Public safety & law — Topics

9 Jan 2023

Persons Caught for Illegal and Non-compliant Use of Personal Mobility Devices and Range of Punishment Imposed

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport about the number of persons caught for illegal PMD use and non-compliant devices from 2020 to 2022, the punishments imposed, and how many PMDs were impounded.
S Iswaran reported a decrease in offences for PMDs on roads and footpaths and for non-compliant PMDs, with such devices seized for safety and compliance reasons.
Offenders convicted of riding on wrong paths or on roads face fines up to $2,000 and/or up to three months' jail for first-time offenders, with more severe prosecution for egregious cases.
The Land Transport Authority conducts enforcement checks and will investigate and prosecute multiple or serious offenders in court.
Public education and outreach efforts continue to promote safe riding behaviors and compliance with rules.

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9 Jan 2023

Review Age Limit for Judicial Caning for Offenders Aged 50 Years and Above

The Minister confirmed that the Sentencing Advisory Panel independently decides which areas to study, including feedback from members, agencies, and the public.
The question of raising the age limit for judicial caning was previously addressed in September 2021, with the Minister reiterating that a proposal to remove the age limit for serious sexual offenders was not adopted.
The government maintains that the current statutory age limit for caning remains unchanged, citing the relatively low number of offenders above 50 arrested for caning-eligible offences.

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9 Jan 2023

Individuals above Aged of 50 Sentenced for Serious Sexual Offences Against Young Persons Compared to Those under Age 50

Pritam Singh requested data on sentencing of individuals above and below age 50 for serious sexual offences against young persons over the last 5, 10, and 15 years, asked about trends of such offences among those in their late 40s and above, and whether reasons for any increase have been studied.
Minister K Shanmugam stated that the detailed data for the requested periods is not readily available but provided figures from January 2020 to July 2022 showing 12 male offenders above 50 and 86 male offenders aged 50 or younger sentenced in State Courts for serious sexual offences, and from January 2020 to December 2022 showing 29 male offenders above 50 and 100 male offenders aged 50 or younger sentenced in the High Court for such offences.
The Minister also noted that based on Police arrest data from January 2020 to November 2022 for individuals above 45 at the time of offence, there is no increasing trend, with 18 arrests in 2020, 15 in 2021, and 17 in 2022.

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9 Jan 2023

Data on Men Arrested for Serious Offences Punishable by Judicial Caning and Those Involved in Sexual Offences

Tan Wu Meng asked for statistics on men arrested for serious offences punishable by judicial caning from 2012, including age breakdowns and details on sexual offences.
K Shanmugam stated that data from January 2020 to November 2022 shows 2,234 men arrested for serious sexual and hurt offences that attract caning, with 1,906 aged 50 or below at the time of the offence.
Of those 1,906, 21 were above 50 when arrested, with 17 involved in sexual offences, but no data is available on offenders who were under 50 at the time of the offence but over 50 by sentencing.

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9 Jan 2023

Top Five Offences Committed by Platform Delivery Riders in Last Three Years

Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs for the top five offences committed by platform delivery riders in each of the last three years and whether the Ministry considered making delivery platforms vicariously liable for their riders’ offences to align compliance incentives.
K Shanmugam replied that the Police do not track offences specifically by platform delivery riders, so no data on the top five offences is available.
He stated that under the law, the party who commits an offence is liable, and vicarious liability does not typically extend to employers for offences like running red lights or speeding unless the employer encouraged or ordered the offence.
The response indicates that making platforms vicariously liable for riders’ regulatory offences is not a current legal approach unless direct encouragement by the platform is proven.

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9 Jan 2023

Ensuring Personal Mobility Devices Sold Online Comply with Safety Regulations

Gan Thiam Poh questioned the effectiveness of current measures to ensure online sales of personal mobility devices comply with safety regulations and asked if the government will consider additional steps.
S Iswaran responded that regulations prohibit the display and sale of non-compliant devices, and LTA collaborates with online platforms to remove such listings, with import approval and inspection requirements tightened in June 2021.
Enforcement actions include inspections upon import and every two years, with public education contributing to a decline in non-compliant devices and fires, though further safeguards may be considered if needed.

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9 Jan 2023

Measures against Errant and Illegal Pet Sellers

Edward Chia asked about existing measures against illegal pet sellers and recourse for buyers, and Desmond Lee responded that the Animals and Birds Act requires pet sellers to hold a valid licence, with NParks conducting inspections and investigations and imposing fines, imprisonment, or licence suspension for violations.
Offenders may face fines up to $5,000 and six months' jail for unlicensed sales, or up to $40,000 and two years' jail for failing animal care duties, with NParks encouraging adoption or purchases from licensed shops and immediate reporting of errant sellers.
Buyers with disputes can approach the Consumers Association of Singapore for assistance, and the public is urged to report illegal sellers to NParks for enforcement action.

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9 Jan 2023

Prevalence of Road Touting Cases

Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs about the trend of road touting cases over the past five years and what motorists should do if they suspect they are victims.
K Shanmugam stated that road touting is an offense punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both, and that police reports for such cases have been low, with two or fewer annually from 2018 to 2022.
He noted that the reported figures may not fully capture the prevalence of road touting, as some motorists may handle the matter privately through insurers or legal channels.
Motorists are advised to remain calm and disengage if approached by road touts and to report incidents to the police while seeking advice from insurers or legal counsel for civil remedies.

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9 Jan 2023

SkillsFuture Singapore Agency (Amendment) Bill

The Bill introduces new offences to criminalise abusive funding arrangements and false or misleading advertisements related to SkillsFuture, imposing penalties such as fines, imprisonment, and mandatory repayment of wrongly obtained funds.
It grants SkillsFuture Singapore enhanced investigative powers, including the authority for appointed inspectors to conduct interviews, searches, and seizures to better investigate offences.
The amendments streamline and consolidate enforcement provisions across different funding sources to ensure consistent application, while also simplifying the calculation of Skills Development Levy contributions for employers.

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9 Jan 2023

Review of SCDF Training in wake of Recent Passing of NSF Firefighter

The Minister outlined SCDF's rigorous training and certification process for firefighters, including medical standards, basic rescue and firefighter courses, proficiency tests, and ongoing drills, while noting that the December 2022 firefighting operation was delayed by an obstructed accessway.
The Minister confirmed that SGT1 Edward Go, an NSF firefighter who died in the incident, was well-trained and experienced, having completed his courses and attended nearly 60 fire calls, but investigations into his death are ongoing and premature to conclude.
SCDF carefully balances crew composition with a mix of experienced and junior personnel, deploying NSFs only after assessing their competency and under close supervision, and all equipment meets international safety standards.
Public rental and HDB blocks comply with prevailing Fire Codes, with unit designs and fire-rated doors to limit fire spread, and community efforts are in place to enhance fire safety and resilience.
The Coroner may hold a public inquiry if necessary after police investigations, and the Minister assured thorough inquiries will be conducted to ensure officer safety.

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30 Nov 2022

Progress of Development of Probate E-service System

The Ministry for Law provided an update on the Probate e-service system announced in March 2022, which aims to simplify the probate process for straightforward cases.
The Family Justice Courts (FJC) is developing the system to include automatic data population via MyInfo, guided questions, and potential reduction of steps, while exploring digital signing for future enhancements.
FJC is engaging stakeholders like the family Bar for feedback and plans to launch the system in the first half of 2023, starting with straightforward cases before expanding capacity.

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30 Nov 2022

Costs Orders Sought by Accused or Defence Counsel against Public Prosecutor

Leon Perera asked the Minister for Law for data from 2018 to 2022 on the number of cases where accused or defence counsel sought costs orders against the Public Prosecutor, the number granted by courts, and the maximum and median quantum of such orders.
The Minister for Law, K Shanmugam, responded that these matters are not specifically tracked as they relate to court decisions based on established legal principles.
The debate highlighted the lack of centralized statistics on costs orders sought against the Public Prosecutor, with the government indicating such orders are handled by the courts on a case-by-case basis.

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30 Nov 2022

Personal Costs Orders Sought by Public Prosecutor against Defence Counsel

Leon Perera asked for statistics from 2018 to 2022 on personal costs orders sought by the Public Prosecutor against defence counsel, including numbers sought and granted, and the maximum and median quantum.
K Shanmugam explained that the Courts have the power to order defence counsel to pay costs in criminal cases when their conduct is improper, unreasonable, negligent, causes unnecessary costs, or is otherwise just, and that this applies to both civil and criminal cases.
He stated that between 2018 and 2022, at least 16 cases resulted in personal costs orders against defence counsel, with a maximum quantum of $20,000 and a median of $3,750.
K Shanmugam noted that cases where the Public Prosecutor specifically sought personal costs orders are not tracked separately, as such requests are part of ongoing court proceedings.

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30 Nov 2022

Local Diploma and Degree Courses Taken up by Prison Inmates

Murali Pillai asked about the number of prison inmates who have taken specific diploma and degree courses in logistics and supply chain management, and whether there are plans to increase such courses.
K Shanmugam responded that 120 inmates have taken the Ngee Ann Polytechnic diploma since 2018, and 15 inmates have taken the Singapore University of Social Sciences degree since 2020.
The Singapore Prison Service expands education offerings, with about 400 inmates annually undergoing various programmes and new courses introduced in 2021 and 2022, considering inmate interests and market demands.

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30 Nov 2022

Child Abuse Cases Identified through Signal for Help Programme

Louis Ng asked for the number of children identified through the Signal for Help programme over the past five years and any trends in the data.
Masagos Zulkifli clarified that Signal for Help is a hand signal, not a formal programme, and is promoted under the Break the Silence campaign.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development does not track specific cases reported using the signal, as survivors use multiple reporting methods.
The response did not provide specific numbers or trend data due to the lack of dedicated tracking for the signal.

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30 Nov 2022

Banks Offering Alleged Scam Victims Final Settlement Sums Lower than Scammed Amount

Yeo Wan Ling questioned whether the Government is aware of banks offering scam victims settlement sums lower than the scammed amount during ongoing police investigations and if the practice will be regulated to protect victims' rights to further claims.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam stated that MAS expects banks to treat customers fairly, investigate promptly, and consider goodwill payments, with customers having the option to decline offers and seek resolution through FIDReC.
He noted that accepting an offer binds the customer, but new materially different information could allow a request for the bank to relook the case or approach FIDReC, and MAS is working on a shared responsibility framework for scams.

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30 Nov 2022

Traffic Accidents Involving Children Aged 18 and Below

Between 2018 and 2021, the number of children aged 18 and below who died or were injured in traffic accidents decreased from 500 to 280, with an estimated 350 cases in 2022, indicating a continued downward trend compared to 2018.
The Traffic Police and MOE have launched initiatives such as the Road Safety Challenge online learning resource, school talks, the annual Singapore Traffic Games, and road safety banners at Primary schools to enhance road safety awareness among children.
Collaboration with the Singapore Road Safety Council has produced videos to promote safe driving in school zones, while increased fines and demerit points for traffic offences in school zones since July 2021 have strengthened regulation and enforcement to protect children.

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29 Nov 2022

Statistics on Children and Young Persons who Entered a Place of Safety from 2018 to 2021 and Subsequently Entered a Boys' Home, Girls' Home or Prison

The Minister provided statistics showing the annual number and percentage of children and young persons who entered a place of safety from 2018 to 2021 and subsequently entered a Boys' Home, Girls' Home, or prison.
A higher proportion of those who entered MSF Youth Homes (Boys' or Girls' Home) later offended and were imprisoned compared to those in other places of safety, attributed to their higher risks and needs.
The statistics were presented in a table, with specific figures for each year and category of placement.

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29 Nov 2022

Provision for Summary Determination and Disposal of Vexatious Claims under Supreme Court (Protection from Harassment) Rules 2021

Murali Pillai asked whether the Supreme Court (Protection from Harassment) Rules 2021 can be amended to allow summary disposal of frivolous and vexatious claims without notifying respondents to prevent misuse of the Protection from Harassment Court (PHC) for collateral purposes.
K Shanmugam responded that the PHC already has powers under simplified proceedings to make orders for the just, expeditious, and economic disposal of cases, including dealing with frivolous or vexatious claims, while standard proceedings allow for striking out under normal procedures.
The PHC can consider whether a claim was dismissed for being frivolous or vexatious when awarding costs, and it typically requires the respondent’s side of the story to assess such claims.
The General Division of the High Court can issue restraint orders against claimants who repeatedly commence totally without merit actions to prevent abuse of process.

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29 Nov 2022

Update on Review of Streamlined Enforcement Framework for Civil Judgments

The Ministry of Law has simplified the enforcement process through the Rules of Court 2021, allowing a single application for multiple enforcement methods instead of separate applications.
A joint Bill with the Ministry of Social and Family Development is being prepared to enhance the maintenance enforcement regime for greater efficiency and to reduce repeat enforcement.
The Ministry is working with the Courts to study further changes, including new powers to punish non-compliance and enhanced asset tracking for judgment debtors.
Stakeholder consultations are ongoing to refine these proposals, with more details to be announced later.

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