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

The Chairman: Head P, Ministry of Home Affairs. Mr Murali Pillai.

Supporting the Home Team Transformation

Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

The Home Team has developed a hard-earned reputation of maintaining a high standard of law and order in Singapore despite running a lean workforce. In the Gallup Global Law and Order Report 2020, Singapore was ranked first for the seventh year running. In the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2020, Singapore was ranked first in the area of "order and security".

These are highly commendable outcomes that did not come easy. They arose through the blood, sweat and tears of our Home Team and MHA officers. They deserve the appreciation of all Singaporeans. Yet, circumstances are such that the Home Team cannot afford to sit on its laurels. I note that it has, some time ago, in anticipation of a manpower crunch, expended efforts to set up the HTX and tap on technology, robotics and automation as force multipliers.

The demands on Home Team, however, are ever rising. How is the Home Team striking the right balance between the competing demands whilst it endeavours to keep Singapore safe and secure?

The ambition of security and safety appears to be simple, but it is anything but. When the transformation in 2025 was announced in 2015, there were four planks which were discussed – manpower constraints, higher expectations of the public, increased load and emerging threats.

The demographic decline of Singaporeans has meant that there were fewer each year to take up the role of Police Officers. The ever-rising expectations of public; this is true, not just of policemen but of all public officers. But, given the nature of the work that the police do – where the darkest, most secret part of human interactions come to light – the expectations of members of the public are escalated many folds.

Our officers must be a mix of psychologist, social worker, community partner, law enforcer and a friendly but authoritative face. Added to all that – the policeman must be the hero next door. Because there is more work and more intense work, you cannot be an ordinary man or woman to be a Police Officer. The nature of crime the police now face, is not just the "traditional dangers" of crime such as violence or drug taking, but the new and rising threats such as cybercrime.

Technology gives a new twist to old threats too – for example, the terrorist threat Singapore faces today remains as high as it was about 20 years ago when ISD thwarted Jemaah Islamiah's plans to attack an MRT station and several foreign embassies in Singapore. Just a few weeks ago, ISD once again thwarted the plans of a youth who became self-radicalised through online sources and intended to attack two mosques on the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Today, attacks are more difficult to pre-empt or prevent.

There are also exogenous and external challenges too, because Singapore is a porous country, and a global, transport, transshipment and financial hub.

What additional efforts will be taken to invest in and upgrade the skills of our Home Team officers? How is it equipped to handle the ever more challenging cases for investigation, especially white-collar crime and scams? Huge effort has to be expended in investigations before such perpetrators can be brought to book. I do recall that the hon Minister highlighting in this House the heavy workload of our Police Investigators and that he asked for review to get a better sense of the pressure faced by Police Officers, particularly due to lack of manpower resources. How are we proposing to support our officers to ensure that not only their input will be of the highest quality in keeping with public expectation, but that their wellbeing is protected?

As I mentioned earlier, the Police has already started leveraging on technology and make significant progress. The challenge now, given the drivers for change, is to make an even more transformational change, so that these officers undertake their duties not as mere mortals, but what I term as hyper-humans – with eyes and ears of sensor systems, closed circuit television, live feeds and police cameras. They should have arms and legs of new pistols, new fighting skills, new sub-machine guns and carbines. New brains of analytics, data, increasing automation. Almost like Robocop, but perhaps a more friendly version of it.

All these require new skills and training, and people will be the key to the successful transformation. Police Officers already have hearts of steel – and we need to support, train and encourage these officers because they are few in number, even as the load becomes more heavy, the criminals more nefarious and public expectation ever higher.

At the same time, we need to ensure that there continues to be a high level of trust amongst Singaporeans on our Home Team's integrity and professionalism. Otherwise, whatever transformation that will be undertaken will not work. I look forward to hearing the hon Minister's plans on supporting the Home Team Transformation. Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

4.45 pm

The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.

Police – Use of Technology in Operations

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mr Chairman, the Singapore Police Force should be commended for its professionalism and hard won trust among Singaporeans. Especially in a COVID-19 environment, there will be greater stress and strain on operations. However, with less public gatherings and less large MICE events, the police force now have an opportunity to evaluate how technology can be better utilised in the day-to-day ops of the force.

These can include the usage of robots, drones, biometrics and artificial intelligence to assist in investigations and also daily patrolling. More such steps are needed to make our law enforcement system efficient and Singapore even safer. So, my question is, what steps have been taken in that vein?

Police – Operations Capability and COVID-19

My second cut, Sir, with COVID-19 disrupting many traditional methods of police work, there must have been strain on the effectiveness of certain ops. Especially those that require physical contact and apprehension. Furthermore, the pandemic might have exposed key obstacles in relation to alternative methods of communication, resource management and crime, and service patterns. Particularly, the safety and security of police officers and the communities they serve would be affected by the heightened risk of its exposure.

How has the police force tapped on technology to overcome any operational constraints presented by the pandemic, and how can this be continued to be developed and improved on as we move into a post-pandemic world?

Border Controls amidst COVID-19

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the closure of borders and limited travel between countries.

This situation has disrupted the usual movement of foreigners into and out of Singapore. As far as entry is concerned, new requirements for quarantine, purpose of entry and staggering the daily numbers allowed in have been imposed. As for exit, limited modes of travel mean that short term visits may need to be extended repeatedly. Even for those who have violated the law, or completed serving prison sentences, repatriation will be delayed.

We see our residents facing such issues which require interfacing with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) more intensively than before. For Singaporeans with foreign family members already in Singapore, repeated applications to ICA may have to be made for extension of visit passes due to lack of flights out. Others who want their family members to come in, face additional paperwork with the safe travel office. In the case of foreigners who are suspected to have broken the law or who have been convicted and sentenced, their continued presence in Singapore is not ideal and may pose additional risk.

To this end, I would like to find out how the Ministry and in particular, the ICA, has managed the unusual manpower requirements in the current COVID-19 situation. On the one hand, borders are mostly closed. But on the other hand, additional controls and paperwork mean officers may need to be redeployed or additional manpower may be engaged.

For foreigners who are awaiting repatriation, have additional holding areas been needed to detain ex-prisoners who are awaiting return to their home countries? Finally, given the stresses caused by such work disruptions and upheavals, how are the officers coping?

E-services and Access

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Chairman, one of my Clementi residents came to me for help. Middle-aged uncle, breadwinner, looking for a Security Officer Licence because he was retrenched from his previous job. Agencies told him to submit the application online. The “GoBusiness Licensing Portal”. He was told he has to use SingPass, submit it through a website. He was told to use a desktop PC to login, because the website operates a bit differently on a smartphone.

But my Clementi resident is not IT literate. He does not have a desktop PC. There are residents looking for work, looking for a security licence, who do not have a smartphone. What happens to fellow Singaporeans like him, looking for a security officer job, but facing difficulty getting into the website?

Another Clementi resident told me his story, also a breadwinner. His wife hopes to get Singapore PR. They have been married for many years. She’s a pillar of strength, caregiver, supporting at home. They’re not English educated. They are not IT savvy. So they cannot access ICA’s Electronic Permanent Residence website – the e-PR website.

When he appealed for help, the agencies told him, and I quote, “You can refer to the 'Step-by-Step Guide' on the e-PR system for more information on how to complete and submit your wife’s PR application online.”

Sir, I believe the agencies meant well. But they did ask my resident to go online to access a guide on how to submit the application online. He does not know how to go online.

Mr Chairman, even with the best of policy intentions, it can be regressive, when digitalisation of services makes it harder for the less well off, less literate, less IT savvy to go online. So, even as we move towards a smart nation and more technology, let us continue trying better to do better to improve.

Better Support for SC and SPR Applications

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, I have a number of elderly and also non-English speaking residents who approached me for assistance to do online application for Singapore Citizenship or Singapore Permanent Residence for their foreign spouse. When asked for a reason why they are not able to do so, among the responses are, they either do not have a computer, scanner and so on, and for those who have, they shared that they are not savvy enough to perform an online application.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority's statistical data shows in 2019, 11% of individuals are non-Internet users and there are still 11% of resident households that are without computers, including desktop, laptops, notebooks and tablets. Apart from not having computer facilities and online unfamiliarity, some mentioned language barrier as an issue, as the online application is only in English. Some residents shared that they had approached ICA officers to seek assistance, but was advised to turn to relatives, friends, or alternatively, to approach immigration agents. I understand that Malaysian agents charge a fee of between $300 and $400, which is indeed a huge sum, especially for low-income groups.

I do hope the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) could provide better support in this area. One suggestion is for ICA to work with People's Association in having a number of designated community centres, maybe one in each region, to provide the required facilities and other forms of support to Singaporeans who need such.

PR for Foreign Spouses and Children

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Around one in three marriages in Singapore is between a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean. Currently, foreigners married to Singaporeans can apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP), or an LTVP+. LTVP+ provides access to additional benefits like subsidised healthcare and permission to work. However, LTVP+ is not the same as Permanent Residency, or PR, in terms of benefits. PR is much more difficult to obtain. Of the many Singaporeans I meet at my Meet-the-People sessions, who are appealing for their foreign spouse's PR applications, the overwhelming majority of them are from the lower income groups, with spouses from countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Are economic considerations and educational qualifications given more weight than family ties in determining PR application outcomes? If so, this would disadvantage the lower income.

May I suggest that for PR applicants who have a Singaporean spouse, child, or parent, family ties should be the primary consideration for approval of their PR. Their close kinship with Singaporeans makes them part of the Singapore Core. And we as a society, should try to integrate them into our fold.

Improvement to the Investigation Process

Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, during the debate on the Parti Liyani’s case, the Minister for Home Affairs has promised some improvements to the police investigation process.

We would like to know: what is being done to speed up the implementation of the video recording system for police interviews of accused persons? And are there plans to increasing the pool of interpreters, specifically those who speak Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, and Bengali, engaged by the police to ensure that as far as possible, when an accused person asks for a translator, one is available for the interview?

Also, in view of the recent Myanmarese Piang Ngaih Don's case, how is the police doing more to protect the vulnerable before the worst happens?

Far-right Extremism

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Chairman, following the announcement this year of the arrest of the 16-year-old radicalised Christian youth who plotted terror attacks at two mosques, it was important to hear the reassurances from the Minister of State for Home Affairs – that the authorities have taken increased steps to reach out to youth through social media and other means to counter radical threats.

The case was a good reminder that religious extremism can come from anywhere, because any religion can be misused. None is exempt.

At a time like this, the population may need to be reassured that the Government is on top of things not only from an operational standpoint, but that Government policy is strictly secular and neither favours nor is influenced by religious beliefs from any quarter. Religious extremism when exposed, is obvious and rejected by all, including ordinary adherents of that religion. There is no danger that Government policy will be anything other than strongly against extremism. But is there a risk of the subtle influencing of policy by religious persons who are not necessarily radical? Is there a danger in Singapore that laws and policies could be tilted towards particular religious beliefs, for example, because of the dominant religious beliefs of senior civil servants, or people of influence, if not now, maybe sometime in future.

I would like to ask the Government if it has considered such matters, and if so, whether it intends to roll out strategies to counter such a possible risk to Singapore's secular principles.

This may be a good time to revisit the 1989 White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony, which was a very different time in terms of interpersonal communication. For example, one issue the White Paper sought to deal with was insensitive proselytisation. Radicalism and extremism, not necessarily religion versus religion, but religion versus other communities, are subjects that deserve closer attention today.

Yet, the principles stated in the 1989 White Paper and the worrying examples of that era, bear restating and updating because they are even more important now in our age of information silos. The White Paper stated that paragraph 27, what I believe to be the critical point, and I quote, "The purpose of attempting to separate religion from politics is therefore not to determine the validity of various religious or ethical beliefs which have political or social implications. It is to establish working rules by which many faiths can accept fundamental differences between them and co-exist peacefully in Singapore."

Sir, far-right extremism has at its core, the rejection of the other. Earlier this year, the owner of an eatery uploaded a video of a well-dressed man in office attire, throwing the rainbow LGBT pride flag at staff members. The flag was placed at the shop front. The man allegedly told staff members, one of whom was hearing impaired, to I quote, "Go to hell", and accused them of being the kind of people who I quote again, "destroy Singapore".

Beyond this incident, it was concerning to read that one of the reasons the eatery owner uploaded the video was, and I quote, "to highlight the everyday reality that the LGBTQ community experience when most incidents are not even caught on camera."

I am aware Minister for Home Affairs, in particular, has spoken up about the state's intolerance of acts perpetrated against the LGBTQ community. Minister has stressed that the Government's job is to protect everybody and warned race, religion or sexual orientation was irrelevant. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong also made similar remarks.

Beyond a new White Paper or Maintenance of Harmony White Paper updated to identify the key dangers to communal harmony in Singapore for this generation, will the Government consider a restatement or an update of its working rules and laws to ensure that there is preservation of strict secularism, so that all communities recognise that no one is placed above the other in matters of law, policy and governance in our multi-racial and multi-religious society which also increasingly holds other communities.

5.00 pm

Deterring Hostile Foreign Actors

Mr Christopher de Souza: Mr Chairman, across the world, we have seen attempts by hostile foreign actors trying to interfere with trying to interfere with other countries' domestic affairs. We have seen efforts to meddle with US elections, possibly even in the UK referendum leading to Brexit, and in many other aspects of domestic affairs.

Around the globe, many countries are stepping up their response to growing hybrid threats and disinformation. Because of the great security threat, such interference can pose. Singapore is especially vulnerable because of our openness, our multi-racial society and global interconnectivity. What will MHA do to ensure that our domestic politics continues to remain free from such iniquitous influence?

Battling Foreign Interference

Domestic politics and issues sensitive to Singaporeans should always be for Singaporeans alone to decide. There have been reports that foreign interference can sway political and social outcomes in other jurisdictions. How is MHA equipping itself to stave off and deter such foreign interference and influence in our domestic affairs? Singapore politics should always be the domain for Singaporeans alone.

Youth Radicalisation and Disinformation

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Chairman, we live in an era where access to Internet is readily available anytime, anywhere. Disinformation is easily sourced and used to influence others. The risk of influence is higher upon youths. An Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) paper in 2019 found that almost half of youths aged 18 to 25 are open to religious extremists publishing their views on the Internet or social media. This is compared to just more than a quarter across all age groups.

Fresh on everyone's mind was the timely discovery and detention of a Singaporean youth who was influenced by the 2019 Christchurch attack. The online content he had accumulated, was sufficient for him to embark on an extensive plan, to target and harm Muslims.

On the other hand, a self-radicalised Muslim youth went from being an ISIS supporter in 2017, to becoming a star student for his GCE "N" levels in 2021 following successful rehabilitation. He was given various support, psychological and religious counselling by trained experts from the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG).

What is in common is, that both of these youths were assessed to have a weak understanding of Islam. Misperceptions and misunderstandings of religion can thus lead to radicalisation among our youths.

With increasing exposure among our youths to radicalised views and deliberate efforts of disinformation around the world, what are the steps and countermeasures taken by MHA to engage all our communities, better prepare our society and safeguard Singapore from such threats?

Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, may I take all my three anti-terror cuts together?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Anti-terror – Operational Capability

Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you. In light of recent high-profile detentions in Singapore, our ability to recognise and apprehend threats at an early stage is extremely crucial. With potential threats coming from self-radicalised individuals who can hide their motives even from friends and family, the nature of the fight against terrorism is evolving.

Furthermore, with the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, cyber terrorism is very real and multiplies the threat because potential threats are no longer local. We must then operate within the international realm to combat alongside other jurisdictions. How are we improving our ability to detect threats both domestically and in the international theatre?

Terrorism – Rehabilitation of Detainees

ISD and the related agencies should be commended for their swift and prompt action in apprehending terror suspects and their effective tracking down of valuable leads.

The recent attention of a young 16-year-old boy who intended to attack two mosques is an example. Having said that, after suspects are detained, the best course of action to take for the detainee and Singapore is to deploy resources to try to rehabilitate them. While such detainees might have been radicalised through what they have watched and heard via the Internet, the process of rehabilitation can correct these views and allow them to become part of society again. What are the rehabilitation efforts that ISD and other related agencies have taken to bridge such a gap to detainees to help them reintegrate into society and reunite with their families?

Anti-terror – Building Intelligence

My third cut on terrorism, Sir. Terrorism is a global threat with links throughout the world, with many terrorist networks and infrastructures stretching beyond a single continent and its ability to influence individuals and affiliated groups to stage attacks. Our response must be a global one and in partnership with other jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the strains, COVID-19 has placed on operational capability, how are our agencies keeping up with ties, with like-minded agencies from other jurisdictions to fight the global threat of terrorism? Fighting terrorism is not a singular effort, but one that requires a similar network to create the capability to make Singapore safer and less penetrable, especially in the age of cyber terrorism.

The Chairman: Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap

Instalment Payment for Traffic Fines

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: At last year's Committee of Supply debate, my colleague, Mr Pritam Singh had proposed to consider the option of offering an automatic instalment plan for minor traffic offences, especially for those low-income who may not have the ability to pay up their fines in the single payment. In response, the Minister for Home Affairs mentioned, he is of the view that the fine framework should be kept intact.

I am calling upon Minister to reconsider in allowing instalment payments for traffic fines specifically for first-time offenders that belongs to the low-income group and our beneficiaries of Government's financial assistance scheme such as ComCare.

Understandably, the intended effect of penalties is for offenders to be remorseful and regret their irresponsible acts and as a deterrence to ensure our roads are safe for all users. Having said that, we should consider looking from the compassionate perspective, to minimise unintended effect of pushing this already struggling individual deeper into financial predicament.

I believe we are aware of the circumstances where low-income Singaporeans had resorted to borrowing in order to pay for the traffic fines, when their appeal for instalment payment was unsuccessful. I feel it does not lessen the intended effect of fines by allowing instalment payment for this group as eventually, they still have to bear the full amount. On the other hand, such compassionate consideration will be much appreciated as this will avoid further aggravation of their financial struggles.

Traffic Safety

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): The recent Tanjong Pagar incident is a stark reminder of how a person who drives, is in charge of something very heavy and powerful, and one which, when dangerously or carelessly handled puts the driver's own life at risk, his fellow passengers at risk, pedestrians all around at risk, from those crossing the road or walking on the pavement or even waiting at the traffic light or sitting at a sidewalk cafe. Their actions leave a lasting impact on the victims' lives, their families and even sometimes, their own lives.

By the same token, these pedestrians extend to the elderly and children. We have read reports and on social media of fatal accidents involving elderly and children including near misses; and these are one too many.

Can MHA take a serious look at the various ways from a systemic approach and working closely with MOT and LTA including other Ministries such as MND and so on, on how we can further improve the current systems and prevent such mishaps from ever happening as they are not just happening at highways and major roads but also at various fringes of Singapore?

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sir, if I may take my two cuts together?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Enhancing Security Industry Competencies

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas: Thank you, Sir. I declare my interest as President of the Security Association Singapore, and director of a security company.

My first cut. The Security Industry Digital Plan launched in 2018 outlined a digital roadmap that identified three stages of technology that security agencies can adopt. There has been enthusiastic adoption of stage one technologies, that is technologies that assist security officers in carrying out their roles better. Stage two and three technologies are focused more on reducing the reliance of the industry on manpower, and these have generally seen slower adoption.

As we promote outcome-based contracting in the facilities management and security sectors, security agencies must adopt technology by either building their own in-house capabilities or, for smaller companies that find it difficult to build their own capabilities, to work with partners and to hunt in packs for contracts, comprising security consultants, manpower providers and technology companies.

I am heartened that MHA and the Police Licensing Regulatory Department (PLRD) that regulates the security industry have taken a serious and consultative approach in converting the existing grading exercise for security agencies into a new competency assessment. I thank MHA and PLRD for their effort and their close collaboration with industry on this.

The previous grading exercise played an important role in kickstarting security agencies towards having better operational capabilities, proper manpower management processes and adopting technology. The industry is far more responsible and mature now as compared to when the grading exercise first started.

Sir, I have been involved as part of the task force to review the grading and the new requirements, is in my view, is the correct step forward. It will further hone the capabilities of an industry that performs functions and ancillary to the Home Team and a close partner of the Home Team.

Sir, in regard of the new competency assessment, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs, how does MHA intend to use the new Security Agencies Competency Evaluation to encourage transformation and the adoption of technology for the private security industry?

Protection for Security Officers

My second cut, Sir. A survey conducted last year by the Union of Security Employees and the Singapore University of Social Sciences found that one in three security officers had experienced physical or verbal abuse or both in their course of work. This is a disturbingly high frequency and it is clearly an unacceptable situation.

The security industry therefore welcomed MHA's commitment, announced last year, to amend the Private Security Industry Act to include safeguards for our security officers against abuse, as announced last year. I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs what supplementary strategies MHA intends to implement to further protect security officers from verbal and physical abuse, other than through the impending amendments to the Private Security Industry Act?

Drug Abuse and Youths

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, the issue of drug abuse among our youths is an issue close to my heart. I have seen the severe damage and detrimental effects that young drug abusers can cause, not only to themselves but, more significantly, to their families and friends.

As a community, I believe that we have collectively supported the Government's tough stance against drug abuse over the years. The recent statistics for 2020 released by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), however, remains deeply worrying.

Despite the CNB's herculean efforts in preventive drug education and many outreach activities and community engagement events, the proportion of new abusers below the age of 30 years remain at 62% in 2020. This statistic has been remained stubbornly consistent in the past five years: 2019 – 62%; 2018 – 64%; 2017 – 64% and 2016 – 66%. The statistics suggests a need to make even greater efforts to address the issue.

The worrying trend in the shift of mindsets towards growing narratives supporting liberal drug approaches further accentuates the problem. For example, will developments such as the recent reclassification of cannabis and cannabis resin under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs potentially change the attitudes of our Singaporean youths, towards the use of cannabis?

Careful consideration and firm steps must be taken to ensure that such mindsets do not take root in Singapore.

5.15 pm

I have also read the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) which develops new chemicals that replace those that are banned, apparently in efforts to mimic the effects of established drugs. This development will surely add another complex layer to the rapidly evolving landscape of drug abuse, which the Home Team will need address.

I therefore invite the Minister to share with this House further details of the Ministry's plans on: (a) countering growing narratives supporting liberal drug approaches; (b) how to ensure that the NPS threat is kept under control; and (c) how to more effectively engage youths on the dangers of drug abuse.

Mr Christopher de Souza: Sir, may I take all my cuts together?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Drugs – Deter Recreational Drug Use

Mr Christopher de Souza: First, let me state that I completely agree with the hon Member, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin. I have seen this shift in culture of more tolerance towards drugs, especially in the last 15 years. I used to volunteer with SANA, the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, and there was not such a high degree of tolerance towards drugs 16 years ago as we are seeing here today. So, I want to first and foremost second what Mr Sitoh Yih Pin has just said.

We are seeing the shift in culture among youths to a more relaxed attitude towards recreational drug use. Among youths between 13 and 21 years old, there has been an upward trend in a more liberal approach towards drugs as an experience. Furthermore, due to online sources and social media being the primary medium and source for information, a significant proportion of the youth perceive wrongly that cannabis is less harmful or non-addictive because of its medicinal uses.

With more youth acknowledging that legal consequences are a strong deterrent, we need to assist the CNB in the fight against the growing tolerance for recreational drug abuse and to raise awareness about the legal and health consequences.

Drugs – Fight New Psychoactive

With new psychoactive substances constantly emerging, we must be proactive in recognising and banning such substances within Singapore. This assortment of drugs, such as synthetic cannabinoids, stimulants and opioids can be introduced to individuals willing to experience in order to discover possible new effects.

With such a wide range of possible new psychoactive substances that could potentially appear on the Singapore market, our existing drug laws such as the Misuse of Drugs Act must be flexible enough to incorporate the new psychoactive substances and make them illegal to consume or traffic before or very soon after they appear within Singapore. This means actually having to make very quick amendments to the Schedule in the Misuse of Drugs Act to catch out drugs that were not previously on the market.

Drugs – Deter Supply into Singapore

Next, Sir, Singapore has had a long battle against drugs and drug traffickers. We have had to battle international criticism in continuing this policy. Yet, because of the heinous consequences to society and families, and our success – or relative success – in dealing effectively with the drug problem, our firm and relentless stance on traffickers must remain because we need to deter the international flow of drugs into Singapore. Continuing to keep Singapore drug-free is a growing challenge and to that end, we must continue to be vigilant in apprehending and anticipating drug traffickers and their movements even outside Singapore and, obviously, within Singapore.

Drugs – Rehabilitation of Drug Users

My fourth and last cut, Sir, on drugs. Despite our hard stance against drugs, we want to rehabilitate and assimilate drug users back into our society and allow them reconnect and reunite with family. I would like to seek an update on the Prison Service's policy of segregating the users who are less likely to reoffend from those who are multiple repeat offenders.

Furthermore, I would like to ask if such a system has been beneficial in reducing the incarceration rate. Seeing as there are many drug abusers who are youths and that number seems to be growing, from the statistics, how are we rehabilitating them and how successful has the rehabilitation initiatives such as peer support been?

"Fitrah" – Supporting Inmates' Families

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, adult male offenders make up the majority of inmates and many have spouses and children. The point when an accused is incarcerated can be very destabilising on families and there are cases where both parents are incarcerated. My volunteers and I have met spouses so reliant on their husbands that they continue to seek instructions while they are in prison. Some divorcees despair as getting maintenance from the incarcerated exes can be difficult.

While we appreciate the work done by the Yellow Ribbon Community Project, this is a touchpoint that is volunteer-driven and not a consistent or comprehensive solution – and some offenders opt out of the scheme. While I am grateful for the establishment of FITRAH, will the Government consider training staff and volunteers to be equipped for different demographics of offenders, for example, addicts or youths, and more targeted interventions to monitor and break inter-generational offenders? Can measures be in place to support families better?

Rehabilitation and Re-integration Efforts

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Every year, about 10,000 inmates complete their sentence and are released. Up to 2019, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), formerly known as SCORE, has helped 96% of offenders in securing jobs with competitive salaries even before their release. However, only around 81% of them have retained their jobs within the first three months of release and another 64% within the first six months.

The first few months after release are critical for an ex-offender, during which the risk of becoming homeless and/or recidivism is high. Hence, YRSG's strategy of securing employment and job retention is extremely crucial to re-integration efforts of ex-offenders into society.

Beyond employment, a key part is also rehabilitation of ex-offenders with support of their families. Many studies have proven that family relationships play a pivotal role to prevent recidivism. The situation is more pressing when dealing with ex-drug offenders who may face not only social stigma but other psychological issues. When I was volunteering with AMP Singapore, with the support of MHA, we launched the Development and Re-integration Programme, which provides individualised intervention plans and financial and socio-educational assistance for both the ex-offenders and their families.

It is important that services provided to the ex-offenders and their families are tailored to their individual needs. With economic disruptions due to the pandemic and as strategic partners come under financial pressure to reduce their workforce, what are the steps taken by and future plans of MHA to rehabilitate ex-offenders, especially those with drug offences and to enhance their employability in this global pandemic and economic situation?

Helping Ex-offenders

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Chairman, I propose that MHA work with MOM to help recognise firms which practise inclusive hiring, including the hiring of ex-offenders. A Yellow Ribbon Inclusive Hiring mark can be a way for fellow Singaporeans to recognise such firms and to show support. People can make the extra effort to support such firms, do business with such firms, contribute attention and profile to such firms.

MHA can also work with MOF so that good inclusive HR practices are supported during the evaluation of Government tenders. For example, if two bids are of equal quality, inclusive HR practices should be considered as a tie breaker.

Work for Short-term Prisoners

Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, between 2018 and 2020, the offender population in prison on the average is 10,207 per year. Adding penal and Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) releases together, on the average, 9,862 inmates were released each year for this corresponding period.

What is noteworthy is the overall recidivism rate has remained low and stable. About eight out of 10 inmates released in 2018 did not return to prison within a two-year release period. This is a good indication of the progress made in rehabilitating and re-integrating ex-inmates. By no means, however, we should think we have arrived.

One of the best ways to encourage ex-inmates to turn over a new leaf is to get them decent jobs. I am heartened to note that 93% of inmates referred to Yellow Ribbon Singapore in 2020 secured a job prior to release. This is not an easy target to achieve. Ex-inmates are debarred from certain sectors such as security and Government jobs. They face motivational issues. Lack of qualifications can be an inhibiting factor. Twenty-two percent of the convicted penal population only has primary school education or lower.

With the Government's decision to extend the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) to ex-offenders, I believe we have a unique opportunity to match ex-offenders to get and stay in better paying jobs with better prospects.

I note the tendency amongst some inmates to take on jobs in the gig economy. I am concerned that they may, in due course, face difficulty with their housing and retirement needs if they do not accumulate sufficient savings in their CPF accounts.

I also understand that Yellow Ribbon Singapore focusses more on long-term sentence ex-inmates and not short-term sentence ex-inmates. Perhaps, this could be re-looked.

I would be grateful if the Minister could please inform this House what is the average number of inmates referred to Yellow Ribbon Singapore per year between 2018 and 2020? What is the breakdown between long-term and short-term sentence inmates? Finally, what steps have been identified to take advantage of JGI?

As we gain more success in getting our inmates better paying jobs with better prospects, we also would have made significant progress in our efforts to help fellow Singaporeans in the lower economic strata to move up the social mobility escalator.

Mr Derrick Goh (Nee Soon): May I take the two cuts together – (p) and (ae)?

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Effective Justice for Online Harm

Mr Derrick Goh: Sir, as the digital space grows and more and more Singaporeans, young and old, are going online, as we should expect, many are vulnerable and may not be equipped with sufficient digital literacy and participation in the digital space may expose them to tortious harms.

This group of vulnerable citizens could be exposed to bad actors online who may spread falsehoods about them, harass them or worse, damage their reputation online. These tortious harms affect people from young to old. In simple language, many of us term this as cyberbullying or simply, cyber harassment. In specific cases like doxing, personal information is shared online to stir and facilitate harassment. Although the Government has moved quickly and substantially in this area by instituting the Protection from Harassment Act and other related measures, these harms are still experienced by many.

What other measures would the Minister be planning to help those affected by such harmful speech online to achieve quick and effective justice?

Strengthening Protection against Online Scams

On item (ae), Mr Chairman, I raised the point in my speech on the Budget Statement that the problem of scams is but a consequence of pursuing a digital economy. It is expected. However, the steep growth rate of 65% in scam cases where the majority of the top 10 scam types relates to online scams is deeply concerning.

Given this rising trend where over $200 million has been siphoned across top 10 categories, it is reasonable for our Government to spend proportionately to mitigate this crime: one, to protect our residents who are digitally vulnerable; and two, to maintain the high trust levels in our Government.

Can MHA share plans and clarify if more expenditure has been factored for the Ministry to acquire more digitally equipped investigators and capabilities to ensure our law enforcement and connected agencies are sufficiently resourced and fit for purpose?

My second point is about strengthening safeguards where at heart of the issue is about the need to approach this holistically, across the digital eco-system. Given the many digital hand-offs, we need a multi-layered, whole-of-nation approach where all commercial participants in the digital economy supported by sharper laws and regulations are needed to protect our Smart Nation.

5.30 pm

As the Government and the Police cannot tackle this alone, what are the plans to work more with the relevant agencies and private sector participants apart from banks, such as telcos and e-commerce platforms to deal with this holistically?

Given the understanding of online fraud crime typologies and root causes, would the Ministry consider roping in relevant private sector platforms who have higher scam incidents and profit from the online eco-system to also step up and play their part in terms of fraud prevention and detection measures in the same way MAS is has engaged the banking sector?

Lastly, there is a need to address the trend in the movement of funds derived from scams to outside Singapore. As such, will MHA increase cross jurisdictional cooperation with other neighbouring countries' law enforcement agencies to come up with a more comprehensive plan to combat this problem and to help the victims recover their monies?

The Chairman: Minister Shanmugam.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Chairman, I thank the hon Members for their comments. We continue to be one of the safest places in the world. People are confident that Home Team will carry out its mission fairly and effectively. My colleagues from my Ministry and I will try and deal with the points raised by the Members of Parliament.

[Deputy Speaker (Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo) in the Chair]

Let me turn to the points that I will deal with.

I will first speak about our approach to religious harmony before setting out our transformation approach.

Mr Pritam Singh, in his speech, quite an important speech, raised four points: one, possible religious bias of top civil servants now and in the future; two, our LGBTQ community; three, a possible Government statement on strict secularism; and fourth, updating the 1989 White Paper on Maintenance of Religious Harmony.

Let me start with the point about religious bias of top civil servants.

He raises the possibility of bias – now as well as in the future – and he asked, and I quote, "Is there a danger that laws and policies could be tilted towards particular religious beliefs by top civil servants? If not now, maybe sometime in the future?"

Mr Pritam Singh will accept, when his words are transmitted to the public, many will interpret him, in essence as saying that top civil servants could be biased and they could act in favour of religious communities because of their own religious beliefs, both now and in the future.

I would say leaving the public with that impression about our current top civil servants will be seriously wrong. They are persons who have dedicated their entire lives to Public Service loyally and faithfully. If there is evidence of such lack of integrity amongst current senior civil servants, then I agree, it should be raised and we must deal with it.

If the statement was meant only to cover a future possibility without any hint or suggestion of a lack of integrity amongst current top civil servants, then that should have been made crystal clear. Since Mr Pritam Singh has raised an issue relating to the key foundations of Singapore and one of the key foundations of success, that is – the integrity of our senior civil servants. Let me state the position categorically and quite starkly.

The basic principle we follow and apply is that which Mr Lee Kuan Yew had set out in August 1965, and I quote, "We are going to have a multiracial nation in Singapore. We will set the example. This is not a Malay nation. This is not a Chinese nation. This is not an Indian nation. Everyone will have his place, equal language, culture, religion".

Freedom of religion is guaranteed but in the public sphere, in public policy-making, we do not make decisions which favour anyone or other religious groups. Neutrality and fairness are essential. Otherwise, in this small place, we will lose the trust of the people quickly. That goes for Cabinet Ministers, senior civil servants and the Public Service as a whole. And when these principles are not observed, they must be dealt with.

The situation today, for the past 62 years, these principles – secularity, neutrality between religions, have been one of the golden threads in our public policy-making. That is one of the key reasons Singapore is where it is now. My Ministry, in particular, has a direct role in dealing with the issues relating to race and religion. We formulate and implement policies which deal with these issues. I have, over the years, worked with many senior civil servants – Permanent Secretaries and Directors of the Internal Security Department (ISD). The current Head of Civil Service was my Permanent Secretary in Home Affairs – outstanding officer, unimpeachable integrity. He has given more than 35 years, his entire adult working life in the service of this country for the betterment of Singaporeans. It would be most unfair if he and his colleagues are tainted with the suspicion of religious bias without proof.

I emphasise, I am referring to the impressions that Mr Pritam Singh's words will leave with many and not what he may have actually meant. How the words could be understood, does matter.

My current Permanent Secretary was Director ISD, Permanent Secretary of Law, then Permanent Secretary at MOT – 28 years in Public Service. Again, an outstanding officer who is driven by only one aim, which is to make the lives of Singaporeans better. Since last year, he has been working his guts out, leading the Homefront Crisis Executive Group (HCEG), coordinating and managing our pandemic response so that Singaporeans can be safe. We look for officers of this character and calibre and they should not in any way be tainted with suggestions of religious bias in their approach.

I have highlighted officers from my Ministry in particular because we are at the forefront of dealing with religious issues. We meet different religious leaders, we work hard to preserve religious harmony amongst their different faiths. Our integrity, honesty, reliability and neutrality are key to us and those are the currency we deal in. Whether the people we work with accept us depends on these factors.

And this is important in another central way: we promote officers on merit. You do not want other questions to be asked – what is his religion? What is his race? Once we ask those questions for promotion, I think we will be in trouble. I do not forget what I said in 2003 about leavening the effects of meritocracy by taking into account the position of minorities. What I say now can stand together with, and be qualified by, what I said in 2003. Though the latter point, I emphasise, is a purely personal view.

Or take another officer beyond the two I have mentioned: Esa Masood, He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was formerly Deputy Director in MOE, Director at ECDA, now CE of MUIS. One day, he will go back to the Civil Service. He should be assessed on the basis of the quality of his work and not on the basis of the quality or nature of his religious beliefs. And that goes across the Public Service.

For me, when a Police officer attends to a call at a house, you do not want people to think, "This is a Muslim officer" or "Christian officer" or "a Hindu officer". You want people to think, "This is an Singapore Police Force officer". I personally keep close track of trust levels in our Police Force. They are now extremely high and we do not want to get to the levels of some First World countries where people march in the streets to abolish the Police Force because of racial issues.

It is not accidental that we have one of the highest levels of racial harmony in the world. That is the present. The quality of our Civil Service, their integrity, is a key reason why Singapore has succeeded.

But I also want to acknowledge, many of us have our own religious beliefs. Not everyone is, or can be expected to be, a saint. Sometimes, there can be a tendency to see things through a religious lens or a personal perspective and that can apply to all – Ministers, civil servants, ground officers. We have to guard against that. We have to avoid it, leave personal viewpoints and look at it when we are making public policy through a secular perspective, on what is the public interest. You will be informed by your religious beliefs, but you have to look at the broad majority and see what is in their interest. We have to jealously guard against any such tendency to look through a particular lens, whether it is Ministers or anyone else and we have to set the tone from the very top. Insist on the secular approach and be strict about that.

Mr Pritam Singh is reflecting, I think, what some people might feel but I will say to him today that it is not a systemic issue and we have to guard against it. And what is the safeguard? It starts with politics, how we conduct it. And religion – how important do we make it in politics? In debates do we dog whistle? Let us be honest and ask how often have speeches done that in this House? It is the responsibility on both sides of the House. You want an example of where it can lead to? Look at the United States – how votes are sought along religious lines. If we go down that road, we will be in trouble.

Mr Pritam Singh also asked, "What of the future?" I will make two points.

One, we have, over the years, developed institutions, a system – the Public Service Commission (PSC), Public Service Divison (PSD), rules that seek to promote the best officers and weed out those whose integrity is not clear. The assessments are multi-faceted and we have safeguarded the independence of the PSC, because the degradation of the Civil Service will seriously damage Singapore.

Second, having said that, my second point is, to be blunt whether the senior Civil Service remains world-class and has integrity depends ultimately on who the Ministers are too. The timbre of our Ministers will ultimately decide everything else. If the Ministers are biased, they lack integrity, then that will spread, maybe slowly but surely. The institutions that we have set up can delay the spread. It may depend on how long the top remains bad, but it would not be a happy situation.

We have avoided these outcomes so far and you only have to look at some countries outside of Singapore, many countries, including First World countries to see what can go wrong and how quickly.

Second, Mr Singh spoke about our LGBTQ community. I have made the Government's position clear. The amendments to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA) make it an offence to urge violence on the grounds of religion or religious belief, against any person or group. Action can be taken under the MRHA where religious group, using religion, attacks a non-religious group, such as LGBT groups or individuals. Equally, where a religious group or its members is attacked by non-religious persons or groups, say LGBT, action can also be taken. The law is even-handed in this context. This was emphasised by me during the MRHA's Second Reading, and also during my speech at last year's Committee of Supply.

Regardless of which community, what your social, religious or sexual beliefs are, everyone will be protected here, and I have said so categorically. LGBTQ persons, non-LGBTQ persons – we are all equal. We are not any lesser by reason of our sexual preferences. And if anyone stirs hate speech either for or against any sexual or religious community, we will take action; does not mean action will be taken on every occasion. The Police will use their discretion and assess the context.

We have set out our position. If Mr Singh thinks that there should be any change or variation to this position, I will be happy to hear from him. In particular, if he wishes to clarify what exactly is his position on our LGBTQ policies. I will be happy to hear from him.

Third point that Mr Singh made, was on secularism and he asked for a statement. Our secular stand has been made clear when the Government looks at policies. We do so in a secular way. We guarantee freedom of all religions. We do not favour any particular religion.

Last year, in November, at the Religious Rehabilitation Group seminar, I set out how our secular approach works. I also explained how our approach, for example, differs from the French approach. They are also secular. I have spoken about our approach at least nine times over the last five years. And I do not think Mr Pritam Singh wants a tenth speech. I can give Mr Pritam Singh the references. The Government's position is quite clear. Most people know what it is.

The fourth point he makes is updating the MRHA White Paper. I can assure Mr Singh – religious issues, interaction of religious communities, is a top of mind issue for us.

5.45 pm

Let me set out some things that have been done in the last few years. In April 2019, I delivered a very substantive Ministerial Statement, titled "Restricting Hate Speech to Maintain Racial and Religious Harmony in Singapore". I explained the Government's position and approach in dealing with hate and offensive speech.

Then, we went further than a White Paper. In June 2019, the same year, with the support of the Government, our religious leaders worked together on a "Commitment to Safeguard Religious Harmony". They affirmed the shared values and the way of life of Singaporeans. This approach has underpinned the religious harmony we have. To date, nearly 700 religious organisations, 680 to be exact, and 73 community groups have affirmed this Commitment.

I would invite a careful study of this very important document. It is a commitment by the major religious groups and organisations on the principles of religious harmony that should govern us. It goes beyond past declarations of religious harmony. It details the many positive ways in which Singaporeans have been interacting across religions and it encourages Singaporeans of all faiths to practise tolerance and acceptance. For example, allowing each other to profess our faiths and to do so in a respectful manner; eating together with others, even if we have different religious dietary requirements and practices; and attending the life events of others, such as weddings and funerals, even if those are held in the place of worship of that faith.

That more than 680 religious organisations have committed to this specific call to action, is to be celebrated. It would not happen in many countries.

We followed that up in October 2019. We amended the MRHA in several major aspects to strengthen our ability to safeguard against and respond more effectively to threats to our religious harmony. So, it can be seen: we have reviewed the 1989 White Paper we have taken concrete steps after that Review. We have considered the evolving context, brought religious groups and leaders together, affirmed a new document of principles and have amended the MRHA.

The amendments also introduced a higher standard of behaviour for religious leaders, for example, because of the influence they can wield. For example, if you are a non-religious leader and you said something in a private context, that may not be an offence, but if the same thing were to be said by a religious leader, the defence is much narrower. He has got to show that it was only a domestic communication between the leader and his relatives or member of his household.

Given the many steps that have been taken, there is no immediate need for another White Paper. But it is an issue which we will keep reviewing. I thank Mr Singh for raising these issues. They are important. They allow us to examine again some key and important points.

Let me move on to some of the other efforts. Mr Pillai asked, how will the Home Team balance increasing demands on it given the manpower issues. I have said before – there is a limit to increasing our resources and manpower. It is in short supply all across Singapore. To deal with this, we have been focusing on transformation and increased the use of technology.

Chairman, with your permission, may I display a set of slides on the LCD screen as I make my points.

The Chairman: Yes, please.

Mr K Shanmugam: To start with we set up the Home Team Science and Technology agency HTX, in December 2019, to develop customised tech solutions for our needs, better use tech, reduce some types of work, multiply our capabilities. It has built up talent and capabilities. HTX has 14 centres of expertise in a number of areas: biometric, sense-making and robotics. It is also developing expertise in managing data centres and cloud-based technologies and a Security Operations Centre, with 24/7 monitoring will be set up. HTX will continue to upgrade its capabilities.

Let me now move on to how we will use tech to transform Home Team operations. Sensor networks. Cameras. We are enhancing our frontline response through greater use of cameras. The Police have installed almost 90,000 cameras in major public locations – HDB estates, neighbourhood centres and carparks. That has been a game-changer to deter, investigate and solve crimes. As of December 2020, police cameras have assisted in solving nearly 5,000 cases; 4,900 to be precise. Surveys have shown that people feel safer with a prominent placement of police cameras in their neighbourhoods. In the next several years, I promise that many more cameras will be installed across the island subject to the budgetary situation.

Next, Police have redesigned our Neighbourhood Police Centres and Police Post to include automated self-help kiosks, so people can access police services around the clock.

Three, Police will roll out 300 next-generation Fast Response Cars (FRCs) by 2023; within the next two years. They will have cameras which will provide a 360-degree view of its surroundings to the Police Command Centre, and it will allow commanders at the Command Centre to assess the situation and deploy back-ups. The cars will also have video analytics tech to read number plates and automatically flag vehicles of interest. So, we will be surrounded by sensors which make people feel safer and more confident.

Fourth, Police have deployed two Police Beacon prototypes at Sengkang and Punggol for a year. Police Beacons will allow members of the public to contact the Police directly during emergencies and they will come equipped with a range of tools to create deterrence and project presence. They will also have CCTV cameras. So, the situation can be assessed immediately, quickly, and they are particularly useful in more secluded locations.

Beyond sensors, in terms of investigations, Police and CNB are working to sharpen the investigation capabilities with tech. One, their investigation and case management systems are being digitised, automated and streamlined, so that officers can access information and update cases on the move instead of having to go back to the office to do it, and save time on handling paperwork and admin tasks because the tool will be an integrated search tool, searching multiple databases at one go.

Two, Mr Pillai asked how are the Police adapting to tackling some of the most challenging cases of scams and commercial crimes. Police are seeking to use tech again, for example, automated screening of financial transactions when investigating scams. They also have tools to quickly extract and analyse digital evidence from mobile devices, thumb drives. But I think Members will understand – in the end there is a limit to how much can be done when the scammers are overseas.

Three, I will deal with the tech and our emergency responses. SCDF, for example, is building the next generation Smart Fire Stations, starting with the new Punggol Fire Station. They will make greater use of sensors and automation to help with manpower management, operational response and decision-making. Manual processes, like tracking the readiness of emergency supplies vehicles, rostering of duty personnel, will all be automated.

During an emergency, an Artificial Intelligence system will send critical information – floor plans of buildings, live video feed of the site to our officers, where available – even before they arrive at the site. That will help officers assess the situation, develop a plan faster and enhance their response.

Our SCDF officers will also be having smart wearables that will be integrated with the Smart Fire Station's systems, and it will allow commanders to monitor officers' physical condition during operations and training to reduce risk of injury.

Fourth, our paramedics will be able to access patient data from MOH databases when responding to a 995 call. It will allow for more effective medical intervention.

Moving on to ICA. Our aim is to have travellers move through automated lanes when they enter and leave Singapore. We are aiming for contactless. Some of the necessary tech has already been put in place. First, today, eligible travellers can already use what we call the Multimodal Biometric System to clear immigration by scanning their face and iris. It is more secure than fingerprint clearance and also contactless. The traditional paper-based card system has been replaced by the SG Arrival Card e-service and mobile app. That facilitates smoother immigration clearance and enhances the advanced screening of passenger info.

As regard to the iris and facial images we intend to upgrade this. We will verify travellers' identities through iris and facial images at the automated lanes instead of passports and thumbprints. ICA has conducted trials with promising results.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked how is ICA managing new demands arising from COVID-19 and how foreigners are held following their release from prison if they cannot be repatriated immediately, and whether additional manpower was required.

ICA has been putting in place plans and systems to cope with the new demands. The digitisation efforts began some years ago. It enabled them to cope with the new demands brought about by COVID-19. The digital services can adapt to changes to our border control rules. They are designed to enable ICA to administer relevant measures for different groups of travellers and also enables integration.

For example, ICA integrated Electronic Health Declaration Cards into the SG Arrival Card platform.

Second, ICA has enhanced its e-services, which will allow it to automatically process many of the applications and significantly reduce the volume of applications which have to be dealt with by ICA officers manually.

As regard to the question on repatriation of foreigners, ICA will seek to repatriate them as soon as possible. But, of course, this is subject to the availability of flights and COVID-19 border control measures both here and elsewhere. Where necessary, ICA will house them temporarily in existing prisons or other ICA facilities.

Some additional manpower was needed to resource new functions, but ICA has largely coped by redeploying officers to meet the new demands, like the Safe Travel Office and enforcing the Stay-Home Notice regime. When the surge of travellers comes back, there is obviously going to be substantial demand on ICA and we will have to deal with it. This is something we are focused on.

Ms Sylvia Lim has asked about morale of ICA officers. ICA has implemented additional measures to support the ground officers. Senior commanders engage officers regularly, to gather feedback and try to address their concerns. Of course, not every single concern can be addressed but the serious engagement and attempt to solve the issues properly are important. Morale is generally okay.

Let me now move to Prisons. Prisons has also made good progress with tech, in particular, what they call the “Prisons Without Guards” strategy. The vision is to have a smart prison that leverages technology to automate routine work, so that prison officers can be more focused on inmates' rehab.

For that, one, they go to smart cameras and video analytics, which will assist officers in monitoring inmates' activities, movements, detect irregular behaviour such as fights and medical emergencies.

Two, technology is also helping substantially with rehabilitation of inmates. They are given mobile tablets, with e-books and guiding resources to supplement their regular lessons and programmes. It allows the inmates to learn at their own pace and take greater ownership of their rehab. We are developing a mobile app for supervisees in the community, to reinforce their learning and rehab. The supervisees can use the app to access customised e-resources, keep track of their progress and look for job opportunities and community support.

We also expanding community corrections. We want to allow more inmates to serve a larger part of their sentences in the community, as long as it is safe to do so, so that they are out for longer period. And that can be done, we think, through greater use of technology to monitor the inmates in the community and help compliance with supervision conditions.

Prisons is developing a tracking device that looks like a digital watch. It is more discreet than the ankle tag that many Members might be aware of. It reduces the stigma, it boosts the supervisee's self-confidence and helps re-integration back into society.

Prisons has also enhanced its digital case management system, making it easier for community partners to access case files and share updates with Prisons staff.

Let me now talk a little bit about how we have been using robotics and unmanned aerial systems, or drones, in the Home Team.

Mr de Souza asked how the Police seek to overcome operational constraints posed by COVID-19. The answer is greater use of technology.

6.00 pm

Drones and robots were deployed for security operations at COVID-19 isolation facilities, which reduced the risk of exposure for our frontline officers.

SCDF has been using robots to fight fire. At an industrial fire in Tuas in March last year, these robots tackled the most dangerous parts of the fire, with immense heat and poor visibility. The Home Team will continue to build on these capabilities. Police have, likewise, deployed drones and robots at major public events for crowd management and public safety. They will also support officers in their daily patrols.

In future, you may see three SCDF officers and a robot responding to a fire on board the "Red Rhino", instead of the current four-man section. These robots are capable of pushing deeper into the seat of the fire, and can help to carry equipment and casualties.

We are also enhancing our ability to deal with the threat of drones. Police and HTX are developing the XENTINEL, which is a mobile vehicle platform that can be quickly deployed to detect, track and safely take down rogue drones from a long distance. Police are also exploring how to equip the next-generation FRCs with counter-drone capabilities.

Let me now move from the hardware to focus on how we are transforming service delivery. ICA, for example, is bringing more of its services online. Today, residents can register or re-register for their Identification Card online. They can also update their address online, instead of visiting the ICA Building or a Police Post. ICA will be issuing more types of documents in digital form, such as birth and death certificates, and long-term passes. ICA will also introduce push notifications for all Singapore residents with registered SingPass accounts, to remind them to follow up on transactions with ICA. For example, you may receive a reminder to re-register your Identity Card on your 30th or 55th birthday.

Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Faisal Manap spoke about not excluding those who lack IT access or are less IT-savvy from Home Team services.

I entirely agree. We try to design our e-services to be simple, seamless and convenient for everyone and we will also try and assist those who need help. If they need physical channels, we will provide helpdesks, self-help kiosks, and service centres.

Specifically, Dr Tan raised about Security Officer Licence. Those who want assistance can call the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department to make an appointment, or visit their service counter during office hours.

For Citizenship and PR applications, those without Internet access can visit the Citizen Connect Centres (CCCs) for free access to Internet-enabled computing devices. Those who require more assistance can approach ICA officers at the ICA Building.

ICA is Building a new Integrated Services Centre next to the existing ICA Building to provide counter services. Members of the public will be served at a single counter for all services. We will also try and make it a more seamless customer experience. Construction works for the Integrated Services Centre has commenced and is targeted for completion by 2023.

Mr Murali Pillai asked about our plans to upgrade the skills of our officers. I will give some examples.

The Home Team Academy has been using the Home Team Simulation System to train our officers in managing large-scale security incidents and joint operations. It requires fewer resources to carry out than a physical training exercise. The Home Team Academy will enhance the system with new technologies like artificial intelligence and expand the usage by officers.

SCDF’s re-development of the Civil Defence Academy will include a Digital Learning Lab and it will provide Virtual Reality training for SCDF officers, such as extricating people from a car wreckage. The approach is always to try and upgrade the skills and make the training more realistic.

What about our manpower needs?

HTX will need to hire a few hundred scientists and engineers over the next few years to build a critical mass of experts in areas like digital and crime scene forensics, robotics and automation. There are also other new developments that continue to drive up demand for the Home Team’s manpower. For example, while ICA uses technology, it still needs manpower to run operations at future checkpoints – Tuas Mega Port and the RTS Link.

SCDF, too, will need more ambulances and more officers to attend to the growing number of medical emergencies, due to our ageing population.

Police will need to expand the deployment of In-Situ Reaction Teams (IRTs) to patrol high footfall locations in Singapore to swiftly respond to armed terrorist attacks. We also need to increase the number of Police investigators. I have mentioned that previously. The number of investigation files handled by Land Divisions increased by 36% between 2015 and 2019. Cases have also become more complex. Crimes are increasingly tech-enabled. Perpetrators, often anonymous, may often be based overseas. It requires much more effort to track and identify them.

Mr Murali Pillai asked how we are supporting the well-being of our Investigation Officers. Apart from increasing the number of investigators to manage the workload, Police are currently undertaking an internal review of their systems, processes and structures to see how better we can support our investigators.

Mdm Chairman, Mr de Souza asked: if COVID-19 has presented Police the time and opportunity to evaluate how technology can be better utilised.

Members will see from what I have said that Police, the Home Team as a whole, have been exploring and investing in technology for some time, even before COVID-19, and that has stood us in good stead during COVID-19 and we will continue on that path.

The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Mrs Josephine Teo.

The Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mdm Chairman, Singapore remains one of the safest places in the world. The 2020 Gallup Global Law and Order Report ranked Singapore first, for the seventh year running. Singapore was also ranked first in the 2020 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index in the area of “Order and Security”.

Police have kept traditional crimes, that is, all crimes except scams, well in check and on the decline over the years. The drug situation in Singapore remains under control, and our fire fatality rate remains one of the lowest in the world. Public confidence in the Home Team remains high. In the most recent survey, nine in 10 Singapore residents agreed that the Home Team has done well and trust our officers to serve them with integrity.

Notwithstanding these successes, there are a few key challenges we are paying particular attention to. I will speak about three of them. They are terrorism, foreign interference and harmful online content.

Terrorism remains a serious threat. The Home Team has been vigilant, but the terrorists only need to get through once to cause us serious damage. Mr Christopher De Souza asked about our detection abilities and rehabilitation of terrorist detainees.

Our threat is transnational in nature. We have strong working relationships with foreign security agencies to share intelligence and disrupt plots. For example, ISD worked closely with the Indonesian authorities to disrupt the plot by a Batam-based pro-ISIS cell targeting Marina Bay Sands. Local threats are more difficult to detect as individuals may be self-radicalised. Under the SGSecure movement, the Home Team and our partners make efforts to educate the community on preventing and responding to terror attacks, including spotting the signs of radicalisation.

On terrorist detainees, the best way to neutralise their threat is to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society. We have refined our approach based on our own experiences, learning from international best practices and in response to the changing profile of detainees.

Mr Christopher de Souza also asked what MHA would do to deter foreign interference in our domestic affairs. He believes we should ensure that Singapore politics remain the domain of Singaporeans only. We cannot agree more. We have previously articulated the need to safeguard Singapore against foreign interference in our domestic politics. The threat has always been present. But in recent times, it has risen in potential and severity because of the increasing ease to carry out such operations.

Since time immemorial, states have sought to subvert others to achieve their own objectives and agenda. This can take various forms, such as hostile information campaigns and subversion operations to manipulate domestic political discourse, and to influence politically significant organisations and persons. There is also value to polarising views and turning people against each other. Doing so can weaken a country’s resolve and strengthen the attacker’s bargaining position.

Singapore needs to be open to the world to make a living. But our diversity and openness also present opportunities for foreign actors. In the 1970s, we were the target of two interference operations involving our newspapers – The Eastern Sun and the Singapore Herald. The newspapers received funding from foreign sources and ran articles to undermine our nation-building efforts. In 2018 and 2019, when we were facing bilateral issues with our immediate neighbour, there was a curious spike in online comments critical of Singapore. Many of these comments came from anonymous accounts, which sought to give an artificial impression that there were significant and fundamental objections to Singapore's position.

In recent years, we have seen concerning developments overseas. Globally, cases of cyber-enabled foreign interference in elections increased from seven between 2011 and 2015, to 41 between 2016 and 2020. So, if you compare the two time periods, a six-fold increase.

We have also seen reports from Australia and other countries that foreign powers and their agents attempted to influence their politics by buying off political parties and politicians. At the same time, social media platforms have not dealt, and have little interest to deal with these threats. For instance, political observers have attributed the storming of the US Capitol to the failure of social media platforms to take timely and firm action against election misinformation and calls for violent resistance.

Fortunately for us, 2020’s Parliamentary Elections went peacefully. However, looking at other countries, there is reason for more robust preventive measures. Many countries have taken steps to mitigate this risk. Some have introduced legislation to address the threat of foreign interference. For instance, Australia has made it compulsory for those who undertake activities on behalf of foreign principals to make public disclosures to deter covert attempts to influence.

To address the threat of foreign interference in our domestic politics, we must, in the first place, build up Singaporeans’ ability to discern legitimate and artificial online discourse, and respond appropriately. However, as interference operations are increasingly sophisticated and well-disguised, it is not enough to have a discerning public.

We are, therefore, studying other countries' approaches. Legislative levers may be needed. For example, to obtain necessary information to investigate hostile information campaigns to determine if they are of foreign provenance or artificial; to break the virality of such campaigns if they are, indeed, conducted by foreign actors to subvert our domestic politics; and to carry counter-messaging to alert Singaporeans to these on-going hostile information campaigns.

6.15 pm

Given the recent experiences of other countries, we need to consider further measures to guard against foreign subversion of politically significant individuals and entities. For example, what levels of transparency in funding, support and leadership are appropriate? For whom? The public has a big part in this to shape proposals and to give the eventual safeguards their strongest support. It is the only way we can effectively deter bad foreign actors from exploiting our vulnerabilities.

Mr Derrick Goh asked about achieving effective justice for those affected by online harassment and doxing. This will be addressed by MinLaw.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about the steps to protect our society from harmful online content. Indeed, the Internet has made dissemination of harmful content quick and easy, in ways previously not possible. Such harmful content includes violent extremist propaganda, such as the livestreaming of the 2019 shootings in Christchurch and the shooter's manifesto, which radicalised the 16-year-old detained last year. Another example would be the dissemination of voyeuristic material and intimate images without consent through platforms, such as Telegram. Some platforms do put in effort to deal with harmful content. But not every platform puts society's interests first. This is to be expected – platforms are driven by their own values and commercial interests.

Many countries, therefore, see the need for regulation. For example, Germany has passed legislation requiring platforms to respond to user complaints about unlawful content. Many tech companies acknowledged the need for regulation even if they disagree with governments on the "how".

MHA has been working with MCI to review our options. This may include new regulatory levers. To effectively carry out the many streams of work, public trust in the Home Team is critical. We do not take this trust for granted. The Home Team will continue to uphold the highest level of integrity and conduct. Where there are allegations of improper discharge of duties by Home Team officers, we will investigate thoroughly. If the allegations are substantiated, firm action is taken against the officers. Where we have slipped up as an organisation, we have acknowledged unreservedly and tightened up.

Sadly, there have been efforts by some people to de-legitimise our Police and other law enforcement agencies by circulating false allegations through social media. These irresponsible social media posts seek to weaken public trust in the Home Team and weaken our ability to maintain law and order. We need the public's help to be responsible and refrain from spreading false allegations. We will continue to improve our processes to better serve the public.

Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about the implementation of Video Recording of interviews (VRI) and increasing the pool of foreign language interpreters for police interviews. We have gradually expanded VRI since introducing it in 2018. Where it was initially only used for investigation of rape offences, it now covers other offences, such as child abuse. VRI requires substantial investment in technology, infrastructure and, most important of all, training. We will gradually expand the types of offences to be covered by VRI. There are budgetary constraints as we move on this. The Police currently engage the services of interpreters for foreign languages. If a person requires interpretation, the Police will engage an interpreter and record the statement only when the interpreter is available.

Madam, let me sum up. Our safety and security landscape is getting more challenging. We have been doing quite well and will invest more resources to tackle emerging threats.

We will continue to do what it takes to uphold the trust of Singaporeans through our capabilities, integrity and impartiality. We will need the strong support of fellow Singaporeans and must be able to count on this.

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

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Madam Chairperson, I will speak on combating drug abuse, rehabilitation and re-integration, and immigration for foreign dependants. Some Members today are wearing the anti-drug collar pin here and the Yellow Ribbon collar pin to demonstrate their support of our national efforts in these areas. I thank Members for doing so.

The global drug situation continues to be worrying. Last December, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs narrowly voted to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which lists the most dangerous drugs. This may lead some to believe that cannabis is harmless, despite strong evidence to the contrary. More needs to be done to safeguard our zero-tolerance policy towards drugs.

Preventive drug education is our first line of defence. The Central Narcotics Bureau, or CNB, educates Primary and Secondary school students about the dangers of drugs through activities like talks and competitions. CNB continues to partner students from Institutes of Higher Learning to co-create projects to encourage older youths to become anti-drug advocates. For instance, CNB worked with Ngee Ann Polytechnic students on a social media marketing campaign, YouUseYouLose, which reached almost 300,000 people.

CNB strengthened its anti-cannabis narrative in 2020. For example, information on the harms of cannabis was pushed out as advertisements, and a short film on cannabis was produced and screened in cinemas. We will continue our efforts to counter narratives that downplay the harms of drugs.

Mr Christopher de Souza spoke about halting the international flow of drugs. CNB works with regional counterparts to share intelligence and conducts joint operations to deal with transnational drug activities. The Home Team has strong enforcement measures at our borders to detect traffickers and drugs. In 2020, CNB seized about $11.6 million worth of drugs. The Home Team intercepted 568 parcels containing suspected drugs and related paraphernalia, many of which were online purchases.

Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin mentioned new psychoactive substances, or NPS. Currently, because of how NPS are listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act, there may be a time lag from detecting to listing a novel NPS. This year, we will amend the Act to regulate NPS based on their potential to produce a psychoactive effect to allow CNB to take swifter enforcement action.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked about rehabilitating youth drug abusers. Youths are placed on the Youth Enhanced Supervision Scheme or channelled to the Community Rehabilitation Centre or Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), depending on various factors, such as their assessed risk level. Each youth is matched to the most appropriate intervention programme to best support their rehabiliation.

Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about the rehabilitation and re-integration of ex-offenders. In 2014, the Enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime, or EDRR, was introduced for first- and second-time drug abusers. This aligned rehabilitative interventions to the abusers' risk of re-offending and level of dependency on drugs. In 2019, the drug rehabilitation regime was further enhanced to commit third-time and subsequent drug abusers who are not charged with any other criminal offences to the DRC, instead of being charged in Court and made liable for long-term imprisonment.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked for the effectiveness of this calibrated approach. A Prisons study revealed that the two-year recidivism rate for drug abusers who went through the EDRR was eight percentage points lower than those who did not. We will assess the effectiveness of the 2019 enhancements when we have sufficient data.

Effective rehabilitation and re-integration requires strong community, family and vocational support. I will speak in Malay about community support.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Malay/Muslim community has made progress in the fight against drugs. The relapse rate of Malay drug abusers within two years after release has decreased from 42% for the 2011 release cohort, to about 30% for the 2018 release cohort.

However, we cannot be complacent. We will continue our work to bring the numbers down even further. Under the “Dadah Itu Haram” campaign, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) collaborated with mosques and community partners to conduct outreach activities.

MHA works with agencies under the M³. MUIS set up the Family and Inmates Through-care Assistance Haven office, or FITRAH, to provide comprehensive support for inmates and their families.

Currently, volunteers from FITRAH undergo training to equip them with a broad range of skills, such as counselling, so that they can support their beneficiaries. We will consider Ms Nadia’s suggestion to prepare FITRAH volunteers so that they can befriend inmates of different backgrounds and needs.

Mr de Souza mentioned peer support initiatives. Under Prisons’ Throughcare Volunteer Framework, volunteers who have built rapport with the inmates through regular incare programmes can continue to provide pro-social support for them after their release.

There are groups of ex-offenders who have banded together to support one another. This year, the CARE Network will establish a framework to support such groups, which can serve as pro-social networks for ex-offenders.

We will continue to work closely with community groups to strengthen our outreach and reintegration efforts.

(In English) Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked what more can be done to support families of inmates and ex-offenders. For families of inmates who need support, Prisons will make referrals to Family Service Centres (FSCs) or other social service agencies. This year, Prisons and MSF will strengthen coordination and information exchange with FSCs on inmates with family members in need of support. This will ensure timely access to FSC resources. Besides training volunteers who work with inmates, Prisons will extend training opportunities to those who assist inmates' families. Together, our efforts to better support families will also help to reduce inter-generational offending.

6.30 pm

Mr Zhulkarnain asked about enhancing the employability of ex-offenders. Yellow Ribbon Singapore or YRSG, previously known as SCORE, has charted a career masterplan to train inmates for careers in key and growth sectors. YRSG has also mapped a skills masterplan, under which it has developed pathways for inmates to continue to acquire skills after release. Under a new Train and Place (TAP) and Grow initiative, partner industries and training providers will offer employment and continuous upgrading through a work-study arrangement after inmates' release. In 2020, YRSG partnered organisations to offer training in media and precision engineering. This year, TAP and Grow will be expanded to the logistics and infocomm sectors. Training facilities for these sectors will be set up in prison.

Under the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) that was launched in September, ex-offenders are eligible for the higher tier of wage support. This has expanded the employment opportunities available to ex-offenders.

Mr Murali Pillai asked about encouraging short sentence inmates to take advantage of the increased job opportunities. YRSG offers career guidance and job matching to all inmates, regardless of the length of their sentence. From 2018 to 2020, an average of 2,560 inmates received employment assistance prior to release each year. Of these, about 5.5% served short sentences, with the rest comprising long-term or DRC inmates. In all, about 95% of all who received assistance between 2018 and 2020 secured a job. YRSG and Prisons will intensify outreach to create greater awareness of the opportunities available and we will take Mr Murali Pillai's suggestion.

Dr Tan Wu Meng suggested introducing a Yellow Ribbon mark to recognise firms that practise inclusive hiring of ex-offenders. We have been recognising such employers through the previous SCORE Appreciation Awards. Nonetheless, a Yellow Ribbon mark could encourage more employers to partner with YRSG and offer more employment opportunities to ex-offenders. YRSG will explore this further. And I thank Dr Tan Wu Meng for his suggestion.

On immigration, Mr Gerald Giam asked about permanent residence for foreigners with family ties to Singaporeans. Each PR application is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, including but not limited to economic contributions, educational qualifications and applicant's ability to integrate into society. In general, PR applicants with family ties to Singaporeans are already considered more favourably to those without. Foreigners with family ties to Singaporeans who are not able to obtain PR but wish to continue residing in Singapore may apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass, work pass or Student Pass.

Parliamentary colleagues, thank you for your strong support. With your continued support and that of all Singaporeans, the Home Team will continue to keep Singapore safe and secure.

The Chairman: Minister of State Mr Desmond Tan.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Desmond Tan): Mdm Chairman, community partnership is crucial to achieving the Home Team's mission. This coming year, MHA will tap on our partnership with the community in two areas. First, combatting scams. Second, in the design of our policies and legislation related to the private security industry.

I will cover the first one. We are concerned with the scam situation in Singapore. In 2020, more than 15,000 cases of scams were reported, a 65% increase from 2019.

We agree with Mr Derrick Goh that the Police should be sufficiently resourced to combat scams. The Police have since re-organised existing resources and set up the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) in 2019. Through the Transnational Commercial Crime Task Force, or TCTF, the Police have also partnered foreign law enforcement agencies in Malaysia, Macau and Hong Kong to tackle cross-border scam syndicates targeting victims in Singapore. The Police will continue to conduct joint operations with like-minded jurisdictions. And MHA will continue to monitor and review the resources allocation to ensure that the Police continue to remain effective.

I chair the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams, or IMCS in short, which draws on the expertise and the resources from different Ministries. In the coming year, the IMCS will deepen our partnership with the community and private sector stakeholders to combat scams. Allow me to elaborate on a few notable initiatives.

Mr Derrick Goh asked for an update on the IMCS' plans to deepen its partnership with the banks, telcos and digital platforms to combat scams.

First, banks. The Association of Banks in Singapore, or ABS, and its members have worked with the Police and MAS to detect and to weed out scammers and money mules. We also took measures to help victims recover losses through Project FRONTIER, which stands for Funds Recovery Operations and Networks Team, Inspiring Effective Resolutions. This is a collaboration between Police and more than 20 financial institutions. Once the Police are notified, most bank accounts suspected to be involved in scammers' operations can be swiftly frozen within a day. This is a big step forward from the 14 to 60 working days that these tasks used to take. I have asked banks if we can work together to further compress the turnaround time for freezing of bank accounts used by scammers so that even less is lost to scams.

Besides banks, we also work closely with telcos and IMDA to block spoof calls and scam websites used by overseas scammers. MCI will elaborate on efforts to tackle scam calls during its Committee of Supply debate.

Finally, we are working with digital platforms to do more to combat e-commerce scams, which remain the top scam type in 2020. We are working with e-commerce platforms, such as Carousell, Lazada, Shopee, Qoo10 and Amazon to prevent scams. Areas being explored are improving the seller verification and increasing the use of more secured payment methods, such as escrow accounts.

A few overseas jurisdictions have begun exploring the use of legislative levers to place clear obligations on the industry to secure e-commerce transactions. For example, in December 2020, the EU Commission proposed the Digital Services Act to better regulate the digital space, including online platforms and intermediaries.

The Government is considering all options to address the scourge of e-commerce scams. While efforts to disrupt scammers' operations and money transfers are key to combating scams, the best defence against scams is a discerning and vigilant public.

Everyone can potentially be a victim, not just the elderly. MHA's survey found that in 2020, close to 50% of scam victims were between 20 and 39 years old. It is important for everyone to exercise vigilance, to be sceptical of incredulous promises and unverifiable requests and check with authorities whenever in doubt.

I also encourage everyone to download ScamShield to filter out scam calls and messages. To date, ScamShield is actively blocking over 2,500 scam numbers and has filtered more than 280,000 scam messages. ScamShield is an application developed by GovTech, MHA as well as NCPC. But right now, it is only available in iOS version but agencies are working towards developing an Android version.

Madam, I would now like to make a few remarks in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Chairperson, the number of scams in Singapore is on the rise. Thus, the Home Team will step up efforts to work closely with our community partners to strengthen the public’s awareness of scams and scam prevention. There are three “Don’t”s in scam prevention: first, don’t trust strangers; second, don’t reveal your passwords; third, don’t transfer funds carelessly.

Lately, loan scams have been on the rise. However, according to our laws, a licensed moneylender cannot approve or grant a loan to a borrower remotely. In other words, those who claim to be licensed moneylenders offering loans to you via the phone or through Whatsapp messages must be scammers. Everyone must remain vigilant. When faced with a situation that raises suspicion, members of public can view the list of legitimate financial institutes published on the Registry of Moneylenders’ website. Members of public can also visit the App Store to download Scamshield to screen and block calls and messages suspected to be from scammers.

(In English): I will now talk about engaging community on policies and legislation related to the private security industry.

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked how the new Security Agencies Competency Evaluation or SACE framework will encourage transformation and adoption of technology by the private security industry. A key assessment area under the SACE will be on how much security agencies harness technology to augment critical areas, such as training, operations, and command, control and communications (C3). This will set new benchmarks for the industry. These competencies will be reviewed periodically to keep up with technological developments and complement efforts under the Security Industry Transformation Map (SITM).

MHA takes a very serious view on the abuse of security officers and we will amend the Private Security Industry Act, or PSIA, to include new offences to address the common types of verbal and physical abuse which security officers face when carrying out their duties. These offences will also carry harsher penalties, compared to similar offences against the general public.

In addition, we will continue supporting public education efforts, such as the industry-led anti-abuse campaign. MHA will also work with the industry to equip security officers with better public management skills and encourage the use of body-worn cameras to further deter abuse.

I will also address two questions on road safety.

Mr Faisal Manap asked whether drivers in financial difficulty can be allowed to pay their road traffic fines in instalments. MHA has been studying this since last year as we have also received feedback from several Members of this House. Regardless, already today, for genuine cases of financial difficulty, if the individual appeals to Traffic Police (TP) and the appeal is assessed to be meritorious, TP will extend their deadline to pay the traffic fine.

Mr Patrick Tay spoke about the need for greater traffic safeguards. In general, road safety has improved. Road traffic fatalities have decreased in the past decade, from 195 in 2011 to 118 in 2019, and 85 last year in 2020. That said, we agree with Mr Patrick Tay that every accident is one too many. We will continue to do more to enhance road safety. For example, to better protect elderly pedestrians, we will increase the penalties for motorists who commit offences at pedestrian crossings or offences that endanger pedestrian safety in Silver Zones. We will also put in place similar measures for School Zones to protect students. We are completing our review and will announce details later in the year.

In conclusion, the Home Team will continue to work in close partnership with our community to build a safer and a more secure Singapore.

The Chairman: Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Pritam Singh: Thank you, Madam. I have three points to make in response to Minister's speech.

The first pertains to the point that my cut could have been interpreted to mean that some civil servants are biased. I think it is important that I make it clear that I am not suggesting that they are, nor do I mean to undermine their work and their morale.

My motivation was to really seek a restatement of the Government's commitment towards secularism. And I thank the Minister for dealing with the speech and the Government's approach to what I said in a very detailed way. I did not realise the Minister had made these remarks nine times since 2015. Suffice to say, I appreciate his tenth restatement more than anything.

6.45 pm

The second point, I think it was an important remark that Minister made, which was with regard to the point on LGBT and non-LGBT persons and that they are all equal and no one is any lesser compared to the other. I completely agree with this. I support this. I think it is a very powerful statement – a fair and egalitarian approach to dealing with the matter. And I hope all Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, actually coalesce around this and have reasoned and respectful conversations on LGBTQ issues, and I think we will be stronger as a nation for it.

The third point I wish to make concerns the Minister's latter comments about up to 90,000 more cameras coming on stream, provided the Budget allows for it. I think it will be foolhardy to try and stop and prevent the usefulness of technology in the support of the work of the Home Team to resolve crimes and matters of that regard. So, in that sense, I can support it because it will help the Police's work. What I would caution, as I have done before in other speeches, is to restate how the algorithms behind some of these cameras are managed and guarded, because if that information leaks, if it goes out, I think it can damage public confidence in some of this technology that the Home Team seeks to introduce. Thank you, Chairman.

The Chairman: Minister.

Mr K Shanmugam: Thank you, Mdm Chairman. On the first two points, I am glad that Mr Singh and we see eye-to-eye and he agrees with us. On the third point, I did not say 90,000 more. I said 90,000 cameras are already installed and there are going to be many more, and how many more depends on the kindness of MOF. The faster the better.

The reason is this – and I take entirely the point about making sure that the information that is obtained, is used properly. For example, ICA has a lot of information – identity card, registration, travel – and we need to make sure that that information is used properly and not given to unauthorised persons.

Cameras. I think this issue of privacy, sometimes the way one has got to analyse is – if individual A says something to individual B in his home, that is private. It is no one's business to know what you have said to your wife to, or to your son, or to your friend at your home. But sometimes, there is a confusion.

If supposing the Police are investigating a crime, they are entitled to come to your house and ask what you have said, if it is relevant for the investigations. And you are duty-bound to say it and you cannot say "my right of privacy". And whoever you spoke with also will have to disclose, subject to, you know, arguments about privilege against self-incrimination and so on.

So, if you did something in a public place, the Police are entitled to go in and investigate you and ask you what you did. If there is reason to believe a crime was committed, they are entitled to investigate and ask everybody else what they saw and then bring that evidence to Court, if necessary.

The cameras, to some extent, either short circuits or supplements that approach, and that is the way to approach these sensors. That is why the vast majority of our public actually welcome these cameras. Thank you, Mdm Chairman.

The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Thank you, Mdm Chairman, for the indulgence. I have two clarifications, if I may. The first is in regard to radicalised youths. I think this question would be for Second Minister Josephine Teo. Perhaps, can we get some clarity as to what would be MHA's rehabilitation approach for radicalised youths?

My second clarification is in respect of the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders. If I may ask Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim, he covered it in his speech. How has COVID-19 affected the number of ex-offenders and inmates securing jobs right before release or after release? Has there been a drop because of COVID-19?

The Chairman: Second Minister, Mrs Josephine Teo.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mdm Chairman, I appreciate the question from Mr Zhulkarnain on how MHA approaches the rehabilitation of youths who have been self-radicalised. It is of great concern to us because, if you look at the pattern, what has changed over the last decade or so is that, amongst those that we have found to be radicalised, the ages of those who have been identified have gone down quite a lot.

I hope it is okay for me to just take a step back and explain our approach to rehabilitation in general and then to focus on the approach for youths. Our goal must be that these individuals are rehabilitated for the long-term. In other words, we want this process to have long-term benefits and, therefore, the approach must not only be intensive, it has to be holistic. And by that, I mean that we would have to cover several key aspects: religious, psychological and social rehabilitation. These are the three core aspects of the rehabilitative approach. The approach will then have to be customised to the individual's own context. So, that is the broad frame.

On religious rehabilitation, there needs to be counselling sessions, but it has to be religious counselling with persons who are able to provide these self-radicalised youths proper religious teachings and interpretations that can effectively counter the radical ideology that they had somehow imbibed from online and other sources. For that, we are fortunate in Singapore, we have the Religious Rehabilitative Group to draw our counsellors from.

Second, in terms of psychological rehabilitation, quite often, among these self-radicalised youths, there is propensity for hatred and violence and also a certain vulnerability to radical influence. To deal with it, the psychologists need to help them to reframe their faulty reasoning, and this effort, is actually quite an involved one.

Third, we also need to pay attention to social rehabilitation. In this regard, family support is critical. So, the self-radicalised youths are granted weekly family visits. Why that is important is because they need to preserve a connection as much as possible. If they have no connection to family, you can well imagine why it will raise their risk of falling down the same path again.

Here, we also assign an after-care officer to each detainee's or supervisee's family to provide social and other support because there may be some other factors that are contributing to this person's propensity to be radicalised.

So, that is the general approach. Specifically, for youths, we pay additional attention to the fact that, at that stage of their lives, there is also the questions of identity and how one develops a sense of belonging. To whom does one identify with, and with whom does one belong? In this regard, helping them to acquire critical thinking skills to discern radical rhetoric online and also to cultivate a certain mental resilience to cope with life stressors – these are the areas that we pay particular attention to.

For youths, another key motivation is to complete their education and we find that, if this is a practicable thing to do, helping them to continue their studies keeps them focused, and this is something that we always try to do. Among the seven self-radicalised youths aged between 16 and 19 that were dealt with under the ISA since 2015, most have made good progress in their rehabilitation. But I will not want to downplay the challenges. Some of the youth detainees take much longer than others to come around and this is why ISD also works with our educators to try and equip them to identify potentially self-radicalised youths early so that we can help them avoid going down this path. Thank you.

The Chairman: Minister of State Assoc Prof Faishal.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Mdm Chairman, the number of inmates who secured jobs in 2020 was similar to that in 2019. So about 2,000 ---

The Chairman: Minister of State, would you like to remove your mask?

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Oh yes, sorry. Mdm Chairman, the number of inmates who secured jobs in 2020 was similar to that in 2019. So, about 2,520 inmates secured jobs each year after receiving the employment assistance.

We were also fortunate that shortly after the introduction of COVID-19 Safe Management Measures, YRSG went into virtual job interviews. We were able to successfully assist about 690 inmates to secure jobs via virtual job interviews. And when we saw more and more restrictions, and the situation got deeper into COVID-19, YRSG made an intensified effort to engage potential employers knowing that it may be challenging.

Fortunately, with their hard work, we were able to not only get the existing employers to continue to work with us, 292 new employers came on board in 2020. So, we would like to sincerely thank all the supporters, employers and those who really give the fullest support to our ex-offenders and YRSG. We are confident that with their continuous support, we will be able to help more and more ex-offenders and their families.

The Chairman: Mr Christopher de Souza.

Mr Christopher de Souza: Thank you, Mdm Chair. I was very interested in the development that Minister of State Faishal stated about how to determine the danger of new psychoactive substances through the avenue of their outcome or their effect. I think this will be a major advantage because, up to this stage, it has been decided via what is under the Schedule of drugs as being illicit and the weight of the drugs. If we are now looking at new psychoactive substances ill effects, and then calibrating punishments according to that, I think is a major development.

7.00 pm

So, I am actually quite interested to learning a little bit more about how this is going to translate into the punishment regime for those who traffic in new psychoactive substances, and also in the regime for those who abuse new psychoactive substances. And in effect, it is a tool that I am quite excited about, because it is a new tool in the arsenal of the MDA.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the questions. Essentially, we know some of the limitations or constraints of the current approach and we are looking at how we can empower CNB to take enforcement action against illicit activities involving NPS that are not yet listed as controlled drugs, by criminalising all such activities involving substances capable of producing a psychoactive effect, unless they are exempted.

So, essentially, the exemption clause will cover substances that are already regulated under the existing regulation or those with legitimate uses. So, legitimate business, commercial and scientific interest will not be affected by the NPS legislation.

And in doing so, we have also looked at other legislation. How they have done so in terms of striking a balance between legitimate business and also commercial and scientific interest and target NPS that have been developed to exhibit properties similar to controlled drugs – and are meant for abuse.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

So, our legislation that we will be sharing and placing in the next few months, we will share some elements found in this law. So, we will share more details in the Second Reading for the Misuse of Drugs Bill soon.

Mr Christopher de Souza: I thank the Minister of State for that. In fact, it is a very interesting development because if I may suggest, it need not just be restricted to new psychoactive substances.

If there is going to be a policy shift to look at the effect or the outcome of a drug on an abuser, there is no reason why to restrict it only to new psychoactive substances. That philosophy or that policy could also extend to more traditional drugs such as heroin, opium, cocaine, ketamine, ice and so on.

Because if we are looking at outcomes, then I think it makes a little bit easier to deter the supply you can get purer and purer forms of traditional drugs which then render the weight, the previous formula of deciding the danger of the drug, renders it outdated.

So, would you consider this new approach to even traditional drugs, is my question to the Minister of State.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: If you look at the current situation as in what is happening around the world, for the more traditional drugs, it is very clear. It is easy for us to determine the outcome. The challenge has always been NPS. You get the list being updated and if you try to use different combinations, chemical structures, you realise that it is a chasing game. So, we feel that while we will study all the other developments, including the traditional drugs, but one thing that we want to really catch on is how we can address the issue NPS effectively and better, in the name of protecting our people, especially our young people. Nevertheless, I will take on board the suggestion that the Member has made.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: Thank you, Chairman, and I would also like to thank the Minister of State for hearing out my suggestions earlier. I very much appreciate the work of our Singapore Prison Service as Captains of Lives and I just have two follow ups. As some of the family situations are very complex, how can prisons better work with FSCs or enhance aftercare or introduce more family counselling and parenting skills programmes to inmates and their families?

My second point is, I would very much like to ask what steps the Ministry is willing to consider, to monitor and break intergenerational offending, and also in cases where both parents are incarcerated when there are children involved.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, I thank the Member for the very important question because essentially when I engage Singaporeans, and I visit the community partners, the issue or concern has always been how are we taking care of the families, how we are making sure that the reintegration process is seamless, better and, at the same time, they are worried about inter-generational cycle, passing down to the next generation.

So, as I mentioned earlier in my speech, this year, Prisons will work with MSF to share some of these data. We work with the ex-offenders to see how we can better understand and get to know more information – what is needed on the ground. And we are going to roll this out to the rest of Singapore. Essentially, we had a pilot, and we are going to roll this out to the FSCs across Singapore and to see how we can have more of such interventions to help the families. And also, in relation to the training of our volunteers, our staff who are involved in such work, we want them to better understand the landscape that they are facing.

So, today, we are looking at how we provide more of the very broad perspective of how they can support in terms of counselling and so forth. As we move forward, we will take on Ms Nadia's idea of how we can also provide training that will touch on the different profiles of families who may be affected by such incarceration.

So, I thank Ms Nadia for her suggestion and ideas. And with this, Prisons and MSF are going to work together closely with the FSCs. I am confident we are able to not only reach out to more people, but we are able to have more targeted help and assistance to those who are affected by incarceration.

The Chairman: Mr Murali Pillai, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Murali Pillai: Mr Chairman, Sir, my thanks to all the hon Members of Parliament for speaking on the MHA COS debate, the four political office holders for their responses and detailing the plans and emphasis points for MHA and Home Team.

And also, most importantly, my thanks to the officers of MHA and Home Team for performing their duties 24 hours a day, every day of the year, without fear or favour, in keeping Singapore safe and secure. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $6,555,769,700 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $1,332,058,600 for Head P ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.