for investigation to take an average of 12 months? And four, have Police sought feedback from social workers and women groups on gaps in

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Police's service and tried to address them?

Next, road traffic investigations. At last year's MHA COS, Minister Iswaran talked about the initiative called "Safer Roads Singapore". He mentioned that Traffic Police would be employing Auxiliary Police to complement its presence on the roads for enforcement duties. I would like to obtain some clarity as to the exact role of the Auxiliary Police and the approach of Traffic Police in accidents resulting in injuries.

Recently, I came across two incidents of injured motorcyclists along the Pan-Island Expressway. In the first case, the injured motorcyclist was possibly the victim of a hit-and-run. Several motorists, including myself, stopped to render assistance and call for help. A while later, a SCDF ambulance arrived followed by one Auxiliary Police Officer. Some of us potential witnesses gave our contact details to both the paramedic and the Auxiliary Police Officers who recorded them on pieces of paper. The victim was conveyed to the hospital. The Auxiliary Police Officers told us that the Traffic Police might contact us, but I receive no follow-up communication from Traffic Police at all. I am not sure whether this was because the information was not conveyed to Traffic Police, or because Traffic Police does not investigate every injury case.

In the second incident, I observed an Auxiliary Police Officer attending to several injured motorcyclists after a collision. He appeared to be finding out what had happened, and what needed to be done, but the extent of his role was not clear. Do the Auxiliary Police Officers have a role in traffic investigations now? What safeguards do Traffic Police adopt to ensure they make proper assessments of injury cases?

Mdm Chair, the Safe Road Singapore Action Plan was announced at last year's Committee of Supply debate with the pillars of education engagement and enforcement. Could MHA provide an update on the implementation of this effort and measures that perhaps have brought about some of the improvements in road safety? Over the past years, the statistics from the Traffic Police show that the total number of accidents with fatalities or injuries has decreased by about 8%.

One area of concern is heavy vehicles. More people were killed in accidents involving heavy vehicles last year. Traffic violations by such vehicles have also increased. I would like to ask what measures would be taken by the Traffic

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Police to address this matter, apart from stepping up enforcement against heavy vehicles who flout traffic laws.

Madam, every vehicle on the road is a potential source of danger to other road users, in particular, heavy vehicles, because of the combination of their size and speed as well as issues with the visibility that the drivers have over other road users are particular risks and of particular concern to vulnerable road users, that is, those on cycles, motorbikes and pedestrians. I would appreciate the Minister's comment on this.

A close partnership between the Home Team and the wider Singapore community is integral towards ensuring the effectiveness of measures to curb the occurrence of illegal moneylending, or loansharking, activities within our neighbourhoods.

With both parties being actively involved in the detection and deterrence of such activities in our heartlands and residential neighbourhoods, we will have peace of mind that our children and families are growing up and living in a safe environment.

In light of this, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs to provide an update on what new efforts are being taken to eradicate the prevalence of

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unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases, and an update on the progress that these initiatives have made in targeting the scourge of loansharking in our community.

Taken together, the Police and MHA have implemented many broad-based measures that are meant to support and complement one another in the fight against unlicensed moneylending in Singapore. These measures, namely, preventive education, enforcement and community engagement, ensure that the Police have robust measures at their disposal to curb the spread of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment incidents.

Thus far, initiatives, such as the Community Policing Scheme (COPS) and the Anti-Unlicensed Moneylending Awareness Campaign, enable the Police to tap onto the community as a potent source for surveillance and information gathering in the neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, the deployment of Police cameras at HDB blocks has assisted in allaying safety and security concerns of such loansharking activities happening in our communities. Regular reports of the arrests of unlicensed moneylenders are a testimony of the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Also, with the introduction of tough measures under the Moneylenders Act and other legislation, the Police have been successful at achieving a consistent reduction in the number of reports of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases in Singapore.

But as the Police slogan goes, "Low crime doesn't mean no crime". Therefore, tough and robust measures must continue to be utilised to stem the spread of such activities in our community. This is particularly important as unlicensed moneylending is amongst a cluster of crimes that tend to involve large organised crime syndicates and often have a transnational aspect to them.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether existing punitive, legal and enforcement measures to reduce illegal moneylending activities continue to be relevant and effective, and whether there are further enhancements that may be required to augment the Home Teams' ability to fight against such activities, particularly in pursuing upstream offenders who are the puppeteers and masterminds of such activities.

With the ever-evolving nature of such crimes, the Home Team and the Police must remain up-to-date with their measures and methods to reduce

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loansharking in our neighbourhoods, and must be able to adapt to the ever-changing and evolving criminal landscape.

Mdm Chair, my second cut on remote gambling. In this era of unprecedented Internet broadband access and widespread prevalence of smart phones amongst Singaporeans, a new phenomenon of remote gambling is starting to take root amongst our Singaporean population.

Remote gambling is essentially gambling either via the Internet or through a communication device like a smart phone. It was noted in 2013, that the size of the remote gambling market in Singapore was estimated at around $375 million and was expected to grow by about 6% to 7% annually.

This spread of remote gambling in Singapore is particularly worrisome as remote gambling websites can be accessed at any time of the day, from anywhere and often without any charge. This is unlike one of Singapore's two casinos where there is a $100 levy imposed on Singaporean seeking to enter the casinos.

Therefore, Singaporeans who wanted to gamble but are reluctant to pay the $100 would choose to engage in remote gambling instead. This would allow Singaporeans to circumvent the preventive measures that had justified the implementation of the levy on Singaporeans at the two local casinos, namely to prevent the spread of problem gambling in our community.

Another key issue with remote gambling is that remote gambling operations tend to be centred beyond the jurisdiction of Singapore and remote gambling operations may also become a source or conduit of funds for illegal activities or syndicated crimes.

Therefore, in November 2013, the Government announced that it would be introducing new laws to allow enforcement agencies to act against those who are involved in the provision or facilitation of remote gambling in Singapore.

These new laws are expected to block Singaporeans from accessing gambling websites, prevent them from making payments to remote gambling operators online and to ban advertisements that promote remote gambling sites.

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Soon after, MHA announced that it would be holding a public consultation exercise to engage with relevant stakeholders to understand how best such legislation can be crafted and implemented.

Hence, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs: what feedback had been collated from the public consultations that were conducted and, moving forward, what plans does the Ministry have to operationalise the proposed measures to restrict remote gambling in Singapore.

Until and unless the Government implements tough and robust measures to curb the spread of remote gambling in Singapore, there will continue to be an avenue for Singaporeans to get caught in the vicious cycle of problem gambling.

Mdm Chair, on the drug situation, the worsening regional situation has made its impact felt even in Singapore, with the growing use of recreational or party drugs, especially among young adults. Singapore has fought hard to contain the drug menace and it is important that we do not let up on our efforts now. Given its disturbing developments, could the Minister update the House on how he perceives the current drug situation and the plan that MHA has to deal with new abuses of drugs, particularly among our youth?

I have similar concerns as Mr Yeo. According to the Home Team's annual statistics on drugs for 2013 that were recently released, there was a 2% increase in the number of arrested drug users as well as repeat offenders. Altogether, some 3,574 drug abusers were arrested, of which 69% were re-offenders. The large number of repeat offenders tells the story of how serious the problem of drug abuse is. My own encounters with reforming addicts in the course of my work as a Member of Parliament leave me under no illusions about the man exposed to drugs.

In this regard, I was particularly concerned because of the people who are arrested, 31% are new drug abusers and of these new drug abusers, about half were between the ages of 20 and 29 years old. This might be a long painful road ahead for these drug abusers.

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I also understand that about 92% of the drug arrests were for heroin and methamphetamine. But it was also notable that there was a sharp increase in the number of abusers of cannabis, a drug which some people might perceive to be less harmful.

I understand that while heroin is the main drug of abuse for older addicts, younger addicts are more likely to use methamphetamine, such as Ice and cannabis. Could the Ministry provide an update on the local situation in relation to these types of drugs? Are any steps being taken to educate the youth of the risks of drugs such as these?

Madam, this House will agree that the ability to find a job as in financial independence and being meaningfully engaged in community will ensure offenders stay drug-free and crime-free for as long as possible after their release from the prison. Even while they were in prison, it is also reassuring and motivating for them to know that their families are not left alone to fend for themselves. These are also some of the reasons underlining the appointment of Yellow Ribbon Champions in our communities of which MacPherson is part of. As such, can the Ministry provide an update on its overall effort to work with volunteers and community partners to rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders?

Thank you, Mdm Chairperson. First of all, let me thank all the Members for their keen interest in issues that are faced by the Home Team and also for their support for Home Team officers for the very challenging and difficult work that they do. Very often, Home Team officers are held to account for what happens in society and to answer for how they respond to them. But, in fact, they are helping to maintain peace and order and to clean up what happens in our society. So, I thank all Members for their support.

With your permission, Madam, may I ask the Clerk to distribute a handout with some Home Team statistics, just to illustrate the points I want to make. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]

As Assoc Prof Eugene Tan and other Members have pointed out, we have built a strong record of safety and security in Singapore. The overall crime rate

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has been falling steadily and is at its lowest in 30 years. Our crime rate is among the lowest in the world, well below major cities like New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Recidivism rates remain stable. Our fire fatality rate is also lower compared to these same four major cities. Our road fatalities and injuries continue to fall, though we want to see them decline further and there are some specific areas which we need to look at. The number of immigration offenders arrested has been declining steadily and is less than half of what it was five years ago.

The most recent Safety and Security survey, carried out by MHA in 2012, found that more than 90% of Singaporeans felt safe in their neighbourhoods. Members would also have read in the news today that the US-based World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2014 ranked Singapore second out of 99 countries, in terms of order and security.

Mdm Chairperson, law-abiding citizens in Singapore have the freedom – a real freedom – to feel safe and secure in their home, and wherever they go in Singapore, whatever time of the day or night. There is strong deterrence against law-breakers because of strong public support for robust laws and effective enforcement, complemented by strong community partnerships.

We have been able to achieve these positive outcomes because the Home Team has been working together with Singaporeans to be more united in our efforts, integrated in our systems, committed to our values, and dedicated to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Let me speak about these four principles and how they have been applied in our approach to tackling our key safety and security challenges, which Mr Hri Kumar and others have asked about.

First, drugs, which Mr Alvin Yeo and Mr Vikram Nair were concerned about, as are we in the Home Team; very concerned. Many of us have seen the damage that drug abuse causes, not just to the drug abuser but also his family and the community. And this is why Singapore has remained committed to our zero-tolerance stance against drug abuse. Singaporeans support these tough measures because they keep our streets safe and our children safe.

In contrast, some other countries have given up the fight in the face of rampant drug abuse. Instead of suppressing abuse itself, these countries have adopted so-called "alternative approaches" to reduce the collateral harmful effects of continuing drug abuse. They tolerate and even decriminalise drug

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abuse in order to reduce, for example, the spread of hepatitis or HIV by offering free needles to abusers to inject drugs, sometimes, as many as 100 needles per year. Such alternative approaches do not mitigate the demand for drugs but instead perpetuate drug abuse and we should not go down this route.

While the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is the agency responsible for our anti-drug efforts, it is able to succeed only because it works together in an integrated manner with other Home Team and Government agencies, as well as the community.

Within the Home Team, CNB works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to stop drugs from entering Singapore. CNB has also stepped up inland enforcement together with the Police. As a result, the number of drug offenders arrested and drug seizures rose in 2013.

Beyond the Home Team, societal support is also needed to rehabilitate drug abusers and to ensure youths say no to drugs. CNB and Prisons have recently enhanced our post-release reintegration and supervision programmes to help former drug offenders break the cycle of re-offending. We need community support through halfway houses, the Yellow Ribbon Project and employers. All these are key to improving our success rates. With support from family members and the community, former drug offenders will be less likely to seek out their old friends and relapse back to their old habits.

This integrated approach extends beyond our shores. CNB works closely with their overseas counterparts to exchange information and conduct joint operations to crack down on transnational drug syndicates. In this integrated, coordinated and united way, we are able to keep our grip on this menace which has overwhelmed many other countries.

Senior Minister of State Masagos will say more about how we are tackling the drug scourge.

Second, unlicensed moneylending (UML), which Mr Christopher de Souza and others asked about. The number of cases of UML and loanshark harassment has fallen by more than 55% in the past four years, from a high of over 18,000 cases in 2009 to over 8,000 cases last year.

A coordinated and integrated approach including strengthened laws, coordinated and sustained enforcement, effective use of technology and strong

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community partnerships, brought the UML issue under control.

With the backing of strengthened laws, Police stepped up their presence and enforcement efforts, including through the Community Policing System. Installing Police cameras in over 2,000 HDB multi-storey carparks and residential blocks has also proven to be a strong deterrent to UML operators and has also helped us to catch many of them.

Local residents also play an important part. We now have nearly 10,000 volunteers in Citizens-on-Patrol groups, who patrol their own neighbourhoods and promote a greater sense of vigilance. Police will continue educating the public on the dangers of getting involved with UML activities, protecting themselves against UML harassment and keeping an eye out to detect UML harassment activities.

Because many UML syndicates are now transnational, with ringleaders based overseas, our investigation officers also work closely with their overseas counterparts to track them down, dismantle the syndicates and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Second Minister Iswaran will say more about our integrated anti-UML efforts in his speech.

Third, terrorism. Mr Vikram Nair asked for an update on this issue. Political instability in the Middle East and Africa has seen the emergence of new terrorist groups, some of whom have aligned themselves with Al Qaeda. The conflict in Syria has attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including some from our region and we cannot rule out the possibility, remote though it may seem, that Singaporeans may join them too.

The reduction and possible complete pull-out of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan at the end of this year will leave the country in a fragile state. Will Afghanistan proceed on a stable trajectory after more than a decade of UN-endorsed international efforts since December 2001? Or will the country return to turmoil again, and provide a safe haven in which terrorists can be trained and exported to other parts of the world? What happens in Afghanistan and other hot-spots has an impact on us. Members will recall that several of the core Singapore JI members received training in Afghanistan prior to September 2001.

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Self-radicalisation remains a concern for us, given the widespread availability of radical material on the Internet, including in English. Several Members have brought this up. Since 2007, we have detained five self-radicalised individuals under the ISA, and issued Restriction Orders against six others. All of them were radicalised through the Internet, and had intended to wage armed jihad in overseas conflict zones.

Our officers from the ISD, Police and ICA work hard to detect and apprehend these terrorists before they do harm to others and to themselves. More importantly, the community plays a critical part to protect Singapore and Singaporeans against terrorism. MUIS and our local Muslim community are vigilant against teachings that promote extremism or violence. In 2003, our Muslim religious leaders came forward to form the Religious Rehabilitation Group, to help counsel and rehabilitate those who have been involved in terrorism-related activities. Sixty-six individuals have been detained under the ISA for their involvement in terrorism-related activities since January 2002. More than two-thirds have since been released after they were assessed to have been rehabilitated.

The efforts to counter violent extremist ideology continue. In 2013, the Religious Rehabilitation Group organised an international conference on terrorist rehabilitation and community resilience to share best practices and lessons learnt amongst experts and practitioners from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the US, as well as European and ASEAN countries to counter extremist ideas. Such efforts will help to expose and counter the distorted interpretations of religious texts and doctrinal concepts that are propagated by extremists and this includes doing it on the Internet and on the web.

Violent extremism is a transnational phenomenon, which manifests itself as a threat to Singaporeans, both in Singapore and Singaporeans overseas. An integrated approach involving security agencies, the community and international cooperation is required to protect ourselves from this dangerous and constantly evolving threat.

Fourth, cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is important for Singapore, given our high dependence on information technology and the Internet. And cybercrime, as I pointed out, is also growing. Cyberattacks can take many forms and come from many sources. They range from hacking, defacement of websites to data theft, often by persons who hide behind the anonymity of cyberspace, which Singapore experienced last year. They can also pose systemic threats against the security of our National Critical Information Infrastructure. Last year, the attacks that we faced did not impact upon our National Critical Infrastructure

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but we cannot rule that out in the future when such attempts may be made.

Cybercrime is also a growing concern. The number of cheating cases involving electronic commerce more than doubled last year compared to 2012. Internet love scams also increased by more than 60% and the amount cheated last year increased to more than S$5 million – five times that in 2012.

Police cannot solve this problem on their own. They require people to have an awareness of those sort of "too good to be true" offers, whether they appear in the physical world or in the cyber world and to be very wary of them. Because once you fall into the trap, for Police to catch somebody who is somewhere in another part of the world is very, very difficult. And this is not the physical world; this is in the cyber world. So, self-awareness is important. The Police will do their best to enforce and are increasing their ability to investigate such crimes, even at the divisional level.

Last year, we amended the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act to strengthen our defences against cyberattacks. We continue to work closely with the community and industry to promote good cybersecurity practices and expand Singapore's pool of infocomm security experts.

The National Cyber Security Centre will commence operations in April 2014. It will work closely with sector leads responsible for each of their respective sectors on round-the-clock detection of major national cyber threats. We are not where I would like us to be but we are getting there and we will make progress to defend our critical infrastructure in Singapore. The Cyber Security Lab in the Home Team Academy will open in September 2014. It will provide realistic hands-on training for those regulating, managing and operating the National Critical Information Infrastructure.

Because the cyber world transcends national borders and attacks can materialise without notice from anywhere in the world, it is critical that we continue to work with like-minded global and industry partners, to build a community of responsible and security-aware users, and to strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities. INTERPOL is opening the INTERPOL Global Centre for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore over the next year and one of its areas of focus will be cybercrime.

Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Edwin Tong asked how we will ensure that the Home Team is able to meet its operational demands, including unanticipated incidents

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and threats.

Given the wide range of existing threats, as well as the emergence of new threats, it is indeed a challenge to meet all these demands within the very real overall resource constraints that we have, particularly people. Every company, every agency, every organisation faces that, and we have to try and manage this within the overall resources that can be made available to the Home Team. But we have been growing.

Over the last 10 years, manpower in the Home Team has grown from about 19,000 to about 24,000 – a 25% increase. And the Police have grown from about 9,000 to about 10,300, an increase of about 15% over the last 10 years. But we have to be realistic. Can we continue to recruit good men and women of high quality, train them to do all the general-purpose work that is required, for example, in the Police Force, and then we deploy them to do very simple, mundane duties – boots on the ground?

We have to strike a balance and, therefore, we are using Auxiliary Police Officers and security officers, and training them to do very specific duties which they can do on a regular basis. Then we can deploy our Police Officers who are generally trained for a wider range of duties to areas where their qualities are most valued and needed. This provides a good balance between having more people who are generally trained and more people who are specifically trained in order to meet our overall security needs.

Let me describe how we deal with emerging threats, emergencies and crises. There are so many things that happened which the Home Team has to clean up after and to protect ourselves against. These can fall into two main categories, namely, situations that our officers have trained and prepared for, and situations that are difficult to anticipate. They can happen but will they happen; when will they happen?

So, let me illustrate the first category by looking at how we deal with emergency medical response. These are things that we can anticipate, and our officers train and prepare for them. Where the type of situation can be anticipated and occur fairly often, the main variables are where, when, what, or who is involved – for example, a medical emergency.

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To improve our emergency medical response, we are growing the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulance fleet. We have cross-trained some fire-fighters as Emergency Medical Technicians. And we have fitted our fire bikes and fire engines with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). We have also engaged private operators to augment our ambulance fleet to attend to the growing number of ambulance calls, particularly medical emergencies as compared to trauma cases.

So, how can we respond better to emergency cases, in particular medical emergencies? If we focus solely on continually improving ambulance response times, it will require an ever increasing resource level that will ultimately reach our resource limits. But we can redefine the problem. If somebody has a medical condition that requires a fast, almost immediate response, there is no faster first responder than the person standing right next to him. So, how can we make him more able to respond and help? How can we help each other?

We can facilitate this by leveraging on resources already available in the community. SCDF is collaborating with the Singapore Heart Foundation to set up and maintain a National AED Registry to guide members of the public to the nearest AED in an emergency. SCDF is also developing a complementary mobile app to alert volunteers trained in AED and CPR to emergencies in their immediate vicinity so they can provide first response even before the emergency ambulance arrives. This can help improve patient survival and outcomes.

Together with MOH, we are working with stakeholders to encourage the installation of AEDs in public places with high human traffic and to train more first responders in the community. For a start, we are partnering the People's Association to install AEDs in Community Centres and conduct CPR and AED training for their staff and for the public. By marrying the accessibility and the location of AEDs, the readiness of AED-trained volunteer community partners, and the reach of mobile communications, we can supplement our emergency medical responders to achieve faster response and better outcomes in a sustainable and resource-efficient way. Similarly, we can tap on community resources to detect and report crime or traffic violations. Some of these suggestions were put up by the Members today.

The second category comprises situations that are difficult to anticipate. They may only happen once in a very long while, but can have very serious consequences. Or they might not have even been anticipated at all. We can try to anticipate every eventuality, and plan and prepare for every one of them. But it is not possible to predict to the last detail what can happen, nor can we set

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aside dedicated resources at high alert for every single eventuality all of the time, and all at the same time.

So, our approach is to organise the Home Team and train our officers to prepare them for their core work and the situations that they are most likely to face and, at the same time, our forces and our officers must have the right instincts and operational flexibility to respond and adapt to the specific requirements when the unanticipated happens.

Let me give you an example. We have not had a kidnapping case for a very long time but when a kidnapping occurred, the Police was able to respond very, very quickly and resolve the case within 12 hours. And they had their priorities right – which was the safety and the life of the victim. They made sure that she was safe, then they arrested the suspects and then they recovered the ransom. So, victim survived, arrested the suspects, then recovered the ransom. That was a response in a very, very rapid way, in a very well coordinated way to an incident which has not happened for many, many years.

So, we may not necessarily have specific and separate forces that are dedicated to and on high alert for each possible eventuality, but we can structure our forces to provide sufficient redundancy and resilience to adapt as necessary and respond to whatever situation arises. You may not get an optimal 100% response which comes from a dedicated high alert force that is ready to do it all the time, but you will get a very good response anyway.

By preparing a tiered response and building in some redundancies and reserves, we can bring our forces up to the required level of alert, deployment and response according to the threat or risk assessment for each eventuality. The deployment posture for our forces will adapt according to operational needs. For example, a high profile international meeting that attracts international protest groups or terrorists will require one type of deployment; a major football game, another; a street parade, an international sporting event, a civil disaster, or possible tension among foreign groups in Singapore that might arise due to developments overseas. All these require different postures and deployments, out of the same general purpose response forces that we have.

The approach I outlined also applies to how we prepare, train and equip our officers for riot control and other public order and security threats, which Mr Heng Chee How and several others asked about. For example, the structure, equipping and training of our forces was reviewed in preparation for the World

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Bank/IMF Conference in 2006 and reviewed again after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. I do not just mean the SOC forces but also our general purpose Police Officers as well as the SCDF.

One area that the Committee of Inquiry into the Little India riot is looking into is examining how the response forces managed the incident. As you would have seen from the testimonies at the COI, there are many considerations in dealing with such a fluid and fast-moving incident and all the factors should be taken into account before arriving at any conclusions. SPF, SCDF and MHA will study and consider the Committee's recommendations as part of our review of public order management and response capabilities.

Mr Hri Kumar, Mr Arthur Fong and others asked whether the Home Team has adequate resources and manpower. The short answer is that more resources and manpower are always welcome because there are growing operational demands and calls for more enforcement presence. But there are natural limits to how much we can grow the Home Team, without compromising the standards expected of officers. As our resident workforce ages and stops growing, it will be even more challenging to recruit and retain good officers, especially given the demands of a uniformed career. I had explained earlier our approach to recruiting officers of good quality and whom we can train in a general purpose way; and employing Auxiliary Police Officers whom we can deploy effectively but for more specific domains and jobs.

I agree with Mr Hri Kumar that it is important to retain a core of experienced officers within the Home Team. That is why in October 2013, we extended the retirement age of Home Team officers. These experienced officers can help to guide younger officers, and share the experience and expertise that they have built up over the years.

We are also increasingly using technology to support the work of our Home Team officers – Ms Tin Pei Ling asked about that.

ICA has been deploying automated self-service immigration lanes that offer secure immigration clearance through the use of biometric identifiers. Many of you would have used it at the airport – it is very fast, it is very convenient and it is secure. SCDF is acquiring unmanned fire fighting machines that are able to respond to a variety of operating environments safely and remotely.

Installing Police cameras at the foot of every HDB block serves as a deterrent against crime and helps in investigations and prosecution, and this is

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a more effective way of using our Police Officers than deploying a Police Officer 24 hours a day at the foot of every block. This frees up the Policeman to take on more and higher value tasks, such as understanding the local community and their needs.

Assoc Prof Eugene Tan spoke about public trust and confidence. We will continue to recruit and retain good officers, and we will train, equip and prepare our officers so that they can perform their duties well. Our Home Team officers work round the clock, 365 days a year – investigating and solving crimes, manning our immigration checkpoints, responding to medical and fire emergency calls and more. They bring justice to victims, protect the vulnerable from harm and steer people who have broken the law back onto the right path. In all they do, Home Team officers are expected to act with honour and integrity.

As I said in this House last month, when officers perform well, I will recognise and commend their good work publicly and so should we all – give them a pat on the back when they do well. If they act professionally and discharge their duties properly and to the best of their abilities, while the outcome does not turn out as well as expected, I will still support them publicly – for this is the difficult and challenging work that they do in the Home Team. And they need our support and encouragement. So, do give them your support and encouragement too when the outcome is not as good as one might have expected. However, if they do not discharge their duties properly and fall short of the standards expected of the Home Team, I will hold them accountable and where warranted, admonish and discipline them.

We will not tolerate wilful misconduct, abuse of power or a lack of integrity. This is not only fundamentally wrong at the individual level, but also tarnishes the Home Team's reputation and undermines the public trust that our officers have collectively and painstakingly built up over the years.

Mdm Chairperson, the individual Home Team agencies already have a system of carrying out investigations into allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct by their officers. To strengthen this system, I have decided to set up an Independent Review Panel. When directed by the Minister, the Panel will review the findings of internal investigations into cases of serious alleged misconduct by an officer in his official capacity. Examples include cases which have resulted in death or serious injury, cases which obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice, or where it is in the public interest to do so.

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The Panel will report directly to the Minister, and review whether the allegations are substantiated and whether the investigations were thorough and carried out in a fair manner. The members of the Panel will comprise prominent members of the community, including people with deep legal knowledge and experience, and also include former Home Team senior officers. The Panel will ensure that there are independent, robust and fair processes in place to review allegations of misconduct by Home Team officers. And this will, in turn, foster greater public trust and confidence in the integrity of the Home Team.

Mdm Chairperson, the Home Team has the important mission of keeping Singapore a safe and secure home. Our officers know that the duties they perform and the decisions they make can have a serious impact on the safety and security of fellow Singaporeans. This is a heavy responsibility. It is a responsibility that every Home Team officer bears.

Our officers can only succeed if they have the support of Singaporeans for the difficult and challenging work that they do. We will continue to forge strong partnerships with businesses, community groups, and fellow Singaporeans in tackling our current and future security changes. Working together with Singaporeans, the Home Team will remain united in our efforts, integrated in our systems, committed to our values, and dedicated to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Let us give them all our support and encouragement.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo has laid out MHA's strategy to keep Singapore safe and secure. Let me now elaborate on our efforts to ensure the safety of our neighbourhoods and roads, and also address some specific queries from Members.

Madam, as we have heard, the overall crime rate declined to 549 crimes per 100,000 population, which is a 6% decrease from 2012, and it continues a favourable trend since 2005. To sustain this, we will continue to invest in our frontline policing capabilities, harness technology, while building on our partnership with the community.

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Community policing is a key aspect of our efforts to keep neighbourhoods safe. Many Members have spoken on this. Mr Hri Kumar has commented on the efficacy and merits in the context of other jurisdictions.

Mr Edwin Tong and Mr Arthur Fong asked about the progress of the Community Policing System (COPS). To strengthen our frontline policing capabilities, we have been implementing COPS in phases since 2012. To date, 20 of our 35 Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) have adopted the COPS model. Under this approach, a Community Policing Unit (CPU) and a Crime Strike Force (CSF) is established at each NPC to reach out to the community, and to tackle local crime concerns.

Our Community Policing Unit officers regularly engage residents to forge closer ties, to raise crime prevention awareness, and to assist and support victims of crimes. Their outreach efforts have generally been well-received by members of the public.

The familiarity with the local operating terrain has enabled our Crime Strike Force officers to be more effective in detecting and deterring crime. For example, officers from Clementi NPC relied on their experience, knowledge of the neighbourhood, and detailed crime pattern analysis to solve within three days a case of serial theft of television sets in November last year.

We will continue to allocate more resources to the Community Policing System. In the second half of 2014, COPS will be implemented at eight more NPCs in Ang Mo Kio North, Bedok South, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah West, Bukit Panjang, Kampong Java, Queenstown and Yishun North. We expect COPS to be introduced in all NPCs by 2015.

Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Pritam Singh asked for an update on the programme to deploy Police Cameras in HDB estates. To date, Police Cameras have been installed in over 2,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks (MSCPs), across all 16 Town Councils, and the 87 wards that they cover. Police Cameras will be rolled out to 1,000 more blocks and MSCPs by the end of this year. We expect all 10,000 HDB blocks and MSCPs to be covered by 2016.

Harnessing such technology is another important element in our efforts to enhance Police's ability to fight crime. Over a period of 21 months, footages from Police Cameras have been used to solve 48 crime cases and generate

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investigative leads for a further 195 cases. On Mr Singh's specific query, the Police is willing to share footages from its cameras with Town Councils where it is relevant for investigations into offences under the Town Councils' purview.

The Home Team continues to seek new ways to leverage on technology as a force multiplier. One new initiative that the Police is working on is the use of body-worn cameras by frontline officers. The experience of Police forces in countries like the UK and Canada indicates that such cameras and their recordings have been useful in deterring crime, calming rowdy members of the public and providing valuable investigative leads. Police will commence a pilot on the use of body-worn cameras for frontline policing in the middle of this year.

Madam, we also remain steadfast in our efforts to strengthen community partnerships. As the Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned, more residents are stepping forward to partner the Police, as evident from the 36% increase in Citizens-on-Patrol membership – from 7,094 members in December 2012 to 9,623 in December 2013.

Police have also extended their partnership to other community stakeholders. For example, Jurong Police Division collaborated with dormitory operators, employers and MOM to launch a Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) to promote crime prevention and safety and security awareness among foreign workers.

Madam, let me now turn to some specific issues that have been raised by Members.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked for an update on the unlicensed moneylending situation. As we have heard, the number of reported unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases fell to around 8,300 in 2013. This is a decrease of over 2,500 cases, or 23%, from 2012. Since 2009, there has been a cumulative decline of over 55% in such cases. There has also been a shift in the harassment tactics of loanshark syndicates; for instance, harassment cases with damage to property fell by almost a third, or 2,461 cases, over the past year.

This is the combined result of the tough laws that we have enacted, the Police's sustained enforcement effort complemented by the use of technology, such as CCTVs and public education and community partnership.

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Police will also press ahead with their community outreach efforts to educate the public, especially the financially vulnerable, on the perils of borrowing from loansharks, the availability of legal channels and to stay vigilant against loansharking activities.

On the enforcement front, Police have detected an increasing incidence of debtors assisting unlicensed moneylending syndicates by allowing their bank accounts to be used for transactions. To curb their illicit operations, Police are working with banks on a three-year pilot trial to terminate the ATM and Internet banking facilities of persons who are convicted of, or administered with a stern warning in lieu of prosecution, for assisting unlicensed moneylending syndicates. They will be denied such services for a year after which the banks will have to assess whether their services are to be reinstated.

As highlighted by Mr de Souza, unlicensed moneylending tends to involve organised crime syndicates, which are transnational in their activities. MHA is working on legislation targeting organised crime that will strengthen our enforcement efforts against the various levels of unlicensed moneylending syndicates, including those who are based overseas but conduct their unlawful activities in Singapore.

Ms Sylvia Lim spoke on investigations into serious sexual crimes, in particular the length of investigations and the prosecution rate. Madam, investigations into such offences are delicate and inherently complex by their very nature. Where it entails the word of one party against another, the challenge for the Police investigators lies in finding objective evidence to prove the guilt, or otherwise, of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

To this end, as part of investigations, Police record statements from the victims, witnesses and defendants. Exhibits, if any, would be sent for forensic examination. Polygraph examinations may also be conducted in some cases, on a voluntary basis with written consent. Time is also needed for any additional investigative enquiries, and the preparation of the necessary medical and forensic reports. The Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) may also conduct further interviews with the victims and witnesses.

As Ms Sylvia Lim has noted from previous replies, typically, Police take 12 months on average to conclude investigations into serious sexual crimes. The duration can vary for individual cases depending on its complexity. And as a point of reference, its duration of process is comparable to murder cases, which

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like serious sexual crimes are also tried in the High Court.

Upon the conclusion of investigations, as with all criminal investigations, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) will make the final prosecutorial decision based on the facts and circumstances of the case and the strength of the evidence. That will determine the outcome, whether it is to be a prosecution, a stern warning, or no further action to be taken. Police go their part of the work and the AGC will have to evaluate the evidence and circumstances in deciding on the path forward.

Where a victim requires more specialised support, Police work closely with agencies like MSF and MOE, especially for young victims, the National Crime Prevention Council, crisis support groups, for example, Family Service Centres and medical social workers, to provide additional victim care. Police are also working on a pilot to implement a new Victim Care Cadre (VCC) programme. Under this programme, members of the public will be trained by Police psychologists as victim care officers to provide direct moral support to victims of rape.

Ms Denise Phua asked that the Appropriate Adult Scheme be formalised. As she has noted, an inter-agency committee led by AGC concluded a pilot recently of this scheme at Bedok Police Division and is in the process of evaluating the results.

The preliminary feedback from stakeholders has been positive. The inter-agency committee overseeing this programme will assess how this scheme can be implemented across all Police land divisions for the benefit of vulnerable groups, such as young persons and those with intellectual disabilities. The review is expected to be completed in the coming months.

Mr Christopher de Souza had asked for an update on the public consultation exercise on the proposed framework to restrict remote gambling. MHA had earlier announced that we were developing a regulatory framework that would include blocking measures, and laws for enforcement against facilitators, intermediaries and providers of remote gambling services.

MHA conducted the public consultation on the proposed framework from 29 November 2013 to 10 January 2014. We received feedback from industry stakeholders, community and grassroots organisations, religious and social services groups, as well as members of the public.

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The majority of respondents supported the move to restrict remote gambling and for Government to implement blocking measures. However, there were mixed views on whether a limited form of remote gambling should be permitted. Some called for a complete ban on remote gambling. Others felt that there was a need for a tightly regulated authorised entity that could divert demand away from illegal and unregulated operators – somewhat akin to Hong Kong, where a locally-based, not-for-profit operator is allowed to offer a limited range of non-casino style products on online platforms. The Ministry will take the next few months to further study these issues and the experience of other jurisdictions before arriving at an appropriate set of actions, including legislation.

Madam, I now turn to road safety, raised by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Alvin Yeo. As Members have noted, there was an 11% reduction in the number of accidents with fatalities or injuries, from 7,188 cases in 2012 to 6,426 cases in 2013. The number of injured road users also decreased, by almost 12%, and the number of fatalities declined by 5%.

Notwithstanding this decrease, the fact is that such accident-related casualties can and should be prevented. We must therefore persist and persevere with our efforts to improve road safety. This was the impetus for the launch of the Safer Roads Singapore (SRS) action plan last year. Through Safer Roads Singapore, we aim to foster a culture of safe and courteous road use, with a three-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and engagement.

On enforcement, we have deployed Auxiliary Police Officers and an additional 70 Traffic Police officers on our roads. The objective is to remind road users to continue to use our roads safely and responsibly, and to deter poor behaviour. Enforcement operations in 2013 resulted in a 10% increase in the number of traffic violations detected, compared to 2012.

We have also begun rolling out new digital red light and speed cameras around the island. This will complement the efforts of officers on the ground, and enhance our ability to detect and identify vehicles that speed or run red lights. The first five digital red light cameras began operations earlier this month. By the first half of 2015, a total of almost 260 additional digital red light and speed cameras would have been installed.

To complement enforcement efforts, Traffic Police have also strengthened road safety education for various groups of road users, in particular the more vulnerable. One such group is the motorcyclists who

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constitute nearly half of all injuries and fatalities on our roads.

Since June 2013, almost 3,000 learner motorcycle riders have undergone the new compulsory Expressway Familiarisation Ride (EFR) course. It aims to help new motorcyclists become more familiar with riding on expressways, and to pick up useful tips for safer riding. Riders who have gone through the EFR course are much less likely to cause, or be involved in, accidents on the expressways. This was based on the pilot study that was done by Traffic Police previously.

The community and industry play important roles in ensuring road safety. To this end, Traffic Police have continued to engage the community and industry partners to champion a culture of road safety.

For example, the Singapore Road Safety Council has launched the annual Singapore Road Safety Award (SRSA), to recognise industry fleet owners that are committed to improving road safety within their companies. The inaugural Award was presented to PSA Corporation Ltd in December 2013 for putting in place a comprehensive framework to instil a strong road safety culture among its drivers.

This is not just confined to large companies. For example, LTH Logistics, a chemical logistics and distribution company with about 80 drivers, has taken a proactive approach to ensure the safety of its drivers and also our roads. All their vehicles are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that allow the company to monitor the drivers' speed. Those who adopt good driving habits are rewarded. These are good examples well worth emulating by all other companies with respect to ensuring the safety of their employees.

The Traffic Police will also be launching a new one-stop online portal on 15 March. This portal will allow members of the public to report traffic violations as well as examples of courteous and considerate driving. Members of the public will thus be able to play a part in improving our road use norms by providing feedback on both positive and negative road conduct.

Mdm Chair, even though the overall road safety situation has improved, some specific groups of drivers warrant closer attention. Mr Alvin Yeo and Mr Baey Yam Keng have identified heavy vehicle drivers and, more generally, vocational drivers as one such group. As Mr Baey has pointed out, vocational drivers do spend long hours on the road, often in large vehicles, and they also

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tend to ferry passengers or goods in the course of their work. It is important to ensure that these drivers have the requisite driving competencies and safety mindset.

One part of this is enforcement. Traffic Police have stepped up enforcement efforts against heavy vehicles. Last year, Traffic Police mounted significantly more operations against heavy vehicles as compared to 2012. We have also tightened the inspection requirements for heavy vehicles caught speeding. Since the implementation of this measure in November 2013, more than 190 vehicles that were caught for speeding were required to go for additional inspections. This enhanced inspection regime, which does disrupt operations for companies, coupled with the demerit points and fines imposed for speeding offences, will serve to emphasise the importance of safe driving habits among heavy vehicle drivers and, importantly, their employers.

In addition, we are working with key industry players as well as Government agencies, like MOT and MOM, on a comprehensive study of the causes of such accidents and to identify specific initiatives which can help improve road safety amongst vocational drivers. These could include vehicular technological solutions, such as the in-vehicle cameras that Mr Baey suggested. This collaboration is spearheaded by the Safer Roads Industry Taskforce, which is co-chaired by Senior Minister of State Mr Masagos Zulkifli and Parliamentary Secretary Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. The Taskforce will, certainly, take on board the Member's suggestions.

Finally, let me address some Members' comments on the role of Auxiliary Police Officers and private operators. As Deputy Prime Minister Teo has highlighted, our operational demands have grown over the years and will continue to do so. In response, we have been strengthening our Home Team agencies with more officers. Over the past five years, the number of Home Team officers has grown by an annual average of about 2%.

But there are limits to how much we can grow the Home Team, not least because we need to balance the increasing operational demands with the high standards that we expect of our Home Team officers. This, in turn, translates into selection criteria in recruiting. Hence, apart from harnessing technology, Auxiliary Police Officers and private operators play an important complementary role in supporting the work of the Home Team.

Today, Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) and other private operators support us in performing specific functions in various areas such as facilities protection,

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checkpoints security, inmate escort and the provision of emergency ambulance services. This allows Home Team officers to focus on duties and situations requiring more specialised skills, or a higher level of judgement and decision making.

We have to be clear – Auxiliary Police Officers are not a substitute for regular Home Team officers. They are a complement to our Home Team effort. Ms Sylvia Lim had said that we should look at best-sourcing rather than outsourcing. I agree with her. By advocating best-sourcing, she already admits the requirement that there is a need to look at some external augmentation of the Home Team resources. Secondly, APFs are appointed under the powers of the Police Force Act. This is not a general tender exercise where we go for the lowest bidding entity. This is a strategic calibrated move as a result of the recognition of the need to find a continuum of capabilities in our system to meet rising operation needs. The APFs are formed and officers are appointed as a result of that.

I would also add that the number of Auxiliary Police Officers as a proportion of Home Team officers has remained relatively modest and stable over the past five years. The Member cited the example of Woodlands Checkpoint being 20%. When you look at the operational environment in Woodlands, you will see why there is a need for more supplementation from Auxiliary Police Officers. But if I give you an aggregate picture, MHA collectively contracts about 1,700 APOs, and this is about 9% of the 18,000 of the Home Team uniformed officers. When the Member said that we should have a limit, I agree with her. Yes, there should be a limit, but I think at this current level, the agencies are, in fact, exercising their discretion to use APOs in a very responsible and calibrated way.

Mr Singh asked about the nationalities of the Auxiliary Police Officers. If you look at the ratio of Auxiliary Police Officers between foreigners and locals, it is not dissimilar to the general involvement of foreigners in our workforce. About two-thirds are locals – Singaporeans and PRs, and the rest are foreigners, specifically Malaysians.

Even as we work closely with the APFs and private operators, the Home Team agencies have to ensure that the Auxiliary Police Officers and private operators perform to the required standards in support of the Home Team's mission. This is critical. Auxiliary Police Officers are therefore, typically deployed under the supervision of Home Team officers and operate in accordance with procedures stipulated by the Home Team. Ultimately, the Home Team agencies and their officers maintain overall responsibility and accountability for the outcomes.

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Hence, it is in our interests to ensure that Auxiliary Police Officers receive the necessary training to effectively perform their duties. Today, Auxiliary Police Officers receive both basic and specialised training. All Auxiliary Police Officers are required to pass a basic training course. In addition to this, they also undergo specialised training for the type of duties that are assigned.

For example, Auxiliary Police Officers who are deployed to patrol foreign worker congregation grounds are briefed on the operating terrain and given training to deal with the common scenarios that they may encounter in the course of their duties. I want to assure Mr Pritam Singh that a structured training programme is in place to ensure that Auxiliary Police Officers are able to meet operational needs. This training is targeted at their special duties or duties they are assigned, and reviewed on an ongoing basis by Home Team agencies to ensure that Auxiliary Police Officers continue to be able to support our officers as the operating environment evolves.

A question was raised whether there is a scope for Auxiliary Police Officers to tap into some of the Home Team training. The answer is yes, a lot of it is focused on training the trainers, or commanders of the Auxiliary Police Officers, so that they in turn are able to create the right culture and mindset amongst their officers.

The APFs also conduct regular audits and inspections on the ground to ensure that their own officers meet the required standards of performance in their duties. Drills, exercises and red-teaming are also conducted to improve Auxiliary Police Officers' operational effectiveness. The Police independently conducts its own audits and inspections of APFs and their operations.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked about the role of Auxiliary Police Officers in road traffic accident investigations. Auxiliary Police Officers do not conduct road traffic investigations; only Traffic Police Officers conduct investigations. LTA engages Auxiliary Police Officers as traffic marshals to manage traffic accident scenes. This initiative was started in late 2007 between LTA and Traffic Police in order to expedite the clearance of accident scenes and promote faster restoration of smooth traffic flow. Even then, Auxiliary Police Officers are not activated by LTA in all accident cases; they are mainly deployed for incidents, such as those in expressways and tunnels, which can affect traffic efficiency substantially. That is really the context.

When the LTA Auxiliary Police Officers arrive at the scene, they help to cordon off the affected lanes, direct traffic to ease congestion and, where necessary, preserve evidence for Traffic Police's investigations. Traffic Police will usually not conduct investigations into minor accidents where there is no injury caused to the parties. The parties will be advised to report the accident to their respective

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insurers promptly.

Traffic Police investigate accidents where injury or fatality is caused. For such cases, LTA traffic marshals may facilitate the investigation process by noting down basic preliminary details, such as sketching of the accident scene and vehicle damage. In these cases where an investigation by Traffic Police is required, the traffic marshals are to relay any information that they have gathered to the Traffic Police officer in-charge of the case as soon as possible. This includes the contact information of involved parties and potential witnesses such as Ms Lim.

As part of the investigations, Traffic Police may contact – I stress may contact – the involved parties or potential witnesses for further information. However, if the facts are clear or where sufficient evidence has been obtained, Traffic Police can take the appropriate action against the parties involved without necessarily contacting all the potential witnesses for input.

Traffic Police train and assess these Auxiliary Police Officers in their roles as traffic marshals, prior to their deployment. There are also established operating protocols to guide the traffic marshals in executing their tasks professionally. Traffic Police take the delegation of its functions very seriously and these processes are reviewed regularly to ensure that they remain relevant and robust.

Madam, I have taken some time to elaborate on this regime which we have with respect to Auxiliary Police Officers. First, I understand and share the intent behind Members' comments on Auxiliary Police Officers and private operators. But it is also important to understand, as Mr Hri Kumar has pointed out, that we need to strike a balance between the use of Auxiliary Police Officers and private operators to complement the Home Team in meeting operational demands, whilst upholding the high standards expected of the Home Team and its officers. It is a dynamic environment that we are in, and the Home Team agencies work with the Auxiliary Police Officers and other complementary entities in order to ensure they can achieve the best outcome in terms of safety and security. We will regularly review the regulation, deployment and training of Auxiliary Police Officers to ensure that they have the skills and training to be able to support the Home Team effectively.

Mdm Chair, MHA will continue to strengthen our operational capabilities, maintain a tough enforcement stance against crime and continue with our efforts to keep our roads safe. Our operating environment is dynamic, and we will constantly review and adapt our strategies in response to the evolving

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challenges.

The support of community and Singaporeans has been a key pillar of the Home Team's efforts. We will broaden and deepen our partnership with the community to keep Singapore safe and secure.

Mdm Chairperson, I will now speak on our fight against drugs, strategies to prevent reoffending and efforts to strengthen community relationships.

Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Alvin Yeo have asked for updates on the local drug situation, especially among youths, and our plans to counter these threats. When discussing the local drug situation, it is important to first set the context. The regional drug situation is expected to worsen, with reports of higher production, trafficking and consumption of heroin and amphetamine derivatives. International drug syndicates are also targeting the region. The attack by the suppliers has been relentless.

We are monitoring these trends closely because even though the situation in Singapore is contained, the unfavourable regional situation poses a challenge to our efforts to combat drugs. This is evident from local drug seizures. In 2013, CNB seized 72 kg of heroin. What does this amount to? What does this mean? This amount is sizeable because it can potentially feed the drug habit of around 8,000 abusers for 30 days. That is more people than those detained in our Prisons today for drug abuse. This is also a 150% increase from five years ago. There have been similar increases in cannabis and methamphetamine seizures in recent years.

As pointed out by Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Alvin Yeo, drugs such as methamphetamine, more commonly known as Ice, and cannabis, which some may perceive as "party" drugs or "lifestyle" drugs, have now gained popularity of late. Arrests of methamphetamine and cannabis abusers increased in 2013 when compared to the year before. Between them, they account for 73% of new abusers arrested in 2013 and nearly 64% of new abusers arrested were below the age of 30. This is a serious concern.

We are studying the reasons for this increase. One reason could be misperception that young persons have about drugs. When arrested, many Ice

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and cannabis users say they took these drugs because they assumed they could control their addiction. They can try it just once and then they can stop thereafter. Please let me make this clear. There is no such thing as "lifestyle" drugs. One cannot experiment with drugs and not expect to get hooked. Ice and cannabis are no less addictive and dangerous than the drugs we have seen in the past. They can lead to a lifetime of drug dependency, damage our bodies and, in some cases, result in death.

From time to time, we also read stories about how drugs have claimed the lives of celebrities everywhere. Every time this happens is an opportunity for the media and the entertainment industry to step up and rally against drug taking and its harmful and potentially deadly consequences. Indeed, what has been happening is that we mourn their death and, worse, sometimes continued to produce materials that promote drug taking. For ourselves, we should send a clear message to the young to always to say "no" to drugs.

Therefore, I am glad that Singaporeans understand this and support our tough zero-tolerance stance against drug abuse. Our approach to the drug problem is a comprehensive one, comprising targeted prevention, strong enforcement and detection, upstream intervention for drug abusers, and supervision and rehabilitation to reduce re-offending. I would like to touch on how we have been applying this approach, particularly to youths and first-time abusers.

CNB adopts a calibrated and targeted approach in its Preventive Drug Education initiatives, or what we call "PDE". It is important that we address drug abuse as upstream as possible, which is why youths are a key target segment. CNB uses a range of platforms and works with various stakeholders, such as educators and parents, to outreach to them. Apart from mainstream media, CNB has been using social media sites like FaceBook, YouTube and Instagram to disseminate this information.

In April 2013, we launched a youth-oriented blog (LiveItLoud.Sg) to promote a healthy and drug-free lifestyle. It takes on a more personal approach and youth-centred content and popular guest bloggers, and has more than 4,000 unique visitors to date.

We also recognise the important and complementary role that parents can play in speaking to their children, all through the various phases in their life, guiding them to the right information and keeping them away from drugs. A recent survey by the National Council against Drug Abuse (NCADA) found that

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the majority or 96% of youths who spoke to their parents about drugs and drug abuse were more likely to be deterred from taking drugs. Over the course of the year, CNB will be covering topics, such as the effects of drugs and the importance of family support in popular local magazines like Manja, I-Weekly, 8 Days and NTUC Lifestyle. CNB is also working with MOE to feature e-articles with anti-drug information for parents on platforms, such as the Edumall and Parents in Education portals, and individual school websites.

We have also strengthened early intervention programmes for young drug abusers of various profiles. For example, we collaborated with MSF to introduce casework and counselling for young first-time drug abusers since July 2013 as part of an enhanced supervision scheme. To date, 28 youths aged 14 to 20 have benefited from this. Besides individual counselling and group work, families of these youths are also involved in their rehabilitation.

We will continue to finetune this programme as we believe these low-risk young abusers, with sufficient support, have a good chance of turning over a new leaf and staying away from drugs. Later this year, a Community Rehabilitation Centre for moderate-risk youths will commence operations. It is a residential programme that allows youths to continue their schooling and employment in the day, before returning for counselling and programmes.

Let me touch now on partnering the community to keep Singapore safe and secure. Keeping Singapore safe and secure is a whole-of-community effort that requires support from all stakeholders, as Mr Hri Kumar and Ms Tin Pei Ling have pointed out. Please allow me to provide some updates on how we work with volunteers and the community to prevent re-offending, as well as in other areas.

In our work with ex-offenders, we have found that securing employment, finding accommodation and having support from the family and community are all critical factors in helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society.

Ex-offenders who are gainfully employed are less likely to re-offend. The Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) prepares offenders for employment by providing them with training that is accredited by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), and other market-relevant skills before their release. SCORE has steadily built up a network of over 3,800 employers from various fields, such as logistics, manufacturing and food and beverage industries, who are all willing to offer ex-offenders a second chance. In 2013, SCORE helped more than 2,000 offenders secure employment before

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their release. This was a 23% increase from 2012. The support from employers to help ex-offenders stay in a job is an important part of our strategy to help ex-offenders rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

Accommodation and family support are also important factors that support ex-offenders' reintegration efforts. In this regard, the Yellow Ribbon Community Project (YRCP) plays a crucial role in helping families of incarcerated offenders during their term of imprisonment. Piloted in 2010 in just seven grassroots divisions, the YRCP helps these families link up with relevant Government agencies for social assistance and support. They conduct house visits and help to ensure that the bonds between the families and the incarcerated offenders remain intact and that the ex-offender then has a home and family to return to upon release. As of today, the YRCP has expanded to 60 grassroots divisions all over Singapore, involving more than 500 volunteers. Over 1,600 families have benefited from this initiative. In 2014, we will broaden its coverage and extend the YRCP to more divisions.

In 2013, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Yellow Ribbon Project (YRP). The YRP has helped raise awareness about the challenges of reintegration, increase the acceptance of ex-offenders and inspire action in the community. Since inception, more than 420,000 members of the community have participated in various Yellow Ribbon activities, such as the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run and Yellow Ribbon Concert. The YRP has also partnered close to 1,000 community agencies and schools to organise and run activities for ex-offenders.

Volunteers and community support are not limited to the rehabilitation sector. We are fortunate that the Home Team can rely on the partnership and involvement of people from all walks of life to keep Singapore safe and secure. They complement our work and are critical in rallying the community quickly when crisis strikes. Our philosophy is that a community comprising individuals committed to the well-being of society, equipped with training and skills, is best placed to take ownership of local issues and assist each other in times of need.

We will continue to build on these partnerships. There are two aspects to our work with the community. First, equipping and engaging. As a starting point, it is important that we equip the community with the relevant information, skills and tools. I am glad to note that many students are coming on board to be equipped with emergency preparedness skills and help share what they have learnt with their fellow schoolmates through the SCDF's Junior Lionhearters' Programme. This was launched in April 2013 to cultivate young ambassadors who generate interest and awareness among their schoolmates, friends and

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families on the importance of emergency preparedness and the need to take individual ownership.

In the case of the Police, they work with schools in the Youth Engagement Programme, which plans activities to engage youths and steer them away from trouble and crime. A very good example of this is the Delta League. Since 2011, the National Crime Prevention Council and Police have organised this community football programme where youths are engaged in sports and other meaningful activities. But off the pitch, the youths interact with Police officers and life coaches, as well as take part in community activities. To date, close to 4,000 youths have participated and benefited from the Delta League.

The second aspect is partnership in action. Residents play a vital role in helping to keep their neighbourhoods safe and secure. Grassroots leaders, volunteers and residents have also taken the initiative to assist Police in the forming of Neighbourhood Watch Groups (NWGs) and Citizens-on-Patrol (COP) groups. To date, more than 7,000 NWGs and 600 COPs have been formed island-wide, helping to watch over their communities and keep them safe and secure. There are also members of the community who do more and regularly serve alongside us in the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit, Volunteer Special Constabulary and Community Emergency Response Teams.

The effectiveness of the Home Team is the sum total of the efforts of our individual Departments and our partnerships with the community. These community partnerships create a multiplier effect that amplifies the Home Team's ability to keep Singapore safe and secure. Having the right mindset is important. Today, you may be doing your part to help a neighbour in need. Tomorrow, someone else may be doing likewise for you. The Home Team will continue to deepen our engagement with the community, expand the scale and scope of some of the programmes I have just mentioned, and explore new areas of collaboration. I hope that many more will step forward and join us in this endeavour.

Let me now touch on two other issues that Members have raised. Mr Low Thia Khiang has asked about the security and integrity of the Home Team's biometric databases. MHA uses biometric technology and systems for various applications in areas, such as traveller clearance at the Checkpoints.

We recognise the need to safeguard the security and integrity of our Home Team databases. As mentioned earlier by Deputy Prime Minister, cybersecurity is important for us, especially given our inter-connectedness. Hence, we have

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taken a comprehensive approach to ensure the security and integrity of our databases.

First, there are strict controls to ensure that only designated individuals have access to data. These officers are then only allowed to access data that is required for their specific operational need. Our servers are also protected by physical and software measures which are on par with international security standards. These measures are able to quickly detect hacking and raise alerts such that remedial action can be taken immediately. For all the processes I have mentioned, we conduct regular audits and reviews to ensure compliance.

Finally, ICA has a business continuity plan for biometric systems to ensure that critical systems are able to function, even if there is a disruption. We note Mr Low's comments and we will continually review our security policies to ensure that the integrity of personal data is safeguarded. Nevertheless, it is also important for individuals to be alert and careful about sharing personal information and details in cyberspace.

Mr Baey Yam Keng suggested that we replace NRICs at intervals of 20 years for security and other functional reasons. The current practice for Singapore residents is to register for an NRIC at 15 years old, and undergo a re-registration at the age of 30 where they will provide an updated photograph. Since the introduction of the current type of NRIC in 1991, the vast majority of them have remained in good condition after more than 20 years of use. Nevertheless, Mr Baey's suggestion is a valid one. ICA will study the viability of introducing another NRIC re-registration after the age of 30, so that the information captured will be up-to-date. This is especially relevant with longer life expectancy. ICA will also consider a waiver of the NRIC replacement fees for those who face financial difficulties or if their NRICs were damaged due to situations beyond their control, such as accidents or fires.

Mdm Chair, the safety and security we enjoy in Singapore do not come about by chance. We all have a part to play. MHA will continue to be vigilant in the fight against drugs and crime. Together with our community partners, we will strengthen and enhance our capabilities and programmes to remain ready for the challenges ahead.

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Madam, I would like to thank Deputy Prime Minister for his response to my question about keeping experienced officers within the Force and extending the retirement age. Could I ask for comment on retaining experience within departments? What I mean is that within each department, be it Prisons, border security, SOC, CAD, SCDF, they all call for different skillsets and different experiences and, if there is a regular transfer of officers at the mid or senior levels between these departments, then that sufficient amount of experience would not be built up as well. Will there be any thought towards trying to keep officers within the same department for longer periods so that experience can be built up?

We do not generally transfer officers across services, say, an SCDF officer to do policing. That does not generally happen. So, the SCDF officers remain within SCDF, by and large. Prisons officers remain within the Prisons service. We sometimes have Police Officers who cross over to, say, the Prisons service. But officers do come together at various times in their career, for example, in MHA Headquarters in, say, the Policy or Operations departments. That is where they will bring their collective knowledge and experience together to help the Ministry manage various cross-cutting issues.

We are also encouraging more cooperation between agencies at the ground level so that they can resolve many of the operational issues and also look at issues from a citizen-centric point of view rather than an agency point of view.

But we do post officers around within each service. The Police, for example, gives its officers a mix of experience between community policing, investigations and also work at the Headquarters to help them understand the broader policy issues that the Police faces. The experience that we gain from keeping officers longer is something which we value, as long as officers continue to be fit and able to contribute. And we think the officers also appreciate this as well.

Madam, I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister‘s emphasis on resilience as being critical in enabling us to rise above the threat of terrorism. How society responds in the aftermath of discovering a terrorist plot, or worse, after a successful attack, is what really matters, not so much as the discovery of the terrorist plot or the terrorist attack

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itself. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether more can be done to deal with the perception that terrorism is solely an issue that concerns only the Malay/Muslim community.

I would like to make a few points. We look at terrorism as a phenomenon of violent extremism, as a whole. That is what we deal with. We do not look at it as a Malay phenomenon or Muslim phenomenon, but we look at it as a phenomenon of violent extremism.

Hence, when our Religious Rehabilitation Group worked with other agencies internationally to have a seminar here, the focus was on violent extremism and how such ideas are purveyed and enter into people's heads, and they become extremist and violent, and the strategies that can be taken to counter them.

But I must say that our communities here in Singapore post-2001 reacted very positively. That is because we all reached out to each other. The Government had a big part to play, encouraging the communities to come together. But the trust and the integration in our communities over many decades contributed a great deal.

If you look at our housing estates, we have been building trust for many years. With the Ethnic Integration quotas, our housing estates are mixed. So, we do not start off by living in different places. We go to schools together; we live together; we are at the same hawker centres. And that has helped a great deal.

In some countries, after 2001, communities looked at each other with suspicion. Some felt squatted upon, communities feared other communities and looked with suspicion at each other. Whereas here in Singapore, the communities reached out to each other, and said, "Look, we have a problem. How do we deal with it?" We dealt with it together.

My own sense is that the community spirit between communities became stronger after that. There are a number of reasons, one of which is that the Muslim community in Singapore took ownership of the issue. The RRG was a very important element in that because they said, "Look, that is the problem – violent extremism. Let us deal with it. We will deal with it." And other communities, seeing that, said, "Look, this is good. Let us work together on it." And trust and confidence were strengthened.

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I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for the answer. This is also a follow-up on terrorism, particularly self-radicalisation. It seems to be a simplistic solution. But are any steps being taken to track the sites, for example, that purveys such messages and maybe block access to the sites?

We will try to block and also to track people who go to those sites. As the Member will know, blocking and prohibiting sites are technologically complex and also not so difficult to circumvent. So, if a person is determined enough, he can access these sites. As Mr Vikram Nair pointed out, some of these sites are really quite toxic because not only do they purvey extremist ideologies, they also are a how-to guide: how to make various kinds of devices which can cause harm to others.

Eventually, I think the inoculation comes from the kind of things that Assoc Prof Eugene Tan was talking about, which is that it starts from the community itself. It is the community we live in and the different communities that we have in Singapore, which can inoculate our young people, particularly, against this kind of extremist tendencies.

I must say that the RRG, MUIS and other groups in Singapore, including our schools, play an important role in helping to inoculate the young people.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo, while I understand the rationale for outsourcing certain Police services to the commercial Auxiliary Police Officers, I have two queries. Will MHA consider allowing Auxiliary Police Officers to be represented by a union? Secondly, how can MHA ensure remuneration packages for the commercial Auxiliary Police Officers are fair and progressive that are commensurate with their skills and productivity level?

Madam, I thank the Member for his questions. I will take the second part first. In terms of fair remuneration and compensation, it is really a function of skills, productivity and what sort of value-add they deliver, which is why the emphasis has always been on the quality of the service provided which, in turn, is affected by the training and the skills that the officers acquire. That is where our focus is. On the issue of unionisation, I would say that if we are able to achieve the latter, then I think the former would not be as essential.