Written Answer to Unanswered Oral Question

Subscriber Service that Provides Regular Updates on International Safety Alerts for Travellers

Speakers

Transcript

47 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the Ministry will consider setting up a portal or subscriber service which provides regular and timely updates on international safety alerts, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, protests, amongst others, for Singaporeans to refer to, with push notifications for those who e-register with the Ministry before departure.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issues travel notice or advisory where there is known major crisis or incident that could affect the safety of Singaporeans overseas. Such travel notices and advisories are published on the MFA official website. MFA may also provide updates through text messages, phone calls and emails to Singaporeans, especially to those who eRegister. This was recently done during the severe floods in Hat Yai and the crisis in the Middle East.

MFA encourages Singaporeans to eRegister when travelling abroad. We also advise Singaporeans to remain vigilant and take precautions for their personal safety, including by monitoring local news and purchasing comprehensive travel insurance.