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

The Chairman: Head P, Ministry of Home Affairs. Mr Christopher de Souza.

New Threats – Combat Foreign Interference

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

Sir, reports have been made of foreign interference in various jurisdictions around the world. These include agents of influence, funding, hacks and leaks. For example, according to a report to the US Senate, Russia twitter bots seemed to have been involved in Brexit through social media. This is not to be taken lightly as inter-racial tensions were escalated by foreign state actors in the case of US, that is deepening the black-white divide.

State actors were allegedly behind the Macron hack and leaks, where forged emails were mixed with real ones and were released at the 11th hour. In Australia, their Parliament was hacked.

According to the Centre for International Governance Innovation, protection of critical infrastructure such as voting machines and voter registry are important to prevent and protect against foreign interference of the democratic processes.

Over the past five years, there has been an upward trend in the amount of cyber threat activity against democratic processes globally. Singapore is not exempt from such threats. Experts are of the view that the SingHealth cyberattack was by a state actor as the attack continued even after detection.

During the Singapore-Malaysia disputes last year, there was a noticeable increase in critical comments made by avatars. This may be hard to detect as false accounts and groups that originated from a foreign country can pose as local, as was done during the mid-term elections in the United States.

Therefore, we must guard against such threats descending on and vesting in Singapore. To do so, we need tighter legislation to deter external pressures from having an overt or covert influence on our domestic politics and sensitive issues, which should rightly be for Singaporeans to decide.

How can we add muscle to our legislative framework and regularly update the regulatory machinery to preserve and protect the domestic policy-making as the rightful domain of Singaporeans? What can we learn of the modus operandi of foreign pressure groups – overt and covert – that have insurrected the policy-making and legislative spheres of other countries? Such a study will assist our Home Team to deter such modus operandi from being deployed here in Singapore.

The point is this – to preserve the effective and efficient running of Singapore, and to ensure our system of governance is not undermined by ill-minded external forces, we need to add more muscle to our armoury of legal weapons.

May I take my next two cuts, Mr Chairman?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

New Threats – Foreign Fake News

Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you. A study of insurrectionist-fake-news movements around the globe show that hostile information campaigns are deployed in an attempt to undermine institutions, social cohesion and trust in governments. As effectiveness and efficiency can be hampered by an unabated spreading of untruths, the need for Singaporean security agencies to detect and counter them is crucial for the longevity of our system of governance and its continued efficiency.

Therefore, to protect Singapore's reputation as a safe country in which systems of governance, trade and industry function predictably and effectively, we should have an armoury of legal tools to combat propagators of fake news and the ill-consequences of their trade.

It is important that this armoury of legal tools be versatile as disinformation campaigns have become even more sophisticated and we need to keep up with the advancements in techniques of concealment and manipulation.

For example, in a Politico article, it stated that "fake news merchants are a step ahead" of government efforts, challenging the definition of what constitutes fake news through the use of photo-based disinformation and the use of Internet messaging services like WhatsApp as well as employing techniques to mask their locations and purchase political ads in local currencies.

To that end, would MHA consider formalising such an armoury of legal tools into a legislative and regulatory framework to combat fake news emanating from domestic and foreign propagators?

Preserving Racial and Religious Harmony

Every 21 July, racial harmony day is celebrated. Why 21 July? The first series of riots in the Race Riots of 1964 began on 21 July. Those riots had been called "the worst and most prolonged in Singapore’s postwar history."

But the fact that we can celebrate racial harmony day is a testament of how much stronger our unique social fabric has grown. Unique Singapore is made up of many races – Malay, Chinese, Eurasian, Indian and groups of other ethnicities.

Along with the ethnicities, there is a wide representation of religions. Living harmoniously and respectfully is, therefore, important. Through the Ethnic Integration Programme, people of different races live side-by-side. However, with the rise of inflammatory speech around the world – seeking to incite violence against people based on religion or race – what are our on-going plans to further safeguard our racial and religious harmony?

Further, what steps will be taken to combat hate speech which incites violence against race or religion where such incitement is conducted on social media?

It has been reported that since 2012, there has been a 600% increase in the number of users on Twitter globally that spout racial supremacy tweets. A United Nations expert stated that there is a "dramatic" increase in the number of websites and social media platforms that enable the incitement of violence.

Tackling the social media aspect is important as words on social media can quickly go viral like a fire which is out of control. This can be done through the use of bots.

As it is more difficult to trace the origins of such speech, and identity can be easily masked, what legal tools will MHA deploy to deter would-be perpetrators from spouting inflammatory speech?

Question proposed.

Emerging Threat to Religious Harmony

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): I sat on the Select Committee for Deliberate Online Falsehoods last year and one issue that came up quite strongly was the use of online falsehoods to stoke communal and religious differences and cause disharmony. Of particular concern to me is the "slow drip" effect, as some falsehoods may play on existing "slow burn" issues, such as simmering communal tensions, to create more serious crises in the long run.

We have seen social media being used to spread inflammatory messages that could cause tension between different communities and to share hate speeches. These conversations are then carried into the real world and can affect the way we interact with one another. The online space is also used to spread practices which may not be compatible to our local context.

Sometime back, news broke about several foreign preachers being banned from preaching in Singapore for this reason. Foreign preachers, like Mufti Menk and Dr Zakir Naik, are popular online and their reach extends beyond physical space.

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In light of the evolving online space and the importance of protecting social cohesion in Singapore, are there plans to further develop legislation or create other controls to safeguard our religious harmony?

Segregationist Practices

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministers for Culture, Community and Youth and Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mr Chairman, religious harmony is vital for peace, and prosperity in our multiracial and multi-religious nation. Over the years, the Government and religious community have made great strides in safeguarding our religious harmony. We have continuously affirmed the need to foster a culture of mutual understanding and the attitude of live and let live, as well as to build strong bonds among different faiths.

Building and maintaining religious harmony is an on-going effort since our independence, and we cannot be complacent. In that regard, we need to guard against the rise of narrow-minded and segregationist ideologies. We have seen examples of segregationist ideologies being propagated overseas, such as religious leaders telling their followers not to convey well-wishes to others on their religious holidays. Even though these segregationist ideologies may not cause immediate harm, like violence, they can divide society over time.

I urge the Government to work more closely with our religious communities to take steps to prevent such segregationist tendencies from taking root in Singapore. Can MHA share its plans to do so?

The Chairman: Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Not here. Mr Png Eng Huat.

Singaporeans with Foreign Stepchildren

Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): Sir, it was reported in the Population White Paper of 2013 that about 40% of all marriages registered in Singapore involved a non-Singaporean and there was a rising trend in international marriages over the years as well.

These marriages would have strong and sustainable Singaporean core to begin with, and even more so, when these married couples decide to start a family. Some of these foreign spouses may be in their second marriage and have children of their own with them. While these foreign spouses may be granted permanent residency in due course, their children from previous marriages are facing an uncertain future. These children will not get PR status by default.

In such cases, Singaporeans with foreign stepchildren to raise, would have to struggle with non-subsidised school fees, medical fees and more, if they are unable to legally adopt these children.

Sir, some adoption procedures can be onerous, for example, to adopt a stepchild from China, the consent of the biological ex-spouse must be sought. If the ex-spouse is missing, non-cooperative or even hostile, it is next to impossible for the Singaporean to legally adopt his stepchild. Some of these stepchildren can never go back to their home countries as well because they were abandoned at birth by one half of their parents.

Sir, our TFR has been below the replacement rate for decades. Here, we have children who are already an integral part of the Singaporean core families, who are totally integrated into our society, and who are as Singaporean as any one of their local siblings. Can we not grant these children PR status at the very least, until they reach the age of 21? These grown up children can then make their own declaration to become citizens at that point in time.

In my conversation with Singaporeans with foreign stepchildren, they are deeply concerned how their stepchildren would feel as they grow older and come to know that they are actually quite different from their brothers or sisters in many ways. I urge the Ministry to grant these stepchildren of families with strong Singaporean Core, permanent residency or citizenship sooner rather than later.

Science and Technology

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, in January this year, it was reported in The Straits Times that MHA will be setting up a new Science and Technology Agency, with responsibility in research and procurement areas of border security and protection of critical infrastructures. With the increasing global threats posed by terrorism, cyberattacks and international crimes, this move is timely. The growth of new technologies poses a growth of new threats.

Minister Heng, in his Budget speech, said that this year, digital defence has been incorporated as the sixth pillar that makes up Singapore's Total Defence.

Can MHA share more on the plans for the new agency and how it will help enhance the capabilities of the Home Team?

With digitalisation and advances in technology, what is the Home Team doing to leverage technology to enhance operations, service delivery and address the constraints faced with manpower? How will the new Agency use technology and information offensively and defensively?

To be effective in prevention, response and recovery of cyber-attacks, it will require inter-agency coordination. Other agencies, like the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Heath, are required in the research and development of home¬land security technologies. In what way is MHA fostering and driving inter-agency cooperation and coordination? What is MHA doing to attract the right talent and developing security specialists for the agency?

We know that cyber terrorism has no boundaries. Singapore cannot be effective without partnerships. The private sector also makes investment in technology for security and hence private sector partnership can also strengthen the use of technology for homeland safety.

Can MHA share what public, private, national and international partnerships the new Science and Technology Agency intends to drive in researching, developing, and sharing homeland security technologies?

Home Team Science and Technology Agency

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Chairman, Sir, it was announced that the Home Team Science and Technology Agency will be established to develop science and technology capabilities to support the Home Team's operational needs. The Budget Book states that the Home Team is growing a pool of in-house scientists and engineers to develop capabilities in sense-making and surveillance, biometrics and profiling, forensics and dealing with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives incidents.

If the agency is the extension of the current work of the Science and Technology office to preempt and contain terrorist attacks, that is a good development. However, I am concerned with the scope of surveillance and profiling technology to be deployed and developed.

Sometime ago, the Minister for Home Affairs said that the integration of facial recognition technology into the Home Team IT systems could help automate Police work. Recently, many organisations, including tech giants, such as Microsoft and Google, have raised alarm on facial recognition and its potential abuse if left unregulated. Some critics have pointed to China's misuse of the technology for political control.

How will the Government ensure that the data collected is authentic, is secured and not subjected to abuse, political or otherwise? What safeguards are there to ensure that the privacy and rights of citizens will not be violated? What recourse will citizens have to address possible misuses of personal data and violations of privacy by the Home Team?

I would like to know whether the Government has the intention to bring a Bill to Parliament to establish the Home Team Science and Technology Agency as a Statutory Board, so that the mission, role and specific functions of the agency can be transparently stated in law and regulated.

Religious Harmony

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, religious harmony is very important for Singapore. An effective way to nurture and strengthen religious harmony is to make sure that people from different religions interact with one another. However, in recent times, we have seen overseas examples of segregationist behaviour. For example, there were media reports about laundromats in Malaysia only wanting to serve Muslim customers and extremist Buddhist monks in Myanmar calling Buddhists to boycott Muslim businesses.

We need to make sure that such separation of people based on religion is not acceptable here. Reducing social mixing among believers of different religions will divide our society over time and splinter our nation. How can we ensure that such segregationist practices do not take root in Singapore?

Home Team Science and Technology Agency

The decision to establish the new Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HSTA) by the end of this year cannot come soon enough. In view of the volume and increasingly serious nature of digital threats, a dedicated agency will boost our Home Team's technological capabilities to provide greater support for its operational needs.

The range of cases which our security agencies have to deal with are getting more diverse and more complex by the day. Cyberattacks and cybercrimes are escalating even as general crime rates are stabilising or falling.

Would the Minister share more details about the aims and key focus areas of HSTA? How will it interface with other similar agencies, such as the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA)?

Science and Technology Agency

Mr Christopher de Souza: Chairman, the world we live in is very different from the past. Through the porous and inter-connected Internet, crime and threats of unrest can be caused by players beyond a country's borders. Even within Singapore, the medium of the Internet provides a cover that can easily mask one's identity and location. Nevertheless, what is on the Internet can have consequences in real life.

As such, combating falsehoods, protecting race and religion from speech inciting violence, ensuring domestic politics and sensitive policy decisions remain the domain of Singaporeans. These are all key and important facets to our way of life and the continued effectiveness of our rule of law governance system. Science and technology can be studied and deployed to detect foreign and domestic actors who seek to spread falsehoods and incite violence.

As experts have stated, this is important as there are cyber-armies in the region that can be easily deployed against Singapore directly or as proxies for another country. This can also include civilians who unwittingly participate as circulators of disinformation or even as part of a "militia" that acts in support of a state-sponsored disinformation campaign.

Will the new MHA arm in the form of the Science and Technology Agency work to deploy the disciplines of science and technology to deter disinformation or information that incites violence and instability?

SPF's SOP in Replying to Appeals

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, I would like to ask the Ministry on the Singapore Police Force (SPF)'s standard practice in reply to appeals made by a Member of Parliament or a grassroots advisor.

My Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) colleague once made an appeal on behalf of a member of the public who lives in a constituency he contested in General Election 2015. However, the appeal was not accepted. I would like to quote the reply from SPF, "We regret that we are unable to process the appeal as a Government organisation can only consider representation from MPs/Advisors to grassroots organisations on behalf of their constituents."

Sir, on the other hand, it has come to my attention recently through SPF's replied letter to one of my residents that SPF acknowledged the PAP Party Branch Chairman's appeal and a carbon copy of the reply which was addressed to my resident was sent to the PAP Party Branch Chairman.

Sir, the PAP Party Branch Chairman is appointed by a political party. I am therefore surprised as to why the SPF acknowledged the appeal from PAP Party Branch Chairman whereas the appeal from an NCMP was not accepted. Sir, I seek clarity on the matter.

Home Team Manpower Transformation

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Sir, Singapore's declining birth rate and ageing population has and will place further manpower constraints on our Home Team. At the same time, our officers will encounter more complex and sophisticated cases while frontline officers, such as those in ICA, will encounter heavier workloads and ever higher service expectations. Home Team Transformation 2025 was timely. Can the Minister update on the progress of the project, especially how it has impacted our ICA and SCDF officers?

While technological changes have made law enforcement more complex for our Home Team officers, it also heralds the dawn of ever more effective officers. Law enforcement has evolved, from the physicality of beat patrolling to remote advanced monitoring and detection systems. Our older officers can be trained to take on different but equally productive work. How have we redesigned our jobs to take advantage of technology to help our officers to be productive even when they are older? How are we also reskilling our officers so that they can better utilise technology in their work?

In the face of manpower constraints and increasing workloads, we must necessarily help officers to work better for longer. Law enforcement officers are like fine wine, they get better with age. Their legal knowledge and contextual experience are important in sniffing out suspicious cases. Many successful Police and ICA arrests are due to the skills of our officers built up over time.

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The retirement age was revised in 2013. I encourage MHA to leverage on assistive technology and changes in job scopes and law enforcement methodologies to extend the retirement and re-employment age of our Home Team officers.

In an increasingly complex operating terrain, we no longer have the monopoly of knowledge. Our officers often know what are the skills that they need to thrive in the environment. Will the Ministry consider setting up training committees comprising of ground officers, senior management and HQ staff in our various land divisions to explore new skills and new ways to train?

Resourcing SPF's Manpower Appropriately

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Sir, it is clear that the Singapore Police Force’s scope of work has increased significantly in the recent past and this trend is likely to continue in the future.

As an example, one need only refer to the amendment Bill to the Penal Code that was tabled in Parliament earlier this month. If passed, it will introduce a slew of new offences to better protect the more vulnerable amongst us. In addition, there is a trend of increasing e-commerce scams which saw an increase of 36.1% between 2017 and 2018. As the Singapore Police Force is the primary investigative body for such offences, it will have to consequently expand its investigative resources to deal with an expected increase in workload.

SPF will also have to ensure it has the resources to deal with security issues to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe. This is not an easy task given the current geo-political situation and assessment of security threat.

I am heartened to note that in this Budget, there is an increase in financial support to keep Singapore safe and secure. How will the Ministry ensure that the Police Force has sufficient manpower to handle this expected additional workload? Is there scope for the Police to be further freed from non-core duties, such as assisting members of public to update changes in their addresses? How much can technology really be leveraged to free up manpower given that there will always be a limit to what can be done without the human touch?

Stance on Illegal Drugs

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Sir, there is a growing trend of drug use liberalisation in the west, including towards cannabis. One can even purchase cannabis-flavoured drinks, cookies and ice-cream in nations where their recreational use have been legalised. However, the damage of such drug misuse on our health is undeniable. And I urge the Government to prevent this trend from taking root in Singapore. I am also very worried about how the abuse of such drugs will lead to the exploration of and subsequent addiction to other illicit drugs.

What is the Government’s stance on this issue and how does it plan to respond to this growing trend globally? What measures do we have to ensure that such illegal drugs do not find their way into Singapore?

Tough Stance on Drugs – Demand and Supply

Mr Christopher de Souza: Calls to decriminalise the consumption of highly addictive and illicit drugs should be viewed with skepticism and suspicion. These calls have an agenda – some of those voicing them have much to gain financially. Sir, drugs do fuel crime.

So, if we were to decriminalise the supply and demand of drugs, who suffers the social fall-out? Who has to pave the road to recovery of a citizen addicted to drugs? Who has to care for the family broken by a member’s drug addiction? Who suffers as a result of drug-related crime? Certainly, not the big industries seeking to profit from liberal drug consumption. Rather, it is the family of the drug addict that suffers the most – an innocent spouse, child, or baby – and of course the state. So, we must deter both the demand and supply of drugs. What then is MHA's position regarding moves to make cannabis legal in neighbouring countries? Separately, what steps are being taken to increase the employability of former rehabilitated addicts?

Cannabis

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry (Dr Tan Wu Meng): Mr Chairman, there is a growing trend globally and regionally, to legalise cannabis for recreational and medical use. In October 2018, Canada became the second country in the world to legalise cannabis for recreational use, after Uruguay became the first such country in 2013. In the United States, around 10 states have legalised cannabis for recreational use and more than 30 states have legalised cannabis for medical use. In our region, two countries have recently legalised cannabis for medical use – South Korea in November 2018 and Thailand in December 2018.

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair]

This trend poses implications for young people, for patients and for healthcare professionals. Young Singaporeans studying or working in jurisdictions which have legalised cannabis, may have attitudes towards drugs shaped by the social environment there. Patients in Singapore may read online posts about jurisdictions which have legalised cannabis for medical use. Healthcare professionals in turn may be faced with challenging conversations with patients, who might ask about differing policies regarding legalisation of cannabis for medical use, across different countries. What is the Government’s assessment of this emerging trend in overseas jurisdictions? And what is the Government’s response?

Youths and Drug Abuse

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, Singapore has always taken a tough stance against drug abuse. For drug traffickers, the death penalty may even be imposed. This policy stance takes into account the potential damage and detrimental effects that drug abusers cause themselves, their families and the wider Singaporean Community.

I do not think that this belief has changed over the years amongst the majority of Singaporeans.

The recent numbers for 2018 released by the Central Narcotics Bureau, however, reveal a worrying trend.

The total number of drug abusers arrested in 2018 increased by 11% from 2017. Of the 3,438 drug abusers who were arrested in 2018, about 40% or 1,370 of them were below 30 years old. Drug abusers in the 20 to 29 years age group continue to form the largest group of abusers in 2018. In particular, of the total number of drug abusers arrested in 2018 – 40% were new abusers. Of these new abusers, about two-thirds or about 64% were under 30 years old. The numbers suggest that there is a worrying trend where our youths of today have a more liberal attitude towards the use of drugs and are more likely to engage or partake in them. Sir, this is a trend that we must arrest.

It has been reported in the media just this week that there are plans by MHA to engage youths on the dangers of drug abuse as well as to legislate stiffer laws against the promotion of drugs to youths. I invite the Minister to share with this House further details of the Ministry’s plans to reduce the number of youths involved in the consumption of drugs.

Dadah Itu Haram Campaign

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Sir, in Malay please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to join Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Amrin Amin in one of the outreach events for the Dadah Itu Haram campaign at the coffee shops within Bukit Batok as well as Changi Village. We joined several other volunteers, including representatives from the Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS) to walk the ground and convey the anti-drug message to the shopowners and their customers.

Such efforts are a good platform to get to know the community and obtain feedback. Through the session with Mr Amrin, I found that generally many people are aware of this campaign and our community’s efforts to combat drugs. I realise that a lot of time and effort have been spent on this campaign and it appears to be successful.

Although there is now a deeper understanding of the importance of staying away from drugs and numerous efforts to help drug abusers rehabilitate, there is still some concern about the number of Malay/Muslim abusers compared to other communities. Drugs do not only affect the abuser, but also the drug abuser’s family and children. The effort to combat drug abuse in our community must continue. Therefore, I would like to ask for further details about the Dadah Itu Haram campaign. What was achieved over the course of the campaign? Has there been any effort to measure its effectiveness? Are there other plans to enhance public education about these anti-drug efforts so that we can see a reduction in the number of drug abusers or a decline in the drug problem within our community?

Rehabilitation for Low-income Hardcore Addicts

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, earlier this week, the Central Narcotics Bureau shared that the number of drug abusers in Singapore in 2018 had increased by 11%, with new abusers comprising 40% of all cases. In concert, the drugs of choice have also evolved. Today, psycho-active substances and methamphetamine are the norm. To this end, the recent amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act in the direction of rehabilitation for hardcore addicts is to be welcomed.

Minister shared during the debate that the profile of abusers had changed along with the change in profile of the general population. However, in the absence of more information on the background of hardcore addicts in DRC and LT, I am concerned that the latest rehabilitative improvements may inevitably be tilted in favour of addicts who come from more affluent households. On the surface of things, it would appear that they would have fewer obstacles procuring drugs as compared to low-income addicts who may resort to crime to feed their urge. Such a prospect may mean that hardcore addicts with criminal antecedents and para-criminal charges would ironically have lesser access to the new rehabilitation regime which can help keep them out of long-term detention.

A useful indication of how the new regime may operate would be to have some sense of the income and social economic background of hardcore addicts who are under the LT regime. I would also like to enquire if there is a distinction to the type of drugs consumed by low-income and affluent addicts respectively. I urge the Ministry to keep a tab on this issue to see how low-income hardcore addicts can be better rehabilitated since many, in view of the concurrent criminal record of antecedents, may not be able to extricate themselves out of the LT regime towards rehabilitation. Paradoxically, these low-income hardcore addicts may need the most help and rehabilitative assistance.

Inmates' Employability

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministers for Culture, Community and Youth and Transport (Mr Baey Yam Keng): Mr Chairman, when offenders are released from the prisons, many leave with a desire to change, to reconnect with their families and to contribute to the community. Securing employment is a critical step for ex-offenders to start afresh. Having and being able to keep a job gives one a sense of purpose and self-confidence. It also gives one meaning and satisfaction from being able to provide for their family and themselves. However, the transition from prison to work is not easy.

With limited work experience or the gap from previous work experience and some with low or no educational qualifications, many inmates may only be able to qualify for entry-level positions when they re-enter the workforce. For many individuals, the fast-changing labour market is a concern. This is especially challenging for ex-offenders as they must adapt to a job environment that may have changed from the time when they went into prison.

Employers’ support for ex-offenders in the workforce is key to enhancing inmates' employability. SCORE’s efforts to enhance inmates’ employability would be futile if employers are not receptive to offering inmates jobs when they are released. I have met several ex-offenders at my Meet-People-Session asking for help to find a job, and because of not being gainfully employed, they have to seek financial assistance to help their daily needs.

What are MHA's plans to further enhance inmates' employability as part of the rehabilitation efforts? In particular, how will MHA be working with employers to strengthen the employment outcomes of our ex-offenders?

Helping Prison Inmates without a Home

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Chairman, our prison takes a rehabilitative approach towards ex-offenders, and as such, there are a number of programmes to rehabilitate and re-integrate offenders so they may become responsible citizens upon completion of their sentence. But for rehabilitation to be successful, they must first have a safe place to stabilise their lives, or they could risk falling back to crime.

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One of my residents started sleeping at the void deck of his flats for months shortly after his release from prison. He had a tiff with his family. He had no one to turn to, and was completely lost. He came to my Meet-the-People Session for food rations and help. I believe his case is not unique. I recently raised a question in Parliament about inmates who do not have a place to stay after their release. I was informed that those who are homeless would be referred to the Family Resource Centre at the Singapore Prison Service, as well as interim housing options, such as halfway houses and shelter homes.

I am concerned for those who thought they had a home to return to, but only to find that their family was not willing to accept them. They did not want to go back to get a referral, or they found the process to be troublesome. Then there are also those who do not like the interim housing options because of the restrictions. Some of my residents told me they prefer staying with friends who would have them, or in public places until they have found a stable job. Nevertheless, many job applications would require the applicant to give their home address, so this poses another stumbling block for this group.

Can the Ministry and other relevant agencies establish a hotline and safe lodging coupled with job agency services to help these people get back on their feet? What more MHA and the prisons service can do to ensure the prisoners have the necessary fall back option if the homes they return to are not viable? Can more be done in terms of resources by MHA and other national agencies to ensure inmates have a hotline or safe lodging for them with a comfortable environment and embedded job search agency services for these groups of people before they stabilise their lives? Can MHA and relevant agencies also work with the private sector real estate agencies and/or property agents to ensure the supply of adequate matching of rental housing is available for inmates about to be released or have been released but found out they have emergency housing issues?

Public Safety –Fire

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, while the number of fires that occurred last year have fallen, more than half of them occurred in residences with more people injured in fires last year suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. In 2018 there were four fatalities from fires and all cases occurred at home.

A worrying trend is the number of fires involving electric bicycles and scooters and other personal mobility devices (PMDs). In 2018, there were 74 such fires. This is an increase of more than 50% as compared to the previous year and resulted in 22 injuries.

In our constituency at Changi Simei, there were three residential fires in 2018, two occurred during the charging of PMDs and another involved a fish tank catching fire. Thank goodness there were no fatalities.

Two weeks ago, a fire broke out in the switch room of Carlton hotel. I was actually having lunch at the hotel and was amongst the thousand people that had been evacuated from the premises. Fortunately, there was no injuries but the fire did cause power disruptions for nearby buildings and several MRT stations.

With our dense population, high-rise buildings, close living proximity and work environments, how can we improve fire safety for our buildings, especially older buildings? How can we ensure the readiness of our people to know what to do to stay safe in the event of a fire?

Fire Safety – High-rise Residence

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, the SCDF designated residential buildings that go beyond 40 storeys as Super High-rise Residential Buildings. There are additional Fire Code requirements such as the creation of refuge floor with holding area at 20-storey intervals and the installation of larger capacity fire-lift. In 2013, such buildings were required to have two fire lifts to facilitate the evacuation of people with disabilities by firefighters.

After a tragic fire at Marina Bay in 2014, where two security guards died in the fire, the requirement to appoint trained Competent Persons for Super High-rise Private Residential Buildings was implemented. The Competent Person, such as the Managing Agent’s supervisor, will perform fire safety duties and train security guards to execute evacuation procedures properly.

In a fire at a 48th floor unit at Pinnacle Duxton in May last year, it was reported that a man and a woman, in their 60s, were hurt, suffering smoke inhalation. It was also reported that many residents living on the 47th and 48th floors chose to use the lifts to evacuate despite knowing the risk of being trapped in the lifts. A senior aged 64 years said he and his family walked from the 48th to the 45th floor, then gave up and took the lift to evacuate.

I think there is a gap here for Super High-rise Public Residential Buildings, as there are no Competent Persons and trained security guards to help conduct regular public education of residents and facilitate proper evacuation during fire. There is urgency in this with the ageing society, as more and more seniors find it onerous to walk down 20 storeys to the refuge floor. Some seniors may not even know that they should not evacuate using the fire lifts.

Updates on SG Secure

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: The efforts taken in SG Secure to create awareness in the community and equip people with skills to respond to crises like terror attacks are commendable. The awareness on the ground of the importance of preparedness has been enhanced over the past few years. There is still some room though to develop the actual preparedness, for example by encouraging more people in the community to go through training for CPR and on the use of AED. This could be coupled with efforts to build racial and religious understanding amongst the different communities in Singapore.

At the international platform, we hear about the strength of ISIS waning. However, there are still instances of self-radicalisation occurring all around the world and in particular, in Singapore. We therefore need to continue being vigilant and continue to "exercise those muscles" so that we remain prepared. The efforts in creating awareness and preparedness must continue as we learn lessons from incidents abroad and reflect on the instances of self-radicalisation in Singapore.

Could MHA provide an update on the efforts carried out so far and the plans for SGSecure moving forward as well as MHA's efforts in combating self-radicalisation?

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: Sir, terrorism remains a grave concern and much as we prefer not to believe this, it is highly likely to be a matter of "not if, but when". So far, Singapore has been fortunate in that we managed to avoid major incidents, thanks to the diligence and competence of our security agencies. Besides boosting security measures, we have to strengthen our ability to deal with the consequence of potential attacks. Our community must remain united across ethnic and religious groups.

Would the Minister share updates on SG Secure and how it would help to foster a community which is more resilient and self-reliant in dealing with crises like terror attacks as well as MHA's efforts in combating self-radicalisation?

The Chairman: Mr Christoper de Souza, you can take both your cuts.

Resilience in the Face of Terror Threats

Mr Christopher de Souza: While we put in place steps to deter terror threats, we must, equally, be prepared in the event a threat vests on our shores. It is not just the prevention of terror attacks that counts but the "cure" after it happens. Even as we currently enjoy racial and religious harmony, we cannot take it for granted. A concrete sense of resilience must prevail in the minds of all Singaporeans – regardless of race or religion – to remain united, steadfastly protecting the racial and religious harmony while rejecting the threat of terror and its perpetrators. What steps has MHA taken to detect and deter self-radicalisation and what community-based exercises will be carried out to imbue a sense of post-attack resilience in fellow Singaporeans?

Deterring Cybercrimes

In 2018, the overall crime rate increased, mostly due to a 20.6% increase in scams conducted online or on the phone. Of the online crimes, a "significant proportion" were committed by foreign syndicates. Cybercrimes may have a transnational element to them, but their ill consequences can be felt harshly at home. This is especially when syndicates target the elderly in cheating cases or when love scams are deployed to take advantage of Singaporeans. To stem the harm felt in Singapore, my question is: how will MHA build on its capabilities to tackle local and cross-border cybercrimes and enhance public awareness to help prevent their re-occurrence?

Safety of Road Users

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, traffic accidents are regrettable occurrences on our roads. In Singapore, we legislate strong measures to minimise the number of traffic accidents. In an ideal world, all traffic accidents should be prevented.

In the meantime, it is clear that certain road user behaviours directly increase the risk of traffic accidents that could potentially result in injuries or fatalities. Instances such as drink driving or running a red light are two examples.

Traffic accidents arising out of these reckless and irresponsible driving behaviors are avoidable and should be sternly dealt with as these drivers put not only themselves, but other road users at risk.

Some of the numbers recently released by MHA on the road traffic accident situation for 2018 raises serious concerns about such reckless and irresponsible driving behaviours.

Drink-driving accidents increased by 17% from 2017 to 2018. In particular, the number of motorcyclists who were drink-driving and got involved in accidents increased by 51%! Red-light running violations increased by 15% with number of accidents resulting from red-light running increasing by 2.6%.

It has been reported that MHA is already taking steps to impose stiffer penalties for drink-driving and other road traffic offences.

I invite the Minister to share with this House if the Ministry is considering taking any other steps such as further raising awareness amongst the public or the imposition of a review course requirement for responsible driving on new or experienced drivers.

Public Safety on the Roads

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: A recent survey by AXA Insurance showed that nearly one in two Singapore drivers feel that the roads have become less safe than three years ago despite a fall in fatal accidents and a drop in the number of accidents. Top reasons cited in the survey were more aggressive drivers and non-drivers on the road.

Based on recent media reports, while the number of accidents has fallen, there is an upward trend in irresponsible driving. What are the causes for irresponsible driving in Singapore?

While technology has helped to make our cars and roads safer, technology has also become a source of distraction for many drivers who text or browse social media on their mobile phones, fiddle with their GPS or playlist on their devices while driving. Some reports have alleged that texting while driving is worse than driving drunk in its effect on your ability to drive safely, as it splits your attention.

What actions are taken to address dangerous driving situations? And how will the Home Team further improve road safety to make our roads safer for all road users?

Drink Driving by New and Young Drivers

Mr Murali Pillai: Sir, in a number of jurisdictions across the world, there are stricter drink driving laws against probationary and young drivers as compared to other drivers. For example, in New Zealand, for young drivers, there is a zero alcohol limit imposed against them. Canada has similar laws. In many states of Australia, zero alcohol limits are also imposed on probationary drivers. It seems to me that the regulations are imposed not because young and probationary drivers are more likely to drink-drive compared to other drivers, but because there is a need to better protect them from the effects of alcohol which is likely to impair their judgement much more than the experienced and older drivers.

In the past five years, the average number of probationary drivers in Singapore arrested for drink driving per year is 111. The corresponding figure for younger drivers is 17 per year. The average number of drink driving arrests per year is 2,298. Whilst the instances of drink driving amongst probationary and young drivers in Singapore are relatively low, the numbers are not piffling. More importantly, our laws do not make a distinction on the impact of alcohol on probationary and young drivers’ judgement as compared to other experienced drivers.

For these reasons, I recommend that the Ministry consider putting in place a tiered drink driving system that takes into account the effect of alcohol on probationary and young drivers.

The Chairman: Minister Shanmugam.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Sir. Sir, I thank the hon Members for their comments.

Twenty-eighteen was an intense year for the Home Team. High-signature events – the Trump-Kim Summit, the ASEAN Summit, (because we were the Chair of ASEAN), and, of course, some issues arose in our waters – the disputed Malaysia Johor Port Limits. So, to deal with that: Police Coast Guard have been operating at a very high tempo since when the dispute began, round the clock. And the entire Home Team because of the events of last year have been working round the clock. I want to thank all the Home Team officers for their hard work, their dedication and the professionalism with which they have approached their work.

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Let me move to an overview of the safety and security situation. Like in past years, we continue to rank very highly on indices on safety and security. The Gallup Global Law and Order Report of 2018, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index of 2019 and the Global Smart City Performance Index of 2018, all ranked us number one on this score.

The crime and drug situations remain under control and our internal surveys, which we do regularly, show that public trust and confidence in the Home Team remains extremely high.

Let me now move on to what we intend to do this year. A significant step this year will be taken to qualitatively improve our capabilities. We are going to set up a new Science and Technology Agency that will help transform the Home Team through the increased use of technology to support operations – for example, through the use of biometric identifiers at our borders; using our sensors to better detect threats; and robotics to automate and streamline processes.

The approach for the new Science and Technology Board is to deepen the Home Team's scientific and engineering capabilities. We want to strengthen the operational effectiveness, and we want to work on developing new technologies, focusing on threat detection, digital forensics, unmanned systems. Really, it will pull together Science and Technology (S&T) resources, integrate S&T requirements across the Home Team and attract and develop S&T talent, which is critical. Minister Josephine will speak in more detail about our plans.

We will also update the Committee on other plans to maintain Singapore's safety and security.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin will speak on drug abuse prevention, rehabilitation of offenders, cybercrime and the Home Team manpower transformation.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling will speak on improving fire and road safety and also improving community partnerships.

I will speak on two emerging concerns, which Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Mr Gan Thiam Poh have raised: one, foreign interference in domestic politics; and second, trends that may undermine our religious harmony and what we intend to do about both of these. I will also speak about the rehabilitation of low-income drug abusers, a point raised by Mr Pritam Singh.

First, on foreign interference in domestic politics. Last month, Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong spoke on overseas examples of foreign interference in domestic politics and elections.

I think Members and the public know the impact that foreign interference has on politics in different countries. It is well-documented. Hostile information campaigns have been used to weaken countries' resolve when countries are in conflict or tension between states – where one country uses hostile information campaign to destabilise the other country. Foreign actors have attempted to undermine democracy and elections in a number of countries. Foreign interference has also come into play to try and weaken the social fabric of different countries.

Mr Christopher de Souza spoke about the need to look at what has happened to other countries, how they have dealt with foreign interference, and learn some lessons on what we can do. We intend to do that. We have been doing it.

Several countries have, in fact, passed laws to combat both falsehoods as well as foreign interference. I will quote a couple of examples. In Germany, the Network Enforcement Act requires social media platforms to set up a process and the process must ensure that "manifestly illegal content", such as hate speech, should be removed within 24 hours of receipt of a complaint. Failure to comply could mean fines of up to 50 million euros.

In Australia, recently, legislation was passed on dealing with foreign interference. Stiff penalties. There was a complete ban foreign political donations. And those who act on behalf of foreign nations or entities must declare that relationship. Failure to comply could mean up to five years' jail. And for foreign interference aimed at influencing elections or supporting foreign intelligence – people who engage in that could face a penalty of up to 20 years in jail. The kind of penalties that you see I think indicate the severity of the threat and how countries are reacting to them.

We are studying their experiences; we are studying what has happened to them and what they are doing to combat the threat. Our current thinking is that early detection and exposure is critical. Second, we must be able to act quickly and keep up with new digital-age tactics. Third, apart from strengthening our laws, we have to build up the ability of Singaporeans to understand what is happening, to discern, to respond appropriately, and to try and resist foreign interference. We must train people to spot it but it is a reality that many people will find it difficult. We must also accept that. Some of the steps that I have outlined can only be taken through legislation. The Government will come to this House later this year with its proposals.

Let me deal with the concerns raised by Mr Pritam Singh on low-income drug abusers. He said that recent changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act may inadvertently operate in favour of drug abusers who come from more affluent households, and are we are doing enough to help low-income hardcore addicts.

I think the questions are fair. I will say look at the facts. He did preface his speech by saying he does not have the statistics with him. So, with that caveat in mind, if you look at those in long-term imprisonment, nine in 10 inmates, before these changes were made, were from the bottom 20th percentile of wage earners nationally.

Long-term or (LT) inmates are drug abusers who have been picked up for the third time or more. That data shows that those in the lowest 20th percentile of wage earners are no more likely to have both drug and criminal convictions at the same time, as compared to those who earn more. They will be eligible to be channelled to DRC if they admit to drug use and have committed no other crime. That is an answer based on the facts in the current situation.

But take a step back more philosophically. Take a situation where there are those who abuse drugs and those abuse drugs as well as committed crime. Do they need to be treated differently?

For those who abuse drugs, the right thing to do is not to look so much at their economic or social background, but to see what is going to help them kick the habit and become useful citizens in society. And our approach based on many years of data and experience, science- and evidence-based, is that we can do more with rehabilitation. And that has been welcomed by all.

At the same time, let us take those who commit crime in addition to abusing drugs. What is in their interest? It is in their interest that we help them both to kick their drug habit and, at the same time, not commit a crime.

What is in society's interest? It is also to prevent them from committing a crime and ensuring the safety of society.

So, those on the second category need to be helped to move out of criminality and drugs. So, we try and achieve that through a number of programmes, when they are in detention.

How to help them, whether in LT or DRC – stay off drugs and crime is something that we are intensely focused upon. And hopefully, with our programmes, regardless of which socioeconomic group they come from, when they come out, they are able to lead a healthy life and a more productive life from their own perspective.

So, for example, we have put in place a range of programmes to address the varied and complex causes of both addiction and crime. So, for all drug abusers, Prisons provides psychology-based correctional programmes. So Members can understand, Mr Singh can understand, if you committed a crime, you have done this, you go in, you get access to psychology-based correctional programmes which I think they need to address their underlying drug addiction issues.

They also undergo skills training and work programmes. For example, we find that for those who, when they come out, are able to keep a job, their recidivism rate is much lower. So, we have to help them while they are in prison to try and get the right attitudes towards getting and keeping a job. SCORE provides job matching to emplace them in jobs before they are released and job coaches to help abusers stay in employment, draw a steady income.

We also partner the community – halfway houses, religious organisations, to provide various forms of support, for example, interim housing arrangements. So those with a higher risk profile of re-offending are given more help, through the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme. So, after they get released, they go through the scheme. LT inmates will be put through the scheme and legislation has now made it mandatory.

Prisons also work closely with community partners and other Government agencies supported by MSF, to ensure that abusers and their families, when they need financial assistance, can tap on community resources, whether at the point when they get admitted into detention or post-release.

We will monitor closely the results closely, from the changes that have been made. Our intention is to try and make it work and we will make further changes where necessary. We will monitor closely.

Let me now move on to religious harmony. There are three worrisome trends. Members spoke about them or asked what the Government's response, I will identify three trends that are of concern.

First: resurgence of identity politics around the world. More people are identifying themselves in narrow ethnic, cultural and religious terms. They turn inward, they reject diversity, they reject co-existence with others.

Political parties and movements that ride this wave have gained traction around the world. For example, far-right parties have made electoral gains in France, the Netherlands and Germany. Alt-right movement gained prominence in the US as well. Significant support for religion-based parties and parties which advocate moves in this direction have gained in our immediate region as well.

Mr Baey Yam Keng spoke about increasing segregationist ideas and practices. These views are all around. They can come from foreign preachers, they can come from the Internet. One particular example of such teaching is what was said in Myanmar. Ashin Wirathu – some Members may be familiar with him – urging Buddhists to boycott Muslim businesses. And I quote, "do business or interact with only our kind: same race and same faith". So, it is all around us, and he is not alone.

The second worrisome trend, as Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Rahayu Mahzam have noted, the Internet has allowed hate speech and incitement to spread further and faster, and there can be devastating effects.

The third trend is religiously-motivated terrorist groups who continue to spread their propaganda. Overseas experiences show that in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack, there is distrust, there is suspicion between communities. And the rise of Islamophobic incidents in Paris, Brussels in wake of attacks would be known to Members.

So, how do we respond? Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Mr Christopher de Souza asked how we should respond.

First, of course, the non-"sexy" bit as it were, what we have always been doing – continue to build a strong Singaporean identity, preserve and grow our common space and experiences. It is hard work. It is a lot of work and it takes a long time. But we are where we are here today because of all the steps that we have taken over 50 years.

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Our education system, public housing and National Service, all examples of us coming together, common space, people of different backgrounds, understanding, creating our own value system, and building common experiences. We have to build a strong Singaporean identity through these common experiences.

We also have to guard against segregationist thinking, teachings and practices that seek to reduce the opportunities for Singaporeans of different religions and races to come together.

Second, we have to continue to keep religion and politics separate. Our politics, our approach is secular. We have managed to balance the right to religious freedom, with a secular approach to politics, and with the need to ensure harmony, peace and security in our multi-racial, multi-religious society.

A key challenge – it is an increasing challenge – is to ensure that we can maintain the right balance in the face of the challenges that Members have spoken about, that I have acknowledged.

So, we have to work harder in the community to maintain and strengthen the Singapore value system. We also have to review our legislation to deal with some of the challenges. We are reviewing our Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act in this context. We aim to give more details later this year, after we have thought through some of the issues and done some consultations.

Third, we have to preserve the culture of mutual respect for each other’s religions. We have to reach out across religious lines, and keep the avenues of conversation open. Religious harmony is built and nurtured on the basis of trust among the communities. So, the Government will continue to provide platforms to facilitate dialogue and build this trust. And, of course, the Government is a key player and partner in this process.

The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.

The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Chairman, I will focus on the Home Team’s efforts to use science and technology to safeguard Singapore.

The Home Team is in the midst of an ambitious multi-year effort to transform itself to remain effective and capable. Members would be familiar with the challenges confronting the Home Team.

The terrorist threat remains high. While ISIS has lost most of its territory in the Middle East, it remains a potent threat, inciting attacks in our part of the world. We continue to see cases of self-radicalisation in Singapore.

Crime has also evolved. Criminals are employing more sophisticated tactics with the help of technology. We see this in the rise of cybercrime and online scams.

The workload of the Home Team has continued to increase and public expectations are rising. To cope with these challenges, simply increasing manpower is neither sustainable, nor effective.

The way forward is for the Home Team to change the way we do things. Technology is key. As Ms Jessica Tan pointed out rightly, technology will enable us to be effective, even in the face of manpower constraints.

One good example is at our checkpoints. Our borders are Singapore’s first line of defence against security threats.

In 2018, we saw more than 212 million travellers and 10 million consignments, containers and parcels cross our checkpoints. So, people 212 million, stuff 10 million.

Protecting our borders is no easy feat, and will only get more challenging. By 2025, we expect cross-border traveller and cargo volumes to increase by around 40% and 70% respectively. So we need to rely on technology to meet these challenges.

One way to do so is through biometrics technology. ICA will implement the BioScreen-Multi Modal Biometrics System or BioScreen-MMBS, across our checkpoints later this year. This system will allow ICA to use a combination of any of the three biometric identifiers, namely iris, facial and fingerprints, for immigration clearance. This paves the way for a more efficient and secure immigration clearance process. BioScreen-MMBS will provide our officers with a more dynamic tool to accurately identify travellers, especially those who could be of security interest. It will also allow ICA to build a robust biometrics database comprising the face, fingerprints and iris of every individual who crosses our borders, for post-incident investigation.

Technology is critical not only to combating threats at our borders, but also inland.

I will highlight a few key areas. The first is in detection, sense-making and surveillance capabilities. From major security incidents abroad, we know that a strong, immediate and coordinated response is key to saving lives, neutralising threats and restoring order. This is where technology matters. We have invested heavily in surveillance, command-and-control, and sense-making capabilities.

Today, our Police Operations Command Centre uses real-time video feeds and data to enhance incident response. Already, our installation of police cameras, or POLCAM, in public areas has effectively deterred crime. Since 2012, POLCAM and our enforcement efforts have driven down property damage cases due to unlicensed moneylending harassment by over 80%.

Surveillance capability is also critical for identifying and apprehending terrorists. The FBI used surveillance footage to identify the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing. Photos of the suspects were released within days of the bombing to help the public locate them.

We have plans to further strengthen our detection, tracking and sense-making capabilities. Video analytics will allow the Home Team to rapidly track down criminals and terrorists. Joint operational dashboards and common situation pictures will enable us to deliver more coordinated responses to incidents.

The second area is forensics. Technology can also improve our forensics methods. For example, Police are exploring the digitalisation of forensic data, and building intelligence into forensics systems, to improve their sense-making and analytical prowess. Digital forensic laboratories will enhance our ability to extract evidence from digital devices. These capabilities will go a long way in enabling the Home Team to rapidly generate leads, and to apprehend offenders.

The third area is in robotics and unmanned systems. We will continue to strengthen and augment our physical force and presence using robotics and unmanned systems. SPF and SCDF are already doing so. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, give ground commanders a bird’s eye view of the operating terrain and enhances their situational awareness. Robots can help firefighters tackle large-scale fires more effectively and safely. Robots and UAVs will eventually be able to carry out even more complex tasks autonomously. They will play a greater role in surveillance, search and rescue operations and in dealing with hazardous materials.

The fourth area is in building a dedicated science and technology Agency for the Home Team to augment and maintain the Home Team’s operational edge.

Mr Chairman and Members, I have spoken about some of the important capabilities that support the Home Team’s current operations and that help to keep security threats at bay. But we know that we are heading into a future where science and technology will play a bigger part. We have to up the game in order to keep Singaporeans and Singapore safe.

MHA has thus far partnered other government agencies, such as GovTech, DSTA and DSO, as well as industry partners like ST Engineering and Singtel, to develop these capabilities. We are currently ramping up our collaboration and partnership with these and other partners. For example, MHA will work with GovTech more closely in the area of ICT and digital services. And DSTA will help MHA to develop future command and control systems and new marine platforms.

But as we look to further leverage technology, we will need to set up a dedicated agency to further develop the Home Team’s science and technology capabilities. Why is a dedicated agency going to be able to do that better?

First, many of the capabilities I have spoken about, such as forensics, biometrics and surveillance, will become increasingly critical to safeguarding Singapore. We must stay ahead in these areas. Second, many of these capabilities are unique to the Home Team, reflecting our distinct operational context and mission requirements. Like other countries which have dedicated technical agencies for homeland security, the Home Team needs to strengthen our core team of scientists and engineers.

Third, a dedicated agency will boost the joint Home Team approach, with capabilities developed and shared across Departments.

Lastly, centralising science and technology talent that is today distributed across the different Home Team departments, will better support career development for the officers, which in turn deepens organisational capabilities.

Ultimately, to combat fast-evolving security threats and to safeguard Singapore, the Home Team must possess deep in-house capabilities and expertise to build mission-critical abilities in a responsive manner.

Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Low Thia Khiang asked about our plans for and the role of the new agency. We intend to table a bill in Parliament to establish a Home Team science and technology agency as a Statutory Board under MHA.

It will be responsible for developing and sustaining capabilities to support Home Team Departments. To achieve this, the agency will conduct applied research, and develop new systems to be deployed in the Home Team’s various operations. The agency will help to direct our investments in capability development, which will more than double from $979 million in FY2019, to $1.9 billion in FY2025.

For the scientists and engineers of this new agency, technical expertise is necessary, but not sufficient. They must also have a deep understanding of the Home Team’s unique operational needs, in order to apply and integrate effective solutions, and to work alongside Home Team officers. They will be part of the Home Team, so that we can build capabilities in a timely and responsive manner.

The new agency will not duplicate efforts, but will continue to tap on existing Whole of Government centres of expertise. We are looking to establish the agency by the end of the year, and will provide more details in due course. And I look forward to debate in Parliament. I welcome Members' views and contributions when we table the Bill.

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked an important question about data security. This is of course an issue that is very much on our mind, especially as the use of technology and data becomes more prevalent across the Home Team.

Today, there are already strict guidelines on how data is collected, accessed, stored, and protected in the Home Team. For example, sensitive data can only be accessed by authorised officers who have a legitimate purpose for doing so. There are also systems in place that help to track and monitor what data was accessed, or modified by whom, to guard against abuse, and to ensure that data collected is authentic and secure. So, there is a trail. You can find out who made what modifications.

Where a citizen suspects that his personal data has been misused by any Home Team Department, he should approach my Ministry, or GovTech, and action will be taken to investigate. And if we find out that something was done, we will take disciplinary action. Anyone found abusing data for unauthorised uses will be severely dealt with under the law.

Sir, our surveillance and data collection capabilities serve no other purpose than to allow us to better safeguard Singapore and Singaporeans. MHA takes its responsibility as the custodian of the data it collects very seriously. We, of all agencies, understand that any data abuse, breach, or leak, can severely compromise public trust.

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Mr Chairman, if you will allow me, I would like to conclude in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, in the coming years, science and technology will become increasingly indispensable in the Home Team’s efforts to combat security threats. They will help to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe and secure.

It is of utmost importance that we plan ahead, to ensure that our Home Team officers have the full support they require to exploit technology to our advantage. A new dedicated science and technology agency for the Home Team will give us the much needed expertise and focus to do so.

I am confident that the Home Team will succeed in its mission to keep Singapore safe and secure.

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin): Mr Chairman, I will focus on four areas: fighting cybercrime and scams; transforming the Home Team; keeping Singapore drug-free; and supporting rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

On the first area, fighting cybercrimes and scams. Last year, crimes reported increased by 1.4%, largely driven by an increase in scams. More than $158 million was lost to scams in 2018 and this is just a conservative estimate.

The public continues to fall largely for three types of scams: e-commerce scams, such as online purchase scams; two, credit-for-sex scams, where scammers pose as attractive women on social media platforms; and, three, China officials' impersonation scams, where victims receive calls from seemingly official numbers, and are told to provide banking details or remit money to assist in "criminal investigations". Last year, one victim lost about $1.7 million this way.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked about how MHA would be tackling cybercrime, especially those targeting the elderly and Internet love scams.

We have adopted a multi-pronged strategy.

First, we have strengthened international cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies to disrupt foreign syndicates. Last year, Police conducted joint operations with the Royal Malaysia Police and Hong Kong Police, which led to the arrest of over 40 suspects responsible for over 150 Internet love scams across three jurisdictions.

Second, we have devoted more resources. In 2017, Police set up the Transnational Commercial Crime Task Force to investigate cross-border scams. To date, we have seized more than $1.5 million and frozen over 600 bank accounts. Police also set up the E-Commerce Fraud Enforcement and Coordination Team in November last year. In just two months, more than 200 e-commerce scam cases were solved and 26 scammers were arrested.

Third, we have raised public awareness. There is a dedicated scam advisory hotline and "Scamalert.sg" website which provide information on latest scams.

We have worked with online marketing platform Carousell, convenience stores, remittance agencies, banks and other stakeholders to remove suspicious advertisements, publish scam advisories, and look out for potential scam victims.

To educate the elderly who are vulnerable to such scams, Police conducted Silver IT Fest 2018. Police also reached out to elderly residents through home visits and Silver Watch, a programme to equip seniors with crime prevention knowledge.

Together with the National Crime Prevention Council, we launched the "Let’s Fight Scams" campaign, partnering community and businesses. We will continue to focus on this fight.

Mr Chairman, turning now to my second area – Home Team Transformation. MHA has embarked on Home Team Transformation since 2015. The Transformation aims to strengthen joint operations in the Home Team, deepen our science and technology capabilities, and upskill our officers to better meet future challenges.

The Transformation efforts are progressing well. Mr Murali Pillai asked about how MHA would ensure that Singapore Police Force (SPF) would be sufficiently resourced to continue to operate effectively.

The SPF is constantly looking at new ways to improve productivity and efficiency of our officers. As part of the Home Team Transformation, systems are developed to support ground operations and ease administrative workload. One example is SPF's convenient and citizen-centric e-Services. On 8 July 2018, the revamped e-Services 1.0 was introduced.

Members of the public can now perform online transactions such as reporting crimes, from home. Self-help terminals have also been installed at several Neighbourhood Police Centres. Time saved from automating such services can be re-directed to frontline core policing duties where human touch is crucial.

Another key aspect of policing is community partnership. In 2018, SPF introduced a new vocation for its voluntary service vocation. It is called VSC (Community). I attended the training graduation of the inaugural batch of 38 VSC (Community) officers in April 2018. From 38 officers, we now have 134 VSC (Community) officers.

Dressed in a blue police polo T-shirt and black cargo pants, VSC (Community) officers join regular police officers at high visibility patrols in community areas, assist in crowd and traffic regulation, and security checks at major security events.

VSC (Community) is an example of how the community can help augment police resources and contribute to our nation’s security.

Mr Desmond Choo asked how we are re-skilling our officers to better utilise technology and whether there is scope to form training committees.

The Home Team recognises the importance of upskilling our officers to take on higher value work. This is crucial as we transform, introduce new concepts of operations, and re-design existing jobs to leverage new technologies.

MHA formed a Skills Transformation Development Team to identify the training required for officers to meet increasing operational expectations. The team identified a need to develop officers' skills in key areas such as data analytics, technology literacy and cybersecurity.

Mr Desmond Choo also asked about the re-employment of officers. In the last five years, MHA re-employed about 45% of our retired uniformed officers. We aim to re-employ as many of our officers as we can.

I will now turn to my third area – keeping Singapore drug-free. Mr Chairman, this is a top priority for MHA.

Mr Christopher de Souza, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Tan Wu Meng asked about Singapore’s views on the moves by some countries to legalise the use of cannabis.

The Government’s stand on illicit drugs, including cannabis, is clear. Drugs are addictive and harmful. Research has shown that they lead to irreversible brain damage, and even death. But strangely, some countries have legalised cannabis. Contrary to evidence, they portray raw cannabis as "harmless" and even having "health benefits".

The trend is largely driven by commercial lobbying thirsty for profits, and serves as a politically expedient way out of a drug abuse situation over which some governments have lost control.

Public interest and the welfare of individuals, families and societies are sacrificed on the altars of bad science, profits and political expediency.

Preventive education is our first line of defence against the drug scourge.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked about MHA's plans to engage youths on the harms of drug abuse. This is a concern. Young abusers below 30 formed close to two-thirds of new abusers arrested last year. The number of new youth abusers below 20 increased by 30% last year to 305.

Today, CNB reaches out to students through talks, roadshows, social media and projects. With their talents and passion, youths can be powerful anti-drug advocates.

Let me share some examples. Nanyang Polytechnic graduates, Jillian Khoo and Teh Yu Yin produced an illustrated book titled "Captain Drug Buster vs Dr Wacko: The Final Showdown". The storybook teaches our 7- to 10-year-olds on the harms of drugs. Teachers and parents can read to their children and equip them with the facts about the harms of drugs early. You can get this storybook at primary school, public and Parliament libraries.

Another example: 19-year-old Singaporean, Ms Nur Afikah, participated in the annual United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Youth Forum in March 2018. At the Forum, she exchanged ideas with representatives from 25 other countries on running effective programmes to prevent drug abuse. She spoke from personal experience having witnessed the devastating impact of drugs on relatives and friends. At 2019's Youth Forum, Singapore will be represented by Javier Ng, a 17-year old ITE student.

Javier and Afikah are among 122 youth Anti-Drug Abuse Advocates. Our youth advocates have organised various events, most recently, an anti-drug roadshow at Singapore Institute of Management.

Even as we do more in preventive drug education, we cannot let up on enforcement. We amended the Misuse of Drugs Act recently to introduce contamination and child endangerment offences.

Acts of contamination which facilitate or promote drug use have been criminalised. Drug abusers who leave drugs lying around at home and expose children to the risks of drugs, will also be criminally liable.

We will also strengthen our drug rehabilitation regime. We will make a distinction between abusers who only consume drugs, and those who face charges for other offences of harm to society.

Pure drug offenders will undergo intensive rehabilitation in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, instead of going through the long-term imprisonment pathway. After their release, they will be subject to longer supervision in the community of up to five years.

A key factor that keeps offenders from re-offending is strong pro-social support. Family is an important source.

Prisons has set up the Family Interventions and Reintegration Support Team (FIRST) in July 2018. Under this trial, Family Case Managers work closely with community partners to strengthen dysfunctional families, so they can support and be meaningfully involved in the rehabilitation of their loved ones. With strong family support, the reintegration process for the inmate becomes easier.

As mentioned by Mr Saktiandi Supaat, unfortunately, there are still cases where ex-offenders are unable to return home due to unresolved family grievances. For help, they can go to Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association's Step-Up Centre in Sengkang and the newly opened centre in Taman Jurong. They may also call the ComCare hotline or approach the nearest Social Service Office or Family Service Centre. If they have no alternative family support and are unable to afford other housing options, they can apply to HDB for public rental housing.

There are schemes to support those in need, and inmates are briefed on help avenues before release. We are constantly reviewing to see how else we can support ex-offenders in their re-integration. It is a difficult journey but ex-offenders must also take ownership and responsibility for their reintegration.

The community is another critical component of pro-social support. The Malay-Muslim community has made significant efforts to mobilise support against drugs and for ex-offenders. Mr Chairman, with your permission, I will speak in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Drug abuse affects all communities. But this issue has been haunting our Malay community. Malay drug abusers form the biggest proportion of abusers. It is worrying that the proportion of new Malay drug abusers and those aged below 30 years old are increasing.

Our community, however, is not easily defeated, and will not give up easily. The war against the drug menace will continue to be fought with the strong support of the Government, Malay/Muslim organisations, religious leaders, families and our Malay youths.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam mentioned the Dadah Itu Haram Campaign that was launched in April 2017.

The Dadah Itu Haram campaign harnesses the community's strength and demonstrates the community's firm stance against the scourge of drugs.

Although only 2 years old, the Dadah Itu Haram campaign is not moving at a slow pace, but in fact has reached out to the community very quickly. The outcome has been beyond our expectations. Every fortnight, our volunteers distribute Dadah Itu Haram campaign collaterals at mosques across Singapore after Friday prayers.

Barbers share about the dangers of drugs at their barbershops while cutting hair.

As PERSES sepaktakraw league play their sepaktakraw, they actively help to spread anti-drug messages.

Food stalls, music jamming studios, as well as car dealers and workshops also participate by sticking Dadah Itu Haram campaign decals as a reminder and a call for vigilance.

We will continue to alert our community about the threat of drugs and take action so that our families and our children are conscious of the dangers, and are protected.

Over 50 events were conducted, with 300 organizations and businesses as campaign partners as well as 300 volunteers, and we also reached out to more than 100,000 Malay/Muslims in 2018.

I am proud that we now receive interest from members of our community. They want to contribute to the success of this campaign. They feel like it is a calling to do so.

Examples are our fishing brothers from The One Nation Angler Association (TONA); the cycling group Flow Riders; and the NUS Malay Society with their annual Paradigma event which reaches out to help youth abusers.

The Dadah Itu Haram campaign is a Community Campaign, the Voice from People’s Heart.

Apart from the Dadah Itu Haram campaign, organisations such as Jamiyah, Pertapis, Pergas and the Muslim Counselling Service provide support to ex-abusers while they are in and out of prison. I wish to elaborate on two programmes.

First AMP, the DRP (Development and Reintegration Programme) programme that I launched in November 2018 is progressing well.

To date, 185 offenders and families received support and help in the form of financial assistance, skills upgrading and education for children.

I salute AMP for its determination and sincerity. AMP is the first organisation to provide all-round continuous support, from in-care counselling, family support, to support after their release.

Second, MUIS. MUIS has produced sermons which are delivered during Friday prayers for inmates. This special sermon focuses on the needs of drug abusers.

Additionally, religious teachers in MUIS are developing a religious education curriculum that will equip inmates in not only religious knowledge, but also values such as responsibility to self and family, self-confidence and the importance of staying away from drugs that destroy families and degrades morals.

MUIS and the other M3 partners will work together to deal with this challenge.

The work is far from over. The drug menace is not fully under control. It is still widespread in our community. Let’s come together. We will fight with our heart and soul.

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Mr Amrin Amin: Employment is another key in breaking the offending cycle. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about support for ex-offenders to find jobs. In 2018, 96% of ex-offenders who requested assistance from the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) secured a job before release. Ex-offenders who are unable to secure jobs on their own, can apply for jobs via SCORE's online job portal or contact SCORE's Employment Assistance Unit.

Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Baey Yam Keng asked about steps taken to increase the employability of ex-offenders. We have launched several initiatives last year. First, Prisons School has launched a Diploma programme in Business Practice (International Supply Chain Management), with Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Inmates can benefit from the projected increase in manpower demand of the logistics sector upon their release.

Second, since June 2018, SCORE has enhanced the WSQ training in culinary skills to include advanced modules.

I visited Prisons last month and observed inmates learning to make chicken soup, not from ready-made sachets, but from scratch. Eighty-six inmates have successfully attained the Higher WSQ certification as of December 2018. With this certification, they can work at kitchens as kitchen helpers and progress the ranks to commissioned cooks.

Third, SCORE has partnered Workforce Singapore (WSG) to emplace ex-offenders on short-term work stints under the Career Trial Programme.

The trial allows a prospective employer to assess performance and job fit for up to 480 hours, before offering an ex-offender permanent employment. No manpower cost is incurred as the training allowance is paid by WSG. Since its November 2018 launch, 24 employers offering more than 150 vacancies have come on board.

And besides offering such programmes which are geared mainly for inmates with longer sentence, we have also reviewed how we can help inmates with short sentences.

Last year, the National Committee on Prevention, Rehabilitation and Recidivism (NCPR), a Committee co-led by MSF and MHA, was set up to oversee national efforts to prevent offending and re-offending and enhance rehabilitation.

The Committee assessed that there was scope to offer targeted support for higher-risk inmates with sentences of less than a year as a good number of them may still have a high risk of re-offending.

And since June 2018, Prisons started to provide psychology-based correctional programmes to higher-risk inmates serving between six months and a year. This group of inmates will undergo an abridged pre-release programme and a Reintegration Needs Assessment before release. Prisons will also work with the National Council of Social Service on a pilot to place 60 higher-risk inmates with short sentences on voluntary case management after their release, to assist with reintegration.

Keeping Singapore safe and secure is our promise to Singaporeans. We will deliver.

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Mr Chairman, I will focus on three areas: road safety, fire safety, and counter-terrorism.

I will first speak on road safety. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked how MHA will address the upward trend in irresponsible driving, such as drink-driving and red-light-running. Ms Jessica Tan spoke about distracted driving. Since 2014, Traffic Police has been doing its utmost to encourage responsible driving, nudge motorists to drive safely in camera zones. It has publicised the locations of its cameras, installed signage and blinker lights, and painted the cameras in bright colours. Yet, irresponsible driving remains a concern.

To address this, MHA will be amending the Road Traffic Act to enhance criminal penalties for irresponsible driving, especially in egregious cases. We want to ensure that irresponsible drivers receive sentences commensurate with the harm that they cause, and are kept off the roads for longer periods of time. To complement this, MHA will also raise composition sums for road traffic offences, including the offence of using a mobile phone while driving.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin also asked if MHA will review course requirements for new or inexperienced drivers. This year, Traffic Police will be introducing mandatory simulator training for all learner drivers, on top of existing course requirements.

Mr Murali Pillai asked if MHA would consider putting in place a tiered drink-driving approach that takes into account the effect of alcohol on probationary or young drivers, as compared to other drivers. Our laws currently do not differentiate alcohol limits to different classes of drivers, because we cannot make an a priori claim on the effect of alcohol on persons based on factors like age and experience.

Furthermore, Traffic Police does not enforce drink-driving offences based solely on whether one has violated the alcohol limit. A person would also be deemed to have been drink-driving as long as he has consumed alcohol and had been unable to control his vehicle, even if he did not exceed the prescribed statutory alcohol limit. These criteria apply to all drivers, regardless of age or driving experience.

In the end, we must recognise that the problem of dangerous driving cannot be curbed by regulations alone. Since the launch of the "Use Your Roadsense" campaign in 2015, Traffic Police and its partners have been actively promoting graciousness and responsibility amongst various groups of road users. Road safety is a shared responsibility, and we all need to play our part.

Mr Chairman, I will now speak on fire safety. Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Low Thia Khiang asked how we can improve fire safety. Singapore has one of the lowest rates of fire fatalities in the world. This is owed largely to our high fire safety standards. Many of our fire safety provisions are incorporated at the design stage. For example, every residential unit is designed as a fire compartment to prevent the spread of fires to adjacent units. Fire escape routes are designed to have adequate ventilation, while infrastructures, like rising mains and hose-reels, are built in to aid fire-fighting operations.

Ms Tan and Mr Low said it was important that residents know what to do in the event of a fire. Public education is indeed a key priority for us. SCDF regularly conducts events, like Emergency Preparedness block parties, to teach residents emergency response skills, including how to extinguish small household fires and how to evacuate from a smoke-logged room. SCDF also works closely with senior activity centres to conduct regular fire safety awareness workshops for the elderly.

Mr Low asked about whether residents in super high-rise public residential buildings can safely evacuate during a fire. Our evacuation strategy for ensuring the safety of residents in such buildings is multi-layered.

First, we require such buildings to incorporate various fire safety measures in their design, such as refuge floors and fire lifts.

Next, we are building up a strong corps of community volunteers to help with evacuations. SCDF works closely with the Community Emergency and Engagement, or C2E, Committees and the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, to direct evacuation procedures in the event of a fire incident. These teams comprise grassroots leaders and residents staying in the vicinity, who are trained to assist in evacuation and crowd control in an emergency. SCDF familiarises them with the fire safety facilities unique to super high-rise residential buildings, to ensure that they are equipped to perform their roles effectively.

These volunteers are key partners to manage fire incidents in their initial stages, until Home Team officers arrive on scene. On-site, Home Team officers will go door-to-door and facilitate the evacuation of residents who have yet to leave their units, and if necessary, will use the fire lifts to evacuate those with mobility issues.

SCDF also devotes specific resources to educate residents living in such buildings. For example, SCDF conducts door-to-door engagements and evacuation exercises for the residents of these buildings to ensure that they are familiar with evacuation procedures. SCDF has also produced a poster and disseminated a poster to specifically educate residents in such buildings on what they should and should not do in the event of a fire.

Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Many of our fire safety provisions are incorporated at the design stage. For example, every residential unit is designed as a fire compartment to prevent the spread of fires to adjacent units. Fire escape routes are designed to have adequate ventilation, while infrastructures like rising mains and hosereels are built in to aid fire-fighting operations.

SCDF regularly conducts events, like Emergency Preparedness block parties, to teach residents emergency response skills, such as how to put out small fires at home, or how to escape from a smoke-filled room.

For super high-rise buildings, we require them to incorporate various fire safety measures in their design, such as refuge floors and fire lifts.

We are also building up a strong corps of community volunteers to help with evacuations. SCDF works closely with the Community Emergency and Engagement, or C2E, Committees and Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, to direct evacuation procedures in the event of a fire incident. These teams comprise grassroots leaders and residents staying in the vicinity, who are trained to assist in evacuation and crowd control in an emergency.

These volunteers are key partners to manage fire incidents in their initial stages, until Home Team officers arrive on scene. On-site Home Team officers will go door-to-door and facilitate the evacuation of residents who have yet to leave their units, and if necessary, will use the fire lifts to evacuate those with mobility issues.

(In English): Mr Chairman, in English. Ms Jessica Tan also asked how we can improve fire safety standards for older buildings. Currently, SCDF reviews the Fire Code constantly to stipulate new fire safety provisions. For example, a new requirement last year was for home fire alarm devices to be installed in all new residential premises.

6.00 pm

However, changes to the Fire Code only apply to new buildings and buildings that undergo addition and alteration works. To ensure that older buildings are also upgraded with time, MHA will be amending the Fire Safety Act. Owners of selected older buildings will be required to put in place critical fire safety upgrades. We will prioritise high-risk industrial buildings, public buildings, and hospitals, and work closely with their owners to ensure that the new requirements are practicable.

The amendments will also address enforcement gaps. Currently, it is an offence for certain parties such as building owners, occupiers, and industry professionals to install non-compliant fire safety products. However, it is not an offence if parties are involved in the supply of non-compliant fire safety products, but stop short of installing them on buildings. With the amendments, SCDF will be able to take action against any errant party who use, or cause the use of, non-compliant fire safety products. SCDF will also be able to order errant parties to take remedial actions, such as recalling or stopping the sale of non-compliant products, and removing them from buildings if they have been installed.

Mr Chairman, I will now speak on our counter-terrorism efforts. The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high and we remain an attractive target to ISIS and other groups. We may not have yet been hit but we certainly have been targeted and we must not take our security for granted.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked about measures that MHA is taking to detect and deter self-radicalisation. The threat is very real. Since 2015, 24 radicalised Singaporeans have been detected and dealt with under the Internal Security Act. This is a stark increase from the 11 such cases that were detected between 2007 and 2014.

While the overall responsibility for counter-terrorism lies with the Home Team, the community also plays an indispensable role, especially in detecting suspected cases of self-radicalisation. Families, friends and colleagues are best placed to notice such signs in an individual. For example, Mr Mohamad Faishal bin Mohamad Razali who was detained under the ISA in April 2018, had told two of his friends about his plan to participate in armed violence overseas. His friends and family members had tried to dissuade him but to no avail. Eventually, someone who knew of his plans, alerted the authorities so that he could be prevented from continuing down the path of radicalisation.

So I encourage the public to report suspected cases as soon as possible. Early reporting not only prevents the commission of violence and loss of lives; it also gives the individual the best possible chance of being rehabilitated.

Our religious communities also played a critical role. For example, the Religious Rehabilitation Group is a voluntary group of Islamic scholars and teachers, who not only conduct counselling and rehabilitation for radicalised individuals, but also invest significant educational efforts to ward off extremist thinking in the general Islamic community. We cannot allow extremist ideologies to take root in our society, and we must safeguard our way of life.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked for an update on SGSecure. The SGSecure movement began by sensitising the public to the terror threat, and imparting basic information and skills to cope with an attack. As awareness grew, we focused more on raising preparedness. We have worked with workplaces, schools, neighbourhoods, and places of worship to help them be crisis-ready. Today, three in four Singaporeans are aware of SGSecure, one in two Singaporeans believe that we are well-prepared to handle a terror attack on our shores, and almost all Singaporeans believe that we will stand united in the face of an attack.

In the coming months, a new series of SGSecure initiatives will be rolled out. They include: holding SGSecure events at condominiums; more public roadshows; forming an SGSecure Responders Network to mobilise first responders from the community; and bringing together stakeholders from different domains to be part of the Community Response Round Table. With these new initiatives, we hope to make participation in SGSecure programmes more accessible, and to strengthen our whole of society response to the terror threat.

LastIy, I would like to address Mr Faisal Manap's question about Police's standard procedure in replying to appeals. The Police will consider all proper representations which include representations from elected Members of Parliament and from Grassroots Advisors on behalf of their own constituents, and their grassroots leaders. All appeals will be assessed on their own merit. Representations by non-elected Members of Parliament, such as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament, will be treated as personal appeals by the appellants.

Mr Chairman, let me conclude. In the face of public safety risks and the heightened terror threat, it is more important than ever for Singaporeans to partner the Home Team. We succeed only when the community stands with us, shares our vision and partakes of the same effort. Together, we will build a safe and secure Singapore.

The Chairman: Are there any clarifications from Members? Mr Faisal Manap.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, I would like to thank Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her reply. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary only mentioned about Nominated Members of Parliament, as well as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament appeal is being treated as kind of a personal appeal. What I mentioned, what about for the PAP Branch Chairman? What are MHA's views of such appeals?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. As I mentioned earlier in my reply, the Police will consider all proper representations which include representations from elected Members of Parliament and from Grassroots Advisors on behalf of their own constituents, and their grassroots leaders.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, I did hear clearly Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned Grassroots Advisors and elected Members of Parliament, but my question is: how does MHA respond to a PAP Branch Chairman who appeals on behalf of an individual?

Mr K Shanmugam: Does Mr Faisal have the letter? And if you do, can you please first check the facts and see if the person was also a GRA, because Police are very clear, they will respond to Members of Parliament and they will respond to Grassroots Advisors. It does not matter if they have any other positions, but I think you should check and let us know whether that person is also also a Grassroots Advisor, and I am sure he would have been.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, I can confirm that the person whom I have mentioned is a Grassroots Advisor, but the letter that I have with me, the signatory is of a PAP Branch Chairman. It was not mentioned that the appointment was a Grassroots Advisor.

Mr K Shanmugam: The Police will respond, like other Government agencies, to Members of Parliament and Grassroots Advisors regardless of any other appointments they may hold.

The Chairman: Mr Png Eng Huat.

Mr Png Eng Huat: Can I ask the Ministry with regards to my cut: what is the roadmap for Singaporeans with step children; in terms of their children getting their PR or citizenship if they cannot be legally adopted, as I have explained in my cut?

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, perhaps let me explain why legal adoption is needed in the first place. It is primarily to safeguard the interest of the child and the public. Without legal adoption, there is no biological or legal nexus between a Singaporean step parent and his foreign step child. That is why we require the adoption, to formally establish the parent-child relationship between them in the eyes of the law.

The effect that this has, is to put the legal status of the child beyond question. For the child, it clearly establishes that his adoptive parents have legal responsibilities and obligations to care for him. This is also in our public interest as there is no ambiguity.

Because adoption is a serious matter, obviously, the process has to be rigorous and effort must be made to ensure that the child's welfare is safeguarded. For the adoption of foreign stepchildren which Mr Png asked about, MSF already allows for a shorter process and the Family Justice Courts will also appoint a guardian in adoption to conduct social investigation, to assess the prospective adopters' parenting capacity and the family's circumstances. So, there is already a roadmap available. Through the investigations, some prospective adopters may be assessed to be unsuitable and these adoptions cannot proceed.

Others may not be able to adopt their stepchild if the natural parent does not agree to the adoption. And in these circumstances, the law already allows the Family Justice Courts to dispense with the requirement if it is the Court's judgment that adequate effort has been made and there is no reason to believe that the natural parent is contesting for the custody of the child. If the Court is satisfied after it has assessed, it can decide to dispense with the requirement.

If I may summarise, the process is there for good reasons and instead of doing away with the process, I think let us instead help the deserving families to meet the requirements and to allow the Court to exercise its judgment.

The Chairman: Mr Yee Chia Hsing.

Mr Yee Chia Hsing (Chua Chu Kang): Can I ask the Minister; currently, is it an offence for someone to know of a friend or a family member who is thinking of committing a terrorist act or after has been self-radicalised, and not to report? If it is not an offence, what are the policy considerations for not making it an offence?

Mr K Shanmugam: It will be difficult and unwise to give a broad answer to a question like this. It depends much on what is it that the person is planning to do and the degree of association, the help or other kinds of assistance the person who knows has given. Is it just pure knowledge, is it something more? I think it depends on a variety of factors, but such a person who knows of a potential terrorist action would be well advised to report to the agencies and quite a number of the arrests that Internal Security Department has made over the years has in fact been based on reports from family members, friends, others who have noticed that something is not quite right.

The Chairman: Mr Faisal, if it is a new question, I would allow it. But if it is a question which has already been answered, I will disallow it. Please proceed.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, one final clarification. Just now, it was mentioned that apart from the elected Members of Parliament as well as Grassroots Advisors making appeal, any other appeals will be taken as a personal appeal.

The Chairman: That is correct.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: So, am I right to say that appeals of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, Nominated Members of Parliament and a political party Branch Chairman will also be considered as normal appeal, and there is no merit to it? There is no further consideration or special consideration being made or being looked into when these appeals come from these groups of people, as I mentioned just now?

The Chairman: Mr Faisal, that question has already been answered, but I will allow Mr Shanmugam to repeat the answer again.

Mr K Shanmugam: There are two parts to this. One is: as a Government, we try and say "no wrong door". So, if a person is entitled to make an appeal on behalf of somebody, for example, a Grassroots Advisor, then if it comes from some other letterhead or he does not mention that designation, nevertheless the agencies will check. If he is a Grassroots Advisor, then it is a little bit pointless to write back to him and say – and meanwhile time is taken up – "Send it to us for a different note, mention your designation and then we will deal with it". I think that is a very bureaucratic way of dealing with it. We want to try to help the residents. I am sure, so do you.

6.15 pm

So, in order to help the resident, when the person who is writing the appeal comes within the rules, as in, he holds an appointment either as a Member of Parliament or as a Grassroots Advisor, the agencies will respond, will deal with it and will respond. Because the interest of the Government is also to deal with the appeal in the interest of the residents. At the same time, there have to be some rules of who the agencies will respond to and will not respond to.

They cannot respond to everybody who purports to write on behalf of somebody else. How do we know if indeed that it is so? If it is a Grassroots Advisor or a Member of the Parliament, then we can hold the person responsible for whatever is said. And as Mr Faisal knows, some of these representations can have legal consequences as well. Any other representation from anyone else will be treated as an individual representation.

Now, in terms of the status, the weight that is to be given to appeals, proper appeals, appeals by Members of the Parliament and Grassroots Advisors, the fact will be considered and they will be assessed in accordance with our rules.And as Mr Faisal will know, sometimes, there is a grey area. Often that is what the person who is writing the appeal letter is trying to do. Trying to persuade the agencies, that this is the case that comes in a grey area where some discretion ought to be exercised. And the agencies which deal with it, the Police, will have to look at it, see whether it is an appropriate case for discretion to be exercised, and deal with it, and it is all put in writing, so that everything can be looked at, and see whether it conforms to our rules. When the Police responds, whether it is yes or no. And where necessary, the reasons are set out, so that anyone can look at this and ask further questions.

The Chairman: Yes, Mr Irshad.

Mr Mohamed Irshad: The Minister mentioned about the Singaporean identity and to have our own Singapore identity. I would like to quote Minister Indranee, who mentioned last year that, "What it means to be Singaporeans of particular pertinence as a country heads into its next phase of development." And such, would it be of merit to have sort of a national conversation on what it means to be Singaporean, similar to the style of Our Singapore Conversation.

And second thing I would like to ask is, especially our Muslim youths, who are easily influenced by external influences, extremist thinking, very black and white sort of a preachings from outside Singapore, would it be of interest to reform the Singapore Muslim identity campaign that was launched sometime ago by Dr Yaacob. Would it be of interest to bring it back again, to sort of protect our youth and to educate them, to innoculate them from these influences from outside?

Mr K Shanmugam: I think the primary essence of your question on how we deal with the on-going programme on Singapore Muslim Identity. It really needs to be answered by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. If I can take one step back, the point you made about young Muslims finding it very appealing to look at black and white preachings, I do not think that it is restricted to young Muslim youth. I think it cuts across many different religions, races. Beyond religion, as you can see from different parts of the world, black and white sound bytes are appealing, even in very matured democracies. It is much easier to listen to simple sound bytes rather than a more reasoned point of thinking. It does takes time to put it across.

But we know what the challenges are in terms of the trends that have come across, I have said that in my speech. It is not restricted to Muslims, I think it cuts across all religions, we need to try and bring them together and ensure that the secular space that we have created for politics is there. And at the same time, one pursues freedom to practice one's religion – and we guarantee that – at the same time to create and make sure that the common space we have created is maintained, all will have to contribute to that. The different religious organisations, faiths, people, secular organisations, the Government.

The Chairman: If there are no further clarifications, Mr Christopher de Souza, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Christopher de Souza: It was an extremely busy 2018 for MHA. And 2019 and 2020 look to be full ones too. I would like to thank the Ministers and Senior Parliamentary Secretaries for the comprehensive responses and the productive debate. We would also like to thank the Home Team including the SPF, SCDF, Police Coast Guards, Prisons, ICA for keeping Singapore safe. We sometimes take it for granted but every now and then it is nice to say a big thank you to the Home Team. With that, Mr Chairman, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $5,777,979,300 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $978,638,600 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.