Public safety & law

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim raised concerns about how the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) will handle prisoners' correspondence following a Court of Appeal ruling that found them acting unlawfully by disclosing letters, including those between prisoners and their lawyers. K Shanmugam explained that the ruling emerged from a case involving prisoners awaiting capital punishment and clarified that the breach was due to the lack of consent or court order for disclosure. Since May 2020, policies have been updated to require prisoner consent or a court order before sharing correspondence with AGC. The Court awarded nominal damages to three prisoners and acknowledged that officers acted in good faith, thus no further actions will be taken against them. Attorney-client privilege for prisoners remains, but must also consider prison security.

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim asked about the progress of implementing video recording in law enforcement investigations. K Shanmugam reported that video recording of interviews (VRI) was introduced in 2018, initially for rape cases, and has since expanded to include various serious offences and vulnerable suspects. The Ministry is exploring further expansion to cover more cases, including capital offences, but faces challenges due to the resource-intensive nature of VRI, including the need for accurate transcription and additional administrative procedures. The Ministry remains committed to expanding VRI while ensuring adequate infrastructure and resources are in place.

The debate focused on the Administration of Justice (Protection) (Amendment) Bill, which aims to clarify that egregious abuse of court processes will amount to contempt of court in Singapore. The Minister of State for Law emphasized the importance of deterring such abuses to protect the integrity of the justice system. Several members supported the bill but raised concerns about its potential chilling effect on genuine claims and the confusion around the definitions of what constitutes abuse of process. There were discussions on the impact of the bill on both litigants and lawyers, highlighting the need to maintain a balance between preventing misuse and allowing access to justice. Ultimately, the bill was passed without amendments.

Yip Hon Weng raised concerns about the Ministry of Home Affairs' criteria for blocking websites associated with misinformation campaigns, questioning the effectiveness of these blocks given the availability of VPNs and the process for appealing blocks on mistakenly affected sites. Sun Xueling clarified that no specific threshold is set for preventive action against hostile information campaigns, citing the blocking of 10 inauthentic websites despite their low exposure, due to their potential misuse by foreign actors. She emphasized the importance of public vigilance against misinformation, noting that the Government conducts campaigns to enhance critical thinking and raise awareness of foreign interference risks. Sun also acknowledged the challenge of users circumventing website blocks and highlighted the role of media in educating the public on these threats.

Saktiandi Supaat requested updates on the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce, including its key focus areas and stakeholder engagement efforts to enhance bus and commuter safety. The Minister of State for Transport, Murali Pillai, reported that the Taskforce has been engaged in consultations since its formation in July 2024 and is concentrating on improving safety protocols, staffing, road infrastructure, and technology use. Preliminary findings suggest that while safety standards onboard buses are generally viewed positively by commuters, the Taskforce is open to further enhancements and will engage international experts for best practices. There will also be ongoing consultations with seniors and consideration of input from healthcare professionals regarding the safety needs of elderly bus users.

Gerald Giam Yean Song raised concerns about establishing community standards to improve etiquette and reduce conflicts between motorised and non-motorised device users and pedestrians. Chee Hong Tat responded that the existing Active Mobility Code of Conduct promotes safe interactions, advising users to give way to pedestrians and use bells considerately. The Ministry plans to enhance safety by converting some footpaths to pedestrian-only paths, with enforcement starting July 2025. Public education campaigns, community engagements, and materials in vernacular languages are employed to disseminate guidelines effectively, with volunteer community ambassadors assisting in outreach.

Jean See Jinli questioned the Minister for Manpower about routine checks for illegal foreign workers delivering parcels for e-commerce platforms. Minister Tan See Leng reported that since 2021, MOM has taken action against 11 foreigners working illegally and one delivery company that employed them. Advisories have been issued to remind delivery companies of the legal requirements for foreign workers. MOM will continue to monitor the situation and evaluate the need for additional deterrent measures.

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim questioned the Minister for Health about measures to regulate online sales of medications, raise awareness of associated risks, prevent abuse and misdiagnosis, and verify medication content. Ong Ye Kung responded that only licensed healthcare institutions and pharmacies can sell prescription medicines online, ensuring they are registered with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The HSA provides advisories to discourage purchasing from unverified sources and monitors online platforms to prevent illegal sales, with penalties for offenders including fines up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years.

Liang Eng Hwa questioned the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment about the enforcement of high-rise littering via surveillance cameras in 2024 and the types of evidence considered. Grace Fu reported that from January to October 2024, approximately 800 acts of high-rise littering were recorded from over 400 residential units, with over 150 cases having been investigated and acted upon. NEA collaborates with Town Councils during investigations and will consider eyewitness accounts, conducting interviews as necessary, while the public can also submit video evidence to NEA for investigation.

See Jinli Jean asked whether the Ministry of Home Affairs could expand the definition of cheating in the Penal Code to include cases where a party contracts for services without the intention or ability to pay. K Shanmugam responded that individuals who dishonestly obtain services without intending to pay may already be liable under existing cheating-related offences in the Penal Code, with significant penalties. He indicated that the described scenario might fall within the scope of these existing laws.

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about measures to raise public awareness on preventing scams and seeking redress under the Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF). Gan Kim Yong addressed questions regarding refinements to the SRF and the importance of balancing customer protection with the convenience of legitimate transactions. A 12-hour cooling-off period for digital security token activation was established to help customers respond to fraudulent activities. Victims of phishing scams must report incidents to their financial institutions and the police, with specific processes in place for investigation and potential compensation. The government has consolidated anti-scam resources into the ScamShield Suite and collaborates with agencies to enhance outreach, especially to vulnerable populations.

Saktiandi Supaat questioned the Minister for Digital Development and Information about the status and timeline of a study by an internal task force following the July 2024 cybersecurity disruption involving Delta Air Lines and CrowdStrike. Josephine Teo responded that the task force has completed its study, focusing on software supply chain risks and incident response enhancements for Critical Information Infrastructure and Foundational Digital Infrastructure. She noted that the CrowdStrike incident did not significantly impact Singapore's infrastructure, and affected entities have the discretion to pursue legal action. The importance of preparedness and resilience in handling unexpected disruptions was emphasized, along with available resources for businesses to strengthen digital resilience.

He Ting Ru raised questions regarding security measures for banks offering digital banking services to minors under 16, including differences from adult accounts and remediation processes for unauthorized transactions. Gan Kim Yong clarified that accounts for children can only be opened by parents, with lower transaction limits and parental controls in place to monitor activities. Banks have security measures such as real-time alerts and a kill switch to block transactions, and they are required to promptly investigate reports of fraudulent activity. Investigations must be completed within 21 to 45 business days, depending on case complexity, and banks are responsible for mitigating fraud risks under the Shared Responsibility Framework.

The Singapore International Commercial Court (International Committee) Bill aims to establish a new International Committee to handle appeals from prescribed foreign jurisdictions on international commercial disputes. The Bill is part of Singapore's strategy to enhance its status as a global dispute resolution hub and offers flexible arrangements for international legal cooperation. The International Committee will consist of both local and international jurists and will not be considered a court of Singapore, ensuring a diverse legal representation. The establishment of the International Committee is expected to create opportunities for cross-border legal work and boost the legal sector by facilitating appeals from various jurisdictions, starting with a collaboration agreement with Bahrain. Member discussions raised important points regarding the types of cases, the implications of the Committee's decisions, and potential collaborations with other large economies like China and India.

Desmond Choo raised concerns about the Shared Responsibility Framework, asking if the cooling-off period for digital security tokens could be adjusted for high-risk activities and if real-time fraud detection thresholds could be enhanced for more vulnerable customers. Yip Hon Weng highlighted the need for better support for seniors and less tech-savvy individuals in navigating the framework and for clearer communication regarding payout decisions for scam victims. The Minister of State, Alvin Tan, acknowledged the importance of balancing consumer protection with convenience, stating that financial institutions are expected to consider individual customer vulnerabilities in fraud surveillance. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to raise public awareness and outreach initiatives aimed at assisting vulnerable groups, including multilingual communication about the framework.

• The government confirmed that Singtel's 8 October 2024 outage intermittently affected emergency hotlines like 995 and 999, with an estimated half of calls still connecting and full service restored within four hours.
• The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating the outage, which preliminary findings attribute to a technical failover issue between two network systems, with no evidence of sabotage or cyberattack.
• IMDA and relevant ministries are conducting a comprehensive after-action review to ensure emergency hotline availability during disruptions and will take strong regulatory action, including financial penalties, if lapses are found.

• Police are investigating the migrant workers and their employers for organizing and participating in unlawful public assemblies under the Public Order Act 2009.
• The Ministry of Manpower confirmed that the workers were not owed salaries and had no wellbeing concerns.
• MOM is also investigating the employer for illegally deploying workers and abetting illegal acts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, with appropriate actions to follow if warranted.

• The SCDF introduced the Fire Safety (Regulated Fire Safety Products) Regulations in 2020 to enhance oversight of certification bodies (CBs) for fire safety labels, ensuring manufacturers and suppliers are accountable.
• Fire doors must be certified by accredited CBs, with labels being tamper-proof and only issued after proof of intended installation location is provided, supported by random site inspections and an online directory for verification since 2022.
• The SCDF conducts annual audits of CBs to ensure adherence to protocols, but there are currently no authentication tools like unique QR codes on fire safety labels for public verification of validity.

• Ms. Hany Soh queried the Minister for Home Affairs on the annual recruitment and resignation rates of the Singapore Police Force’s Volunteer Special Constabulary and Volunteer Special Constabulary Community over the past five years.
• Minister K. Shanmugam responded by providing a table with the total numbers of recruited and resigned VSC and VSC (Community) officers for each year from 2019 onward.
• The debate focused on statistical data regarding volunteer police participation, with the minister supplying the specific figures requested.
• The exchange underscored parliamentary interest in understanding volunteer police workforce dynamics and trends.
• No policy changes or further actions were discussed beyond the provision of the requested data.

• Mr Desmond Choo asked about how social media accelerates youth radicalisation, AI's future role, and government plans to address these impacts.
• Minister K Shanmugam explained that social media and algorithms speed up radicalisation by providing easy access to extremist content and creating echo chambers, with 14 youths radicalised since 2015.
• AI is expected to worsen radicalisation by enabling automated propaganda translation, personalised recruitment, and deepfakes that incite violence.
• The government uses legislation like the Broadcasting Act and Online Criminal Harms Act to block harmful content, but cannot remove all such material.
• Agencies like ISD collaborate with the Ministry of Education on outreach, media literacy training, and early detection to counter radicalisation in schools.