Public safety & law

• The Minister for Home Affairs stated that foreigners with valid travel documents and who meet entry requirements are generally allowed into Singapore, but the government reserves the right to deny entry if it is deemed not in the national interest.
• If a foreigner is wanted by their government and a request is made, Singapore will assist in accordance with its laws, and for those transiting without clearing immigration, the government may still take action if undesirable persons are identified.
• The government ensures the general safety and security of all visitors in Singapore and may provide additional security based on the individual's status and the risks posed to the person and the public.

• Edward Chia asked the Minister for Transport about safety measures to prevent collisions between cyclists and pedestrians at key intersections like bus stops, traffic light junctions, and residential exits.
• The Land Transport Authority (LTA) uses infrastructure improvements such as wider cycling paths with red coatings, speed regulating strips, and safety markings at bus stops to slow cyclists.
• At traffic junctions, advisory signs and widened crossings enhance safety, while in residential areas, LTA collaborates on measures like D-markings and ground markings to alert users.
• LTA also promotes safe riding through public education campaigns and conducts regular enforcement operations to address irresponsible behavior.
• The minister emphasized that shared cycling spaces require collective responsibility from all users to ensure safety.

• Denise Phua and Lim Biow Chuan asked whether the government would ban or regulate LED wreaths and similar items at funerals to address safety and public disamenities.
• Grace Fu responded that the National Environment Agency, in collaboration with the funeral directors' association, has issued guidelines limiting the number and placement of such items and requiring safe use by suppliers and licensed electrical workers.
• Since June 2022, Town Councils have incorporated these guidelines into permit conditions, and non-compliant items have been removed, with continued monitoring and stakeholder engagement planned.

• Melvin Yong highlighted a troubling rise in workplace fatalities and injuries post-COVID-19, proposing a five-point RIGHT framework to enhance safety through better reporting channels, union-inspection partnerships, mandatory training, management commitment, and technology adoption.
• Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad affirmed MOM’s concern and outlined ongoing measures, including gazetting a Code of Practice for company directors’ safety duties, stricter penalties, and exploring public reporting tools like the OneService app.
• Both speakers emphasized the need for a stronger safety culture, with calls for legislation to hold management accountable, support for SMEs in adopting safety technology, and the potential establishment of a mandatory WSH representative in every company.

• Supporters argued that the Public Defender's Office (PDO) will help reduce inequality in the criminal justice system by providing legal representation to vulnerable and low-income citizens, though concerns were raised about potential overlap with the existing Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) and the need for clearer delineation of their roles.
• The government clarified that the PDO will be a department within the Ministry of Law, separate from the Attorney-General's Chambers, to ensure independence from the prosecution, and will start modestly with cost-control measures like means and merits tests to manage public funds prudently.
• Concerns were expressed about the exclusion of certain offences from the PDO's coverage, such as regulatory offences and some serious traffic offences, with the government explaining this is to balance access to justice with fiscal sustainability and noting that the list of excluded offences will be periodically reviewed.
• The PDO and CLAS will co-deliver legal aid, with cases assigned based on urgency and capacity, and the government is working on a one-stop portal to simplify access to legal information and support for the public.

The Government is establishing a Public Defender's Office to provide criminal legal aid, a significant policy shift from the previous model of only funding the Law Society's pro bono scheme. The PDO will be a government department under the Ministry of Law, with full-time officers to ensure timely and quality representation, while learning from international examples to avoid cost escalations and abuse. Eligibility will be expanded to cover households at the 35th income percentile (up to $1,500 per capita monthly income) and most criminal offences, excluding capital cases, regulatory offences, and certain specified statutes. All applicants will undergo rigorous means and merits tests, with co-payment required based on ability, and penalties for misrepresentation to safeguard against abuse. The Bill aims to balance enhanced access to justice for the vulnerable with fiscal prudence and operational independence for the PDO.

• The Minister of State for Home Affairs presented the Registration of Criminals (Amendment) Bill to amend the Registration of Criminals Act 1949 and make consequential amendments to other related Acts.
• The Bill was read for the first time and scheduled for a second reading at the next available parliamentary sitting.
• The amendments aim to update the existing legal framework for criminal registration.
• The proposed changes are intended to ensure the Act remains relevant and effective in modern contexts.
• The Bill will be printed and circulated for further legislative review.

• The Central Narcotics Bureau is monitoring drug cocktails like "Happy Water" that contain controlled drugs such as ketamine and methamphetamine disguised as food products.
• Drug trafficking syndicates use concealment methods like disguising drugs as food to smuggle them into Singapore, with CNB seizing such products in 2021 and other operations.
• CNB collaborates with partner agencies to deter, detect, and disrupt drug smuggling activities and continues public education on drug-laced consumables.

• Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs for an update on the percentage of uncovered drug operations and transactions conducted via encrypted chat applications.
• K Shanmugam explained that drug traffickers and abusers use various methods including encrypted chat apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, phone calls, and in-person meetings, with an observed increase in using these apps to advertise drugs and arrange deliveries.
• The Ministry declined to provide the specific percentage, citing operational security reasons.

• Minister Gan Kim Yong reported that a system-level review led by Permanent Secretary Joseph Leong found existing land clearance systems sound but made further recommendations, which agencies are implementing.
• Four individuals have been charged under the Parks and Trees Act and Wildlife Act for the Kranji incident, with JTC officers accused of providing inaccurate information, and criminal proceedings are ongoing.
• JTC has established a Construction Regulatory Compliance Unit and an Environmental Planning and Design Unit, extended digital monitoring to land clearance, and formed a Biodiversity and Environmental Advisory Panel to strengthen oversight.
• The Sungei Kadut Eco-District project will transform the industrial estate with green spaces while balancing development and conservation, with works resuming after regulatory approvals.

• Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked whether there are safeguards to prevent the misuse of sacred religious texts or symbols for commercial purposes or on items like attire and decor.
• K Shanmugam responded that it is an offence under the Penal Code and Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act to denigrate any religion or cause disharmony.
• Legal provisions can be used against actions that cause enmity, hatred, or ill-will among religious or racial groups.

• The Minister of State for Home Affairs confirmed that police interviews of young suspects are conducted with safeguards, including conducting interviews away from schools or workplaces when possible, using plainclothes officers to avoid embarrassment, and ensuring the presence of an Appropriate Adult (AA) under the Appropriate Adult Scheme for Young Suspects (AAYS), with the age threshold set to expand to include 16- and 17-year-olds by October 2023 pending an increase in volunteers.
• In response to a supplementary question, the Minister clarified that while parents cannot serve as AAs for their own children due to potential conflicts of interest, they are encouraged to volunteer as AAs for unrelated young suspects to help expand the volunteer pool.
• The Minister noted that AAs undergo structured one-day training supported by legal organizations and that young suspects are informed of their rights via pamphlets, with access to legal assistance from the Public Defender's Office or private lawyers permitted except during police interviews.

• An average of about 65 family violence reports and 15 sexual violence reports per year from 2020 to 2021 involved male victims aged 18 to 20, with annual details provided in a table.
• The Ministry of Social and Family Development funds shelters that offer alternative accommodation for such victims, including those in the 18 to 20 age group.
• Boys in this age range may also access financial assistance through Social Service Offices and further support like counselling from Family Service Centres or Family Violence Specialist Centres.

• Over the past five years, male applicants made up about 25% of fresh Personal Protection Order applications, with the majority aged 31 to 50, and the Ministry tracks applicant age groups.
• The annual breakdown shows the number of criminal breaches of Personal Protection Orders, Expedited Orders, and Domestic Exclusion Orders, with over 10% of offenders convicted more than once between 2017 and 2021.
• In about 80% of criminal convictions for breaching these orders, offenders were sentenced to an average of two months' imprisonment.

• Member Gan Thiam Poh asked for legal powers to impose shorter deadlines for death row appeals to prevent abuse and delays in capital punishment cases.
• Minister K Shanmugam cited recent unmeritorious last-minute legal challenges as examples of process abuse.
• The Minister confirmed that legislative changes are being considered to address such abuses.
• The proposal aims to ensure the finality of capital punishments without unwarranted delays.

• The Member asked about the main causes of fires in HDB flats that resulted in fatalities over the past five years and whether SCDF plans to launch a specific fire-safety campaign for flat dwellers.
• The Minister replied that the question had already been addressed in written answers (Questions 55 and 56) published in the Circular for Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Reached by End of Question Time on 4 July 2022.

• Leong Mun Wai asked whether there was any delay in the operation of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 and, if so, the reasons.
• K Shanmugam stated there was no delay and that the Act would be progressively operationalised from 2022.
• He explained that the Act was passed in October 2021 and required further work like drafting subsidiary legislation and setting up systems.
• This includes creating processes for the Reviewing Tribunal and issuing Directions, as well as appointing experts and establishing IT systems.
• The operationalisation is proceeding as planned without any postponement.

• The Smart Nation Digital Government Group has completed its review and decided against removing links from government SMSes, noting that while SMS is widely accessible, spoofing risks remain; instead, the government will focus on backend prevention, detection, and user education to combat scams.
• The government will only use ".gov.sg" domains in SMS links, direct users to trusted government websites, and limit SMS links to essential large-scale mobilizations, while never asking for credentials directly through SMS-linked sites.
• Measures include blocking spoofed sender IDs via the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry, screening scam messages upstream with telcos and tools like ScamShield, and enhancing detection through multi-factor authentication and fraud analytics.
• The government is speeding up scam response through a new WhatsApp reporting channel, collaboration with agencies to block scam websites, and partnerships with financial institutions to freeze suspicious accounts.

• The government reaffirmed incorruptibility as a core national value, noting Singapore’s consistent top rankings in global corruption indices and its unique standing in Asia.
• The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) conducts wide-ranging preventive education, including targeted initiatives for youth such as picture books, animated videos, badge programmes, web games, and e-books co-created with students.
• CPIB works with schools, the community, and media to enhance the relevance and reach of its anti-corruption messages, emphasizing collective responsibility beyond law enforcement alone.
• The government highlighted CPIB’s 70th anniversary as a milestone to acknowledge the dedication of its officers in maintaining Singapore’s clean governance.

• MP Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked for an update on the investigation into an individual allegedly promoting deviant teachings, for which MUIS had filed a police report.
• Minister K Shanmugam confirmed that the Straits Times reported the case in November 2020 and that MUIS lodged a police report after internal investigations.
• The Minister stated that police investigations are ongoing and it is inappropriate to comment on the case at this time.