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

Head P (cont) –

Resumption of Debate on Question [3 March 2025],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100." – [Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim].

Question again proposed.

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The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.

The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their support of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). My colleagues and I will address the points that they raised. Minister of State Sun Xueling will speak about our multi-pronged approach to tackle scams. Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will touch on our rehabilitative initiatives, including for drug abusers. I will provide an update on the Ministry's transformation for a future-oriented and trusted Home Team.

Over the years, the Home Team has embarked on numerous transformation initiatives. Assoc Prof Razwana Begum asked about our progress.

The Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA's) New Clearance Concept (NCC), is one of our flagship transformation projects. It has enhanced Singapore's border security.

Risk assessments can now be conducted ahead of the passengers' arrival, enabling ICA to better identify travellers with possible security or immigration risks. At the same time, with passport-less clearance at Changi Airport, the traveller experience has improved significantly. The traveller just has to face the screen, without needing to also scan the passport. Typically, it takes only 10 seconds for a traveller to clear immigration, which is 60% faster than before.

NCC has also transformed the job of the ICA officer. They no longer spend most of their time opening, checking and stamping passports. With reskilling, they now perform higher value-added work to safeguard Singapore's borders, such as profiling travellers as they go through the automated lanes.

In the past, each manual counter needed to be manned by an individual officer. Today, one ICA officer alone can oversee up to six automated gates. This has allowed ICA to reduce the number of officers deployed for existing immigration clearance duties by 250 persons, while saving the need for an additional 4,000 officers to cope with more travellers and new checkpoints, like the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and Changi Terminal 5.

Sir, in every aspect, the Home Team faces new and growing demands. The threat landscape is increasingly complex. Criminals are exploiting technology, in particular, artificial intelligence (AI), to carry out more sophisticated crimes and to hit more victims. The manpower constraints are also more binding. Birth rates are declining and the competition for talent very tough.

The Home Team departments have been reviewing and reprioritising operations, policies and other work. Despite these efforts, the pressures on the Home Team remains intense.

Mr Zhulkarnain asked about the measures to deal with technology-enabled crime. To stay ahead, the Home Team has been taking bold steps to leverage technology in our mission, in particular, using AI against AI-enabled crime. Last year, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) launched the Home Team AI Movement to accelerate the development and delivery of AI capabilities across the Home Team. By end-2025, HTX will have hired and trained a 300-person AI workforce.

We have started to use some of these AI solutions. One example is the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF's) Targeted On-site Inspection Tool, which is an AI model to assess the likelihood of fire safety violations in commercial and industrial premises, using data from various sources, including past inspection reports. The tool will be progressively rolled out to frontline units for field testing in the coming months. It will allow SCDF to optimise its resources, by carrying out inspections on a more targeted basis.

Other than AI, the Home Team is also leveraging smart and autonomous solutions to detect threats earlier and respond faster. For example, Singapore Prisons is trialling the use of smart sensors in its medical wards and cells to monitor inmates' vital signs remotely. The system will enable Prison officers to respond more quickly to incidents, such as falls and abnormal heart rates, among the inmates. This is especially important with a growing pool of older inmates.

As criminals adopt more advanced modus operandi, our criminal justice procedures and processes must also be more nimble and effective to deal with new types of cybercrime, as well as the increased speed and scale at which cybercrimes are being committed.

We will continue to: review our laws, to ensure their ability to deal with traditional crimes committed in cyberspace; and strengthen our regulatory frameworks, to better leverage technology to combat cybercrimes. For example, with the rapid proliferation of websites that facilitate scams and other malicious cyber activities, the Government is considering how to use technology to autonomously disrupt such websites more rapidly.

Let me say something about generative AI (Gen AI) and how it matters to the Home Team. Gen AI has the potential to improve operational effectiveness and efficiency, for us to better serve Singaporeans. But as with many other technologies, it comes with risks.

First, risks of abuse. Just as the Home Team seeks to use Gen AI to improve our work, criminals are also abusing the same technology to prey on innocent victims. For example, scammers are exploiting Gen AI to produce fake content at speed and scale, and to target victims. They can also use it to manufacture evidence to mislead or frustrate investigators.

We are therefore developing capabilities, to detect and identify AI-generated scams and falsified content. For example, AlchemiX, a Gen AI-powered algorithm, has been developed to identify whether audio or video recordings are genuine.

Our capabilities must be backed by strong legislative frameworks. Under the Online Criminal Harms Act, once potential scam content is detected, directions can be issued to online service providers to prevent the content from reaching Singapore users. Designated online service providers are already required to implement measures to proactively disrupt online scams, including those facilitated by AI. We will continually assess if they need to do more.

A second risk is when we use Gen AI to support decision-making. What if the model was trained using data that was illegally obtained? What if the model produces outputs that are biased against certain groups?

These risks are not unique to MHA. We take them seriously and have put in place an AI Governance Framework to guide the implementation of AI projects and ensure compliance with our laws, such as ensuring fair, representative and responsible use of data. We will also put in place safeguards, including to ensure that there is an appropriate level of human intervention to act as a layer of checks and ensure accountability.

In addition to these risks, Ms He Ting Ru highlighted AI-generated crime that are violent in nature. I agree with her that the risks to children and women are particularly concerning. We are thus moving quickly to deal with these risks robustly. To Ms He's question on the timeline for Penal Code amendments, we plan to table them in the second quarter of this year when the Bill is ready. More details will be announced in due course.

As for the new legislation and agency to tackle online harms, I will be providing more information during the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation's (MDDI's) Committee of Supply (COS) debate.

While technological capabilities are important, they are not enough. We also need to ensure that Home Team officers are well-trained to use the technologies. As part of the Home Team AI Movement, HTX is developing an AI training roadmap to empower officers across all our agencies to use AI tools effectively.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has also implemented a cybercrime competency framework to provide its officers with the skillsets to tackle rapidly-evolving cybercrimes.

To Ms He's suggestion, I am pleased to share that training programmes have been provided to better support our Police officers in dealing with sexual crime cases. A training roadmap has also been implemented for officers managing sexual crime and family violence cases, to equip them with the necessary skills to handle these sensitive cases.

Earlier, I spoke about our manpower challenges. One key area that has been significantly impacted is SCDF's Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Ms Mariam Jaafar asked how we are coping.

Overall demand for EMS has increased by almost 30% over the last five years. We expect it to spike further as our population ages. SCDF has therefore expanded its recruitment pathways for EMS officers, including through the SCDF-Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Work-Study Diploma. This is in Paramedicine and it offers applicants an opportunity to begin a career with SCDF while pursuing a diploma.

To recognise, develop and retain deep expertise in the EMS domain, SCDF also introduced the Paramedicine Expert Track. The first batch of 16 senior specialists will be appointed on 1 April. They will enable SCDF to build domain knowledge in the EMS field, mentor junior paramedics and improve EMS protocols. In recognition of their expertise and additional contributions to SCDF, the senior specialists will receive an additional allowance.

Despite these efforts and more competitive salaries, local recruitment is insufficient to meet all our needs. This is because EMS roles require advanced medical skills that are in short supply locally. Also, EMS work, although very fulfilling, is very challenging and may not appeal to all.

Starting this month, we will supplement local recruitment with applications from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nationals. All new recruits, regardless of nationality, will undergo rigorous training and accreditation, including to obtain the necessary professional qualifications, in accordance with SCDF's standards.

This is to ensure that SCDF continues to deliver the highest standards of emergency medical services to Singaporeans. At the same time, SCDF will continue to focus on recruiting Singaporeans, to maintain a strong local core.

Last January, we also shared in Parliament that MHA may allow our Auxiliary Police Forces (APFs) to recruit foreign Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) from more sources. As of December 2024, APOs have been recruited from five new sources – namely Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Philippines, India and China – and constituted about 3% of the total APO workforce. Singaporeans make up the majority of APOs and will remain so.

To ensure that safety and security standards are not compromised, all APOs, regardless of nationality, must meet the physical, educational and probity requirements set by the Singapore Police Force. This includes passing security screening and the APO basic course. The APFs also ensure that the new APOs become familiar with Singapore's local context, cultural nuances and operating environment.

Mr Zhulkarnain asked how we are updating our efforts to harness the support of the community in keeping Singapore safe and secure.

In May last year, SPF launched the Cyber Guardians on Watch initiative, to enlist the help of the public to tackle cybercrimes. The Cyber Guardians receive advisories from the Police, for dissemination to their own networks and communities, to raise awareness of online scams and other cybercrimes. They also act as the Police's eyes and ears in the cyberspace and will alert the Police to any suspicious activity online. Since 1 January this year, more than 32,000 members have been helping to make cyberspace safer for Singaporeans. This is highly commendable.

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Overall, the Home Team has achieved good outcomes for our people. These are reflected in how Singaporeans view the Home Team positively and hold our officers in high regard. In the 2024 SPF Public Perception Survey, 97% of the respondents said they trusted the Police and that they would provide information or assistance to the Police if there was a need. Many have also stepped forward to volunteer and assist in our crime prevention efforts. These attitudes are indicative of a high level of trust between the public and the Home Team, which as Mr Zhulkarnain mentioned, is lacking in many other jurisdictions. We will continue our efforts to build understanding and trust with the public.

Mr Chairman, with your permission, I would like to conclude my remarks in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, as society's demands on the Home Team continue to grow and evolve, we must strengthen the use of technology, develop talent and work closely with the community to enhance the Home Team's effectiveness and efficiency.

Only then can Singapore maintain our reputation as one of the safest countries in the world, and ensure that our people continue to live and work in peace. It is heartening that the Home Team enjoys a high level of public trust. We will continue to drive transformation and fulfil our commitment to fellow Singaporeans.

The Chairman: Minister of State Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Mr Chairman, I will now speak on the drug situation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that 190 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2023, a 26% jump from 2022. This amount is almost 8,000 times the amount seized in Singapore that year.

Drug abuse threatens public safety and impacts innocent victims, as those under the influence of drugs may resort to crime to feed their habit, or commit violence against others.

Even though Singapore's drug situation is under control, we still have drug-related crimes. We are an attractive market for drug traffickers. Our purchasing power means that the street price of drugs in Singapore can be many times higher than in other countries, allowing traffickers to reap massive profits.

Singapore has in place tough laws and effective enforcement to curb drug supply. More importantly, we also focus on reducing demand through, firstly, creating strong public awareness of the harms of drugs through preventive drug education (PDE); and secondly, helping drug abusers turn over a new leaf through evidence-based rehabilitation. This approach has proven effective. In 2024, about 3,100 drug abusers were arrested, similar to 2023.

Mr Vikram Nair pointed out that the number of young drug abusers is on the rise. In 2024, 156 youths below the age of 20 were arrested for drug abuse, up from 132 in 2023. This is an area of concern for us. Mr Nair and Ms Mariam Jaafar ask how we can inoculate youths against the harms of drugs. We will continue to expand our PDE efforts. The Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youth will focus on the following areas.

First, strengthening our network of over 1000 DrugFreeSG champions, comprising of educators, counsellors, youths and healthcare workers who help disseminate drug-free messages in the community. We will enhance their skills and knowledge with training. In March 2025, we will organise a DrugFreeSG Champions Conference to equip the DrugFreeSG Champions with insights on drug matters.

Second, continuing to promote anti-drug awareness through the Drug Victims' Remembrance Day. The inaugural Remembrance Day held last year had a very good turnout and over 100,000 pledges to be drug-free were logged. I am happy to announce that Remembrance Day 2025 will be held on 16 May and commemorated with a main observance event and exhibition.

We will also continue collaborating with schools and parents. All schools will continue to conduct at least one PDE programme annually. The Ministry of Education (MOE) will work with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) to invite Parent Support Group leaders to participate in capability building sessions on drug-related topics and will continue making PDE resources available for all parents on the Parents Gateway Portal.

Besides preventing drug abuse among the young, it is also important to rehabilitate drug abusers to wean off their drug addiction. To this end, CNB piloted the "Supervision 2.0" regime in January 2024 for ex-drug abusers who are placed under supervision upon release from Drug Rehabilitation Centres.

Under this pilot, hair analysis tests are used as the default monitoring mechanism for CNB's supervisors, as it can detect drug abuse over a longer period compared to urine tests. Supervisees can then report to the reporting centre less frequently, reducing disruption to their daily lives.

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum also asked how we can prepare ex-drug abusers for successful re-integration. Under Supervision 2.0, supervisees will undergo Community Supervision Sessions where the CNB supervision officer will check in on the supervisee's well-being, the progress of interventions and assess the supervisee's residual re-integration needs. CNB can then refer the supervisees to the appropriate agencies for support, such as for assistance with housing or employment.

The preliminary findings from the pilot are positive. CNB was able to swiftly detect more supervisees who had relapsed via hair tests as compared to under the urine supervision regime, due to the longer detection windows for hair tests. About two-thirds of the supervisees rated the scheme as "very helpful" in their re-integration. CNB will fully operationalise Supervision 2.0 in phases, with the aim of emplacing all supervisees on this regime by 2026.

I will now move on to other rehabilitation and re-integration efforts for inmates and ex-offenders, which Mr Patrick Tay, Assoc Prof Razwana and Ms Jean See have filed cuts on.

Assoc Prof Razwana asked how these efforts account for the specific needs of female drug abusers. Prisons incorporates trauma-informed practises in their psychology-based correctional programmes for all women inmates. These programmes teach inmates to replace unhealthy ways of coping with past trauma, like drug abuse, with techniques to regulate their emotions. These programmes have been effective. The two-year recidivism rates for women have decreased significantly, from 48.6% for the 1990 release cohort, to 13% for the 2022 cohort.

Prisons currently works with 20 family-focused partners to deliver structured family programmes, benefiting more than 3,000 inmates and families. Prisons is conducting a trial of the Family Engagement model, which aims to strengthen the ability of inmates and their family in building and maintaining relationships through family re-integration programmes. Inmates will also attend support group sessions led by community partners and peer supporters who had completed the programme. This allows inmates to shift their identity away from being offenders to being role models.

Since 2022, Prisons has collaborated with schools to pilot Project Hope, in which video visits are conducted between incarcerated parents and school-going children. This initiative allows inmates to stay involved in their children's lives and understand their progress in school. Project Hope has 18 cases, with 14 schools involved. The pilot participants have experienced improvements in their relationships and the schools have also observed positive changes in the students' behaviour and emotional well-being. Prisons is working with MOE to expand Project Hope to more schools.

To better prepare inmates for release, Prisons established the Re-integration Hub in September 2024. The centralised facility allows Prisons to better implement targeted re-integration-centric programmes. for suitable inmates, such as those emplaced on community-based programmes prior to release.

The Re-integration Hub provides easier physical access for community partners and volunteers to support the inmates. They need not travel to separate prison institutions on separate occasions. The Hub has also implemented pre-emplacement programmes, which include sharing sessions with desistors, to provide motivation and encouragement. At steady state, about 550 inmates and supervisees will be housed at the Re-integration Hub.

We will also equip inmates with relevant skills to navigate an increasingly digitalised world, which can impede re-integration. The Access for Inmate Digital Experience (AIDE) is a new initiative to allow inmates to familiarise themselves with, and independently access citizenry e-services, such as those provided by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, and the Housing and Development Board (HDB), during incarceration. Since its start in September 2024, more than 400 inmates have benefited from AIDE.

Another pillar of our re-integration strategy is to equip ex-offenders with market-relevant work skills. Ms See asked what more we can do in this regard. Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) will be enhancing its career facilitation efforts, in particular to assist ex-offenders attain their career goals. This includes refining "Career Circles", which was piloted in 2023.

The "Career Circles" programme comprises facilitated sessions on various career-related topics, such as career planning and addressing common workplace challenges. Inmates are equipped with the skills to set career goals and prepare for job searches. The enhanced version of "Career Circles" with a revised curriculum and frequency was implemented from February 2025.

Mr Tay asked if the spent regime for criminal records could be reviewed to further support ex-offenders. MHA periodically reviews the spend regime for criminal records. An ex-offender could have his offence spent as early as five years, if he or she stays crime-free during this period and fulfils the criteria set out in the Registration of Criminals Act.

Our current assessment is that the criteria and regime remain appropriate in striking the balance between the interest of the ex-offenders, employers and society at large.

Assoc Prof Razwana asked how partnerships with social services and the broader community can complement MHA's rehabilitation and re-integration efforts. The Community Action for Rehabilitation of Ex-offenders Network (CARE Network) was formed in May 2000 by an alliance of 10 core members, comprising Government organisations and social service agencies. It has since expanded to coordinate the efforts of over a hundred community partners.

In 2023, more than 16,000 beneficiaries benefited from the services provided by CARE Network agencies, such as financial assistance and skills training. I offer my congratulations to the CARE Network, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and will be unveiling its work plan for the next five years. The network has provided an invaluable service to society in assisting and transforming the lives of ex-offenders.

Prisons and YRSG also work with more than 4,200 volunteers to address the rehabilitation and re-integration needs of both inmates and ex-offenders. Over 6,700 employers have also partnered with YRSG to hire ex-offenders, which is an almost 20% increase from 2021 to 2024.

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Prisons has enhanced its volunteer training framework, called "Igniting and Maximising Partners' Agility for Correctional Transformation" (IMPACT). IMPACT aims to develop the competencies of volunteers and community partners, by introducing structured and tiered training pathways. In 2024, more than 1,800 volunteers were trained under IMPACT.

Assoc Prof Razwana asked how we can increase support for the halfway house regime. In 2024, our halfway house partners provided step-down support for more than 1,200 offenders. Building on these efforts, Prisons has introduced an enhanced Halfway House Service Model called HSM+ on 1 January 2025, which has onboarded 11 halfway houses.

Under HSM+, supervisees will undergo a longer duration of aftercare support. Halfway house staff will be equipped with skills to work effectively with different profiles of supervisees. Infrastructural works will also be carried out to improve accessibility for those with mobility issues.

I will now speak in Malay on the role of Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) in our rehabilitation efforts.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, MHA collaborates with various Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMO) to provide relevant support to our Malay/Muslim community. In 2024, CNB launched a new grant in collaboration with MUIS. This grant will provide a source of funding for mosques to organise programmes that support prevention of drugs efforts (PDE) under the DrugFreeSG and “Dadah Itu Haram” campaigns. Ten such events have been organised, including the Anti-Drug Forum run by the Hasanah Mosque for parents and youths.

Our MMO partners also continue to actively strengthen their relationship with one another, in order to build a strong network to support offenders and ex-inmates. The MMO Rehabilitation Network was established in November 2021 to enable our MMOs to benefit from each other’s strengths and capabilities.

MHA will continue to collaborate and work with our MMO partners to strengthen support for those in need within our community, including families and youths-at-risk, as well as offenders and ex-inmates who lack family support.

(In English): Sir, we will also enhance engagement with our Indian community partners to support the rehabilitation and re-integration journey of Indian inmates, ex-offenders and their families. We will improve recruitment of volunteers through engaging organisations with extensive networks, such as SINDA. We will also work with community partners to streamline training for new volunteers involved in providing faith-based counselling. In addition, Prisons will develop a directory of rehabilitation programmes and services to enhance awareness of resources available in the Indian community. This will facilitate inter-agency coordination to enable agencies to better meet the beneficiaries' needs.

I will move on to address Members' cuts on road safety.

Mr Pritam Singh asked how we can improve public participation in our road safety efforts, such as encouraging the reporting of dangerous driving practices. We urge the public to report traffic violations via our e-Feedback on Road User portal. We have observed a consistent upward trend of such reports since the portal's introduction. Mr Singh suggested providing financial incentives for reporting traffic violations. However, this may lead to false or exaggerated reports for financial gain.

Mr Singh suggested re-introducing speed warning lights on the top of commercial vehicles. Those lights were mandated of light goods vehicles in the early 1980s. Since April 2001, such lights were no longer required by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) due to feedback that they increased the overall height of the vehicle, causing accessibility issues into carparks, which was both an inconvenience and safety hazard. On balance, we do not think we should re-introduce such lights. We will instead rely on other means of detecting speeding vehicles, such as more speed cameras.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked if the licence renewal process for seniors could be improved. Currently, two letters are sent – 10 weeks and four weeks before the driver's 65th birthday, to remind them to complete the necessary procedures. If they have not done so by their 65th birthday, their licence ceases to be valid, and the Traffic Police sends them a third letter.

The third letter will inform the drivers to submit their medical report within three years to reinstate the licence, failing which, they would have to apply anew for a licence, including going through the various tests. We believe the current process provides sufficient notice and time to the driver to comply with the requirement.

In 2024, the Traffic Police redesigned the notification letters to use visual aids, making it easier for seniors to understand what they need to do.

Ms Sylvia Lim also asked if the medical examination requirement for seniors to renew their licence can be deferred to a later age. Any increase in the age at which a medical examination is required would need to take into consideration the possible adverse impact on the safety of other road users. We do not plan to do so at this time.

Before I end, let me also address Mr Derrick Goh's cut on mitigating the fire risks posed by Active Mobility Devices, or AMDs. The Active Mobility Fire Safety Taskforce, co-chaired by LTA and SCDF, launched the "Be Device-Safe" programme in 2023. The programme educates users of motorised AMDs the risk of AMD-related fires and how to safely procure, use, maintain and dispose of such devices.

In September 2024, we unveiled a refreshed campaign with new visuals. SCDF will also continue to disseminate advisories on AMD fires via social media and mainstream media. The Ministry of Transport's (MOT's) COS debate will further address enforcement measures against AMDs.

Sir, it is incumbent upon us all to ensure a safe and secure Singapore. Last year, we encouraged Members of this House to show your support by wearing the green-and-white ribbon for a drug-free Singapore and the yellow ribbon for giving second chances to ex-offenders. This year, we seek your continued support by wearing the ribbons again, which can be collected at the Parliament Library.

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Mr Chairman, scams are a huge concern globally, as they are in Singapore. We have been fighting the scourge of scams for several years now. We have progressively strengthened our defences, from enhancing banking apps to be malware-resistant, to blocking calls from known scam numbers and labelling SMSes that are likely to be scams.

In 2024 alone, SPF disrupted more than 150,000 scam-related mobile and WhatsApp lines, websites and online accounts. Nonetheless, the total amount lost to scams hit a new high of $1.1 billion last year, a 70% increase from 2023. Many people are rightly very concerned about this and so is the Government. We must and we will redouble our efforts in this fight against scams.

We are up against highly organised and sophisticated criminal networks. Most of them are based outside Singapore. They are well-resourced, adept at using technology and constantly evolve their tactics to evade our defences. The Government will continue to respond aggressively to this challenge.

The significant majority of scams right now involve self-effected transfers, where victims were manipulated into willingly transferring monies to scammers. This accounts for more than 80% of scam losses last year. In many cases, victims thought they were transferring money to friends, Government officials, e-commerce sellers or for legitimate investment opportunities.

Gone are the days when we could easily spot a scam call or email, through heavy foreign accents or bad English. Today, scammers use AI and information about us online, among other capabilities, to make themselves more believable and evade easy detection.

Fundamentally, these scams are successful because they prey on universal human emotions, such as a desire for companionship, respect for authority, and greed. In some cases, the victims are so convinced by the scammers that they refuse to believe that they are being scammed, despite being repeatedly advised by their loved ones and the Police. By the time they come around, it is oftentimes too late.

That is why we introduced the Protection from Scams Bill in January 2025, to empower the SPF to temporarily restrict the banking transactions of an individual who is likely being scammed but refuses to believe it. This is a serious measure. It shows how far the Government is going to tackle the issue of scams involving self-effected transfers. It will only be used as a last resort, after all efforts to convince the individual have failed. We are glad that most members of the public understand this and support it.

In addition, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is working with banks to introduce cooling-off periods for high-risk transactions, such as requests to increase transaction limits or to change contact details. These cooling-off periods provide a cognitive break for individuals and give them an opportunity to reassess their actions. The cooling-off period also gives authorities more time to detect if something suspicious is taking place and to stop any scam transactions.

These moves build on the suite of anti-scam measures which MAS has been working with the banks to put in place over the years, such as Money Lock, Kill-Switch and enhanced fraud surveillance to alert victims and block scam transfers. Collectively, they underscore the critical role that banks play in our fight against scams. We will continue to proactively strengthen our defences. One priority is to improve the authentication methods that banks use to protect accounts against malware and phishing.

Since July 2024, the major retail banks in Singapore have progressively phased out the use of SMS One-Time Password (OTP) for account logins by customers who have digital tokens. Digital tokens are more secure against phishing. We are also studying stronger authentication solutions, such as the use of Fast IDentity Online-compliant hardware tokens, otherwise known as FIDO, which need to be in close proximity to the user's device to authenticate the transaction. This will fortify our defences against malware and phishing.

As we have strengthened our protection of bank accounts, scammers have pivoted their playbook. They have started asking victims to convert their money to cryptocurrencies prior to performing the transfers, thereby evading our banking safeguards. They have also targeted assets stored in victims' crypto wallets. In 2024, crypto-related scam losses accounted for close to 25% of all scam losses. This was up from less than 10% in 2023.

Members will know that cryptocurrency is largely unregulated. In Singapore, MAS has licensed a number of digital payment token service providers with certain regulatory safeguards in place. We will work with these digital payment token service providers to strengthen anti-scam controls and tighten operational links with law enforcement agencies. But there are many other online exchanges and wallet providers which are not regulated and they are outside the reach of our laws because they operate from overseas. Furthermore, the anonymity features of certain cryptocurrency transactions can be exploited by criminals to evade capture.

MAS has repeatedly cautioned retail investors against investing in cryptocurrencies. And I want to repeat this appeal today.

I know some people are attracted because they think crypto is an opportunity for them to make a quick buck. They think that so long as they do their own research, they understand the risks, they would not lose money and they would not get scammed.

My dear fellow Singaporeans, even crypto-savvy individuals have lost badly by trading in crypto when their values plummet or when they fall prey to scams. The single largest scam that occurred in Singapore last year involving $125 million, just one case, that was a malware-enabled scam that targeted the victim's cryptocurrency wallet.

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These sophisticated criminal syndicates are going after both crypto-novice and crypto-savvy investors. They invest in elaborate fake crypto trading interfaces to scam you into thinking that you are profiting from your crypto investments. Some embed malware or phishing links to drain your crypto wallets. Meanwhile, we have seen meme coin prices soar rapidly before crashing in pump-and-dump schemes, leaving consumers with significant losses. So, our advice to the general public is to steer clear of cryptocurrencies. The risk of getting burnt is high and, should you fall victim to a scam, the chances of you getting even a single dollar back is very low.

Another common scam modality is scam calls and SMSes, which many of us are familiar with. About 20% of scam cases in 2024 involved victims being contacted in this way.

We have been working to suppress scam calls and SMSes for some time. Telcos have allowed subscribers to block calls from international numbers and have pre-emptively blocked international calls with spoofed +65 prefixes. But scammers have pivoted to using local phone numbers to try to catch people unawares.

That is why we have been taking measures to tighten the ownership and abuse of local SIM cards. Last year, to strengthen accountability for SIM cards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) limited the number of post-paid SIM cards that a person can own. From 1 January this year, the Police have operationalised offences, including registering for a SIM card and then selling it for a gain, possessing a large number of unregistered SIM cards for no legitimate reason, and buying or selling SIM cards registered in another person's particulars.

We take a very serious view of anyone who assists scam operations in this way. These "SIM-card mules" are not just abetting a crime. They are helping to destroy lives. That is the reason why such offences carry penalties of up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of $10,000 or both. We will not hesitate to use the full range of these penalties against people who abuse SIM cards.

This is the same approach we have taken for money mules. We have been clamping down on them, because they are the main way that overseas scammers launder their ill-gotten gains and transfer monies out of Singapore.

In 2024, SPF conducted 25 island-wide anti-scam enforcement operations, leading to the investigation of more than 8,000 money mules and scammers. More than 660 have been charged in Court and they face imprisonment if found guilty.

In one concluded case, a money mule received RM$1,000 for sharing access to his Internet banking account with another person, without taking reasonable steps to ascertain the purpose of this arrangement. The bank account was then used to launder more than S$160,000 of criminal proceeds. The money mule was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment.

Mr Vikram Nair asked if there is more we can do to better detect money mule activity. For 2025, we will be expanding our efforts on this front. The SPF will expand information sharing with the banks on known mule accounts, to enhance banks' fraud analytics and enable banks to uncover other mule accounts. We will also work with the industry to implement cooling-off measures for certain activities which are tell-tale signs of money mule activity.

To those who think that they can make an easy profit by passing on their SIM cards or bank accounts to strangers and turning a blind eye to what they are used for, let me be very clear. This is a crime and there is an imprisonment term for passing on your SIM cards or your bank accounts to facilitate scams. Claiming ignorance does not get you off the hook.

Mr Vikram Nair and Dr Tan Wu Meng asked if the penalties for scam-related offences are still too soft, with Dr Tan suggesting that caning should be legislated for egregious offences. I agree with Mr Nair and Dr Tan that we need stiff and deterrent sentences against those who facilitate scams.

The Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) has recently proposed significant imprisonment terms for offences which facilitate scams. In the cases that have been prosecuted since these guidelines were published, the Courts have generally imposed jail terms, including 19 months' imprisonment, in one case. We will consider Dr Tan's suggestion for caning to be prescribed for certain scam-related offences, recognising the serious harm they can cause.

We will do what we can to deter and disrupt scam activity. But at the end of the day, persistent scammers will find a way to reach Singaporeans. So, what Singaporeans want to know is: how can I protect myself? Assoc Prof Razwana, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Mr Derrick Goh all had ideas on how we can better educate the public to deal with scams. They are useful suggestions and we will consider them.

My advice to Singaporeans is to use the ScamShield Suite, which was launched in September last year. It comprises the ScamShield app, a helpline, website, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram alert channels. The public can use these various channels to easily, one, check if something is a scam; two, report scams; and three, stay updated on scam trends. If you are unsure if something is a scam, or you think you are being scammed and want to know what to do, call 1799 which is the ScamShield hotline. Meanwhile, we will alert Singaporeans to high-loss scam types through monthly media campaigns. These campaigns are tailored to the population segments which are most vulnerable to each scam type.

There is one critical area which we can do better in and, that is, our online space. Today, 60% of scams occur through messaging apps and social media platforms. We can and we must do much more to prevent such scams from happening. As Mr Derrick Goh and Assoc Prof Razwana pointed out, achieving this will require close collaboration with tech companies.

On the Government's part, we have put in place two Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), the Online Communication Code and E-Commerce Code. These require designated online services, such as messaging apps, social media platforms and e-commerce platforms to implement measures to proactively prevent and disrupt scams.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Keith Chua and Mdm Mariam Jaafar asked if messaging apps and social media platforms have been cooperative. They have generally been responsive to the legal requirements under OCHA. For example, as part of the E-commerce Code, Meta has implemented enhanced verification against Government-issued records for select sellers on Facebook Marketplace and advertisers on Facebook. Carousell has done the same for risky sellers on its platform.

This has made it more difficult for scammers to exploit these platforms. For instance, after implementing enhanced verification for six months in 2024, the number of e-commerce scams decreased by about 10% on Carousell, and by about 60% on Facebook Marketplace.

We thank Meta and Carousell for working with the Government on this and protecting users. The success of these efforts underscores a simple but powerful truth: robust user verification by online platforms deters online crime as criminals know that they cannot hide behind the cloak of anonymity. We strongly encourage all online platforms, including social media platforms and messaging apps, to put in place robust user verification measures, in particular, checking against Government-issued identity documents. Email addresses and phone numbers are no longer sufficient as verification methods, as they are prone to abuse.

One platform we are especially concerned about is Telegram, which has long prioritised, and even prided itself in, the anonymity that it provides its users. This anonymity is exploited by scammers and other criminals. Drugs are being sold on Telegram. Sexually explicit non-consensual videos are being circulated on Telegram. Specifically on scams, the number of reported scams on Telegram close to doubled in 2024. We urge Telegram to take the online safety of its users seriously and adopt stronger user verification measures to prevent scammers from creating scam accounts. MHA is monitoring the situation closely and we will explore further measures to address the scam situation on Telegram, including making use of our legislative levers to ensure compliance.

That aside, we continue to track the worrying trend of Government official impersonation scams, including on social media accounts. We have been engaging social media platforms to remove these, including through OCHA take-down directions. But as Mdm Jaafar has highlighted, these scams still persist. Our view is that social media companies can do more to put in place preventive measures. We are studying potential regulatory levers to better safeguard our online space on this front. Meanwhile, we will double down on our efforts to developed AI tech solutions to deal with scams that can be pushed out at speed and scale, as Mr Derrick Goh has pointed out.

Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) have co-developed the Scam Analytics and Tactical Intervention System (SATIS) suite of products, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to help the Police detect, assess and disrupt scam websites and accounts swiftly. We are expanding SATIS to disrupt other scam enablers, such as payment channels and mobile numbers.

Thus far, I have spoken about the steps we will take to strengthen our defences here in Singapore against scams. Mr Derrick Goh, Mr Vikram Nair and Assoc Prof Razwana have asked how we can better act against scam operators outside of Singapore and improve asset recovery.

Singapore works closely with foreign law enforcement agencies on joint operations against scam syndicates. For example, SPF participated in INTERPOL's Operation HAECHI V last year. More than 1,600 subjects involved in scams were investigated and more than 5,100 bank accounts were blocked, resulting in the seizure of more than $54.8 million. In terms of crypto assets, more than $798,000 were seized, arising from the blocking of more than 1,000 crypto accounts. Apart from working through INTERPOL, we have also conducted operations directly with other countries.

Asset recovery is also a priority for us. In October 2024, SPF formalised "FRONTIER+", an alliance with the anti-scam units of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Maldives, to step up asset recovery efforts collectively.

Mr Chairman, I would like to conclude this segment of my speech with some comments in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Last year, investment scams, job scams and Government official impersonation scams were the three types of scams that caused the most significant losses. These scams succeeded primarily because scammers prey on human vulnerabilities, such as the desire for companionship, respect for authority and greed. Some victims are so convinced by the scammers that they refuse to believe that they are being deceived, even after repeated warnings from family members and the Police.

As for victims who repeatedly ignored warnings, we introduced the Protection from Scams Bill in January this year, empowering the Police to temporarily restrict their bank transactions at short notice to protect their asset.

Additionally, we have worked with banks to implement a “cooling off” period for high-risk transactions, such as the raising transaction limits and changing contact information, giving people an opportunity to pause, reflect and reassess their decisions. This also gives the authorities more time to identify suspicious activities and prevent fraudulent transactions. This is an additional measure to protect bank deposits beyond our basic existing protective measures. These basic measures include the Money Lock, Kill-Switch features and the fraud monitoring system. This can promptly alert scam victims and stop fraudulent transfers.

Meanwhile, we are taking strict actions against criminals who misuse local SIM cards for scams. They try to evade the law by claiming that they are unaware of how their SIMs were used, but this excuse will not absolve them of responsibility. Additionally, 660 people have been charged for acting as money mules and scammers. According to the Sentencing Advisory Guidelines, those who negligently surrender the control of their bank accounts to others will face at least a six-month imprisonment.

Fighting scams requires collective efforts. People should use existing resources to protect themselves, such as the Money Lock feature, and protect their bank deposits and obtaining anti-scam information through ScamShield. When in doubt, they can also call ScamShield hotline 1799. Let us all work together to prevent scams, protect ourselves and care for our family members.

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(In English): Let me now address the queries that Members have raised on matters beyond scams.

Mr Patrick Tay asked about additional safeguards in the law to better protect healthcare workers in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and other mental health facilities. Let me assure him that we take abuse or harassment of our healthcare workers seriously. Under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and the Penal Code, those who harass or physically abuse our public sector healthcare workers can be imprisoned for up to three years, or fined up to $5,000, or both. We have reviewed this over the years to strengthen our laws on this front. I understand that the Police and IMH are in discussions to better coordinate responses to such incidents. Meanwhile, MOH is working with our public health institutions to put in place measures to safeguard our healthcare workers.

Mr Zhulkarnain asked for an update on our efforts to level up the security industry to become more productive and less manpower-intensive. A critical enabler for this is Outcome-Based Contracting (OBC), which allows and incentivises security agencies to innovate and adopt more productive solutions. The Government has been taking the lead in OBC since May 2020. As of 2024, I am pleased to note that all Government procuring entities have either adopted or called tender for at least one OBC at the agency level. We hope this will encourage more of the private sector to follow suit. This will complement other measures, such as subsidising the adoption of technology solutions and raising the competencies of the security agencies.

Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Alex Yam asked about the threats to racial and religious harmony in Singapore. As a small, open and globally connected country, we are vulnerable to external influence. Religious extremism and far-right extremist ideologies have inspired some Singaporeans to consider violence and even plan attacks. Foreign events also have the potential to arouse local sentiments and polarise our society along racial and religious lines.

This is why we agree with Mr Zhulkarnain and Mr Alex Yam that countering such threats requires a whole-of-society effort. We collaborate with our community partners, which include religious organisations, schools and hospitals, to enhance our ability to prevent, detect and respond to terror attacks.

Beyond community engagement, our laws and policies protect our common civic space. The Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill that was introduced this year clearly defines the boundaries of acceptable conduct in our multiracial society and gives us levers to act to protect our country’s racial harmony when it is threatened.

But this will not be enough. We cannot legislate people to get along or integrate with one another. Maintaining our social stability and cohesiveness will require our collective effort. It is about how each of us conducts ourselves in the common space, whether we take the trouble to appreciate and celebrate one another’s differences and recognise the value that we each bring to our society.

The Chairman: We have time for clarifications. Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, I have two sets of clarifications for Minister Josephine Teo and Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim.

For the Minister, on our Home Team Manpower Resource, firstly, regarding recruitment and training of locals while Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) expands its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workforce and aims to maintain a local core, what are the strategies by the Home Team to recruit and train more Singaporeans and work together possibly with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) or mid-career switches so that SCDF will remain a career of choice in the face of growing competition for talent?

Secondly, on the foreign manpower part, what measures are being taken to ensure that the foreign EMS personnel receive the relevant training and qualifications that are needed for their roles in Singapore?

Thirdly, on augmenting Home Team workforce with technology, I know we are using smart and autonomous solutions more increasingly. However, I feel that the Home Team also needs to increase public awareness on the deployment of these solutions to instill confidence and assurance in public that, while there is no visible officer, that does not mean that there is no security and vigilance. This is also important for deterrence. So, what steps are being taken to raise this awareness?

For Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, on the Re-integration Hub initiative – full disclosure – I am a member of the Yellow Ribbon Singapore. I love the work of the Re-integration Hub. Can the Minister of State share more about the Re-integration Hubs and their role in supporting desistors before their release? How many hubs are there and where are they located within the towns? And what kind of a response have we been getting from external stakeholders when they contribute to this cause?

Finally, re-integration is a collective effort. So, together, not just with stakeholders, with prison or the Home Team, but also with the families. So, what efforts are there that we can encourage families to play a more active role in the re-integration process of the desistors?

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Zhulkarnain for his very important questions. Perhaps, I will take the third one first, in which he correctly pointed out that even as we are using technology more to support our operations, we need to help the public understand how these technologies are deployed in support of our efforts.

I think we have been fortunate in the sense that when we rolled out the network of closed-circuit television (CCTVs), or what is referred to as PolCams in general, we saw a very positive response in our neighbourhoods. Today, if we were to ask people whether they see the usefulness of this CCTV network in detecting and solving crimes, the response level will be very positive. In fact, in our latest public perception survey, nine in 10 Singaporeans said that they see the value of these PolCams. I would say that if we take the question further and ask people what contributes to them feeling safe when they go out at night, for example, the top reason cited is often, again, the CCTVs.

So, we have a situation where Singaporeans became sensitised to the usefulness of technology, and they saw it being deployed in a very tangible way and helping them. So, building on that sort of foundation, what Home Team agencies have done consistently is that whenever they have opportunities, they have events where there are public touchpoints, they will introduce the technologies that are being used.

I have attended the workplan presentations of SCDF, as well as ICA, for example, where these technologies are exhibited. Media is invited to cover the events and, through the media, we get the word out on what is being used to carry out the Home Team's missions. We will continue to do so and find every possible opportunity to introduce the kinds of technologies that are being deployed in support of law enforcement.

Perhaps, turning to the Member's two questions that are related to how SCDF seeks to strengthen its local core, as well as to ensure that its foreign hires are able to carry out its mission, first, let me deal with the strategies that we have put in place to ensure that SCDF careers remain attractive.

The first is that the progression pathways have to be well laid out and they have to be attractive. So, one example is the new programme that we are working on with the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine to develop graduate certificates in advanced pre-hospital care. Of course, we have also regularly reviewed our salaries and these efforts are to ensure that SCDF careers remain attractive to locals.

To the Member's second question, let me, first, say that we will always try and open up recruitment pathways and be willing to consider people of more varied backgrounds, as well as train them. One example is the diploma in paramedicine programme, which we are working with the PSB Academy on. This will double the annual intake at the diploma level.

Our preference, of course, is always to recruit and train locals but, as Mr Zhulkarnain has alluded to, we must also balance this against the growing needs, because if we are not able to bring relief to the pressures that are faced by our officers, then, clearly, it could also compromise our ability to retain them. So, being able to supplement this with some foreign hires and to make sure that we are able to meet all of Singapore's needs, that is an avenue of support that we have gone towards as well.

Now, let me assure Members of the training requirements that the foreign hires must meet. For example, they have to go through bridging and onboarding courses, and they will, even before they are deployed, be put on on-the-job ambulance attachments with local senior paramedics to ensure that they are well-assimilated and equipped to operate in line with SCDF's professional standards and protocols.

The foreign hires will all be required to pass English language requirements to ensure that they can communicate clearly and effectively with patients and their families. All paramedics will also need to pass the paramedic specialist certification test and the ambulance proficiency test while emergency medical technicians will need to pass the SCDF Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification test before they are deployed.

Upon deployment, the foreign hires will undergo certification tests annually, and continuous education as well as training will also be provided to them so that they can continue to fulfil the same requirements as the local hires. So, these are the suite of measures that we have put in place.

The Chairman: Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. There is only one Re-integration Hub. It is located at a centralised place at Institution S2. So, what we do is that we work with several partners looking at the needs of the desistors and also how they can help themselves when they are released. These areas include employment-related, skills-related areas as well, such as financial literacy and then also religious organisations and we also work with the community partners relating to family.

The Member asked about family programmes. Like what I shared earlier, we have the Family Engagement Model that we are piloting and then we are working with many more partners today. But of course, we have the very basic programme that we work with the community, which is the Yellow Ribbon Community Project, which continues to bring in more support, and we have many more volunteers in place.

So, the external stakeholders have found that centralised location facility to be useful. They go to one place and they are able to reach out. For the Prison Service, it is something that we find very heartening to see many partners coming on board and then, from here, we will be able to strengthen the ecosystem, all with the intention to help them to desist from offending and build up their lives again.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): I thank the Minister of State for responding to my cut. I have two clarifications. The first pertains to the online feedback portal on road users that the Minister of State referred to. It states on the site, and I quote: "that it receives a large number of reports" and therefore, the Traffic Police will not provide any updates on its findings, unless the feedback provider is required to testify in Court.

12.45 pm

I would like to enquire what is the policy reason behind this? Just informing a feedback provider that the feedback has been received, enforcement action has been taken, or there is insufficient evidence, does not seem to be too much of a requirement on the end of the Ministry. Because that feedback provider has taken the effort to download the video from ostensibly their recording devices and submitted that information to the authorities through the portal. Perhaps there is a policy reason which we are unware of or the public is unaware of as to why the TP cannot provide an update to the feedback provider. I think it would be helpful and would encourage greater civic consciousness.

The second point pertains to the blinking amber light suggestion that I give. I thank the Minister of State for sharing the history behind the introduction of that light and the reason why it was eventually removed. In view of the Ministry of Transport's position last week in Parliament that banning the transport of foreign workers by lorries is not practical, in my view, there should be a stronger and renewed focus on ensuring their safe transport instead.

And in that context, I hope MHA can reconsider my proposal more narrowly to incentivise the reporting of the unsafe transport of foreign workers as a pilot. And if there are indeed excessive, exaggerated fake reports then the pilot can be reviewed accordingly. And if the pilot is successful, then perhaps it can be expanded more generally to the most vulnerable of our road users and reporting unsafe road behaviour against them, specifically elderly pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. For the second supplementary question, as I shared in my answer, we have the current levers which we feel are more effective in managing speeding and some of these aspects of enforcement actions that we are undertaking. So, we still feel that having speed cameras and also, our different aspects of reporting that are in place will help us to manage the traffic situation better today.

And with regard to the first supplementary question, we feel that the current setting is sufficiently available to the community in making or contributing to this effort of reporting. The majority of people who report do not ask what happened or the actions being undertaken. So, we feel that this is a good balance, whereby what is key is about how we can play a part and getting the community to work with us to see how we can report such offences.

I want to assure the Member that the TP will do their best to look through all the evidence. Today, when we have certain things happening, we not only get evidence from one road user, we sometimes get thousands of reports and the eyeballs there. In some instances, where many people are able to see, they use our system to share the incidents. So, essentially, we will continue to monitor the situation and how we can better navigate this to enhance community participation.

The Chairman: Mr Patrick Tay.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): Sir, firstly, I would like to thank Minister of State Sun Xueling for looking into the better protection for healthcare workers, particularly SPF working with IMH. And hopefully, we get updates in due course.

The other clarification is for Minister of State Faishal. He mentioned earlier about the volunteer impact training organised by the Prison Service, called IMPACT. Can we have more details about this new structured volunteer training framework?

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, prior to IMPACT, we have the training framework called Developmental Framework for Offender Rehab Personnel (DORP). In place of DORP, we thought we could enhance the framework and as such, we came out with the IMPACT framework. It is a rebranding and at the same time, enhancement of the DORP framework. It introduces structured and tiered training pathways for various volunteer schemes.

In Prisons' work, we have quite a few schemes. We are enhancing it in such a way that it is easier for us to provide training and also enhance the capability of our volunteers.

Under IMPACT, we formalise our collaboration with the Social Service Institute, where the aim is to hone volunteer skills in befriending and how they can work with the inmates and their families. In addition to that, we have existing volunteers who we feel that many would benefit from a refresher course. And many of them have been with us for decades, where they have come forward to share and to really support the inmates, the ex-offenders and their families. So, with IMPACT, we are introducing e-refresher courses, where they are able to get themselves updated with new trends, some of the aspects where it will help them to understand the landscape better. This is one aspect that we do.

And with IMPACT, we are able to provide more training spaces. For example, in 2024, we provided 3,200 training spaces. But with IMPACT, we can increase it to approximately 4,500 spaces per year. So, this is something that we feel will enhance the rehabilitation and re-integration journey of our inmates, our ex-offenders, and also help with supporting the families.

The key thing about work in the prison ecosystem is that quite a big chunk of work is being supported by the community, so it is in the interest of the society, including the inmates, their families and Singapore that we enhance the capability so that they can do their role well, and support and provide the opportunities for our ex-offenders or desistors to build up their lives.

The Chairman: We have time for one last clarification. Mr Vikram Nair. He raised his hand earlier.

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Thank you, Sir. My clarification is for Minister of State Sun. I thank her for answering my cut on scams and outlining the comprehensive range of measures. Specifically, the Minister of State highlighted that there were scams from Telegram and also other social media platforms, including Facebook, and Carousell has been used for scams. There is an online Code of Conduct that they have complied with, which has reduced the scams somewhat.

Would the Ministry also consider potential legislation to require these platforms to address scams and potentially also have mechanisms for compensation of victims, if a platform is used to facilitate scams and they do not take adequate actions to prevent those scams?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. I had mentioned about the two codes of practices, namely one for the online communication services and the other for e-commerce services. These are both under the Online Criminal Harms Act. What they do, in the instance of online communication services is that they would specify what the platform should do, in the case of quick disruption of malicious accounts, for instance; or the deployment of safeguards, such as reasonable verification measures to prevent the creation and use of inauthentic accounts.

In the case of the e-commerce code, I had also mentioned in my main reply that they have recommendations in the sense of subjecting users who advertise or post about the sales of the goods and services, for them to verify against Government-issued records, as well as to provide an option for users when it comes to payment protection mechanisms.

These Codes of Practice are actually quite new, since June 2024, last year. And so, right now, between MDDI as well as MHA, we are working with the social media platforms and e-commerce players for them to implement these Codes of Practice.

I have also shared that we have seen some early successes with Facebook Marketplace, as well as with Carousell. I have also indicated that we have seen losses in those areas for Carousell coming down by 10%, as well as for Facebook Marketplace coming down by 60%. [Please refer to "Clarification by the Minister of State for Home Affairs", Official Report, 4 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 157, Clarification section.]

So, we have seen improvements and we are trying to work off that base to expand the pilot to more categories of sellers who post their products and services online, and also, to see whether or not we can work with these platforms to increase the thresholds in what we mark as success – because I had talked about 10% and 60%. We see whether we can push those success rates higher.

On the second question as to whether or not we want to consider whether or not these platforms should be made financially liable for losses that are sustained on their platforms, I think this is something that we can consider. But right now, what we are doing is that we are working on a good faith basis with these platforms, to tell them that we think that the measures that we have shared thus far – whether or not it is user verification, or whether or not it is in terms of the takedown timing, and so on and so forth – that these are the targets that we are aiming for, and please comply with these recommendations.

If after this initial bout of working collaboratively with them, we see that there is no desire to work collaboratively with us, then I think we have to push what we can do with them one notch further. But right now, we are engaging with them when it comes to these Codes of Practice.

With Telegram, unfortunately, it is a different story altogether. There are discussions internally as to what we should do with Telegram. We are not the only country that faces issues with working with Telegram. I had shared that they take anonymity on their platforms as a badge of honour, that works to the detriment of users. So, I think we are preserving some options now, thinking through, but if necessary, I think we will consider very serious actions against Telegram to ensure that they do not harm local citizens further. And this is not just in the case of scams, but also when it comes to the sale of drugs, the proliferation of sexually explicit non-consensual content online – I think we will have to consider all these harms that are prevalent on the Telegram channel.

The Chairman: Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Ms He Ting Ru, I am sorry, we have run out of time. So, I am going to invite Mr Zulkarnain Abdul Rahim, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

12.59 pm

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Sir, I thank Minister Josephine Teo, Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim and Minister of State Sun Xueling for laying out the clear and comprehensive plans and priorities for MHA. On behalf of my fellow Parliamentarians as well, I extend our deepest gratitude to our MHA officers, men and women of the Home Team, and staff and Public Service officers, for their dedication and sacrifice in protecting our nation. With that, Sir, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $8,027,752,000 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $1,247,341,500 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.