Advice to Singaporeans Working in Hong Kong Given Recent Street Protests There
Ministry of Foreign AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns advice for Singaporeans in Hong Kong during the 2019 street protests and the number of citizens registered there, as raised by Mr Saktiandi Supaat. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan advised citizens to avoid protest areas, stay vigilant, observe local laws, and monitor updates through the Consulate-General. He estimated that over 15,000 Singaporeans reside in Hong Kong, with 3,000 currently e-registered to facilitate communication and consular assistance. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan reported no citizens have been directly injured and clarified that e-registration includes students but does not track their specific activities. He concluded by urging Singaporeans to e-register with the Ministry whenever they travel and to ensure they have comprehensive travel insurance.
Transcript
1 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the volatile situation in Hong Kong (a) what is the Ministry's advice to Singaporeans who are working on the island; and (b) how many Singaporeans in Hong Kong are currently registered with the Ministry.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, the protests in Hong Kong commenced in early June 2019. MFA has advised Singaporeans to avoid areas where protests are expected to take place. Singaporeans must be mindful that protests which are meant to be peaceful may turn violent with little or no notice. Singaporeans who are residing in or visiting Hong Kong should take the necessary precautions, stay vigilant, observe local laws and monitor developments through the local media and regular updates from the Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong.
We estimate that there are over 15,000 Singaporeans residing in Hong Kong. We keep in close touch with the Singaporean community there through the Singapore Consulate-General. Singaporeans in Hong Kong who require consular assistance should get in touch with us. We continue to urge Singaporeans to e-register with us whenever they travel. Singaporeans should have comprehensive travel insurance.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I would like to thank the Minister for answering the question. I have got two supplementary questions. One is, have there been any instances so far of Singaporeans being affected in the separate incidents over the past month or so. The second question is, so far, among those registered with the Ministry in Hong Kong, do they include students on scholarships there and in other educational institutions there as well? Because a lot of the local demonstrators there, emanated from the educational institutions there.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: So far, we are not aware of any Singaporeans who have been directly affected or injured. Of the about 3,000 Singaporeans who have e-registered, it is usually about one-fifth of those who are there. We do not keep track of their activities. The purpose of e-registration is simply to enable us to be able to reach out to them if we need to provide updated information or for them to seek assistance from MFA.