Hansard, Thursday, 6 March 2014

1 Ms Ellen Lee asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether the existing water agreement signed between Malaysia and Singapore allows for Malaysia to raise the price of raw water sold to Singapore at any time before its expiry in 2061; (b) if not, what is the reason for the Johor state government to make this proposal now; and (c) how will bilateral relations between Singapore and Malaysia be impacted if Singapore rejects the proposal for a price increase.

Mdm Speaker, Ms Ellen Lee has asked whether Malaysia had the right to review the price of raw water sold to Singapore. We have stated our position on this issue and also conveyed it officially to the government of Malaysia on several occasions.

As I had mentioned in my COS speech yesterday, neither Malaysia nor Singapore can unilaterally change the price of raw water sold to Singapore. Indeed, neither party can unilaterally change any of the terms of the 1962 Water Agreement. This is no ordinary agreement. It was guaranteed by both governments in the Separation Agreement in 1965, which was registered with the United Nations. Both countries have to honour the Water Agreement and the guarantee in the Separation Agreement. Any breach of the Water Agreement would also be a breach of the Separation Agreement and of international law.

Singapore's position is that Malaysia has lost its right to review the water price. The Water Agreement provided for the review after 25 years. Specifically, there was a right to review the price jointly in 1987. However, Malaysia consciously chose not to review the price.

It had good reasons for this. Malaysia benefits greatly from the current pricing arrangement. Johor buys 16 million gallons per day of treated water back from us at 50 cents per 1,000 gallons. Fifty cents per 1,000 gallons is only a fraction of the true cost to Singapore of treating the water, which includes building and maintaining the entire infrastructure of the water purification

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plants.

Malaysian leaders have acknowledged that Malaysia benefits from the current arrangement and explained that, indeed, that was why Malaysia made a carefully considered decision not to review the water price in 1987.

Then Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said in 2002 that Malaysia did not revise the water pricing when it was due because they thought Singapore would also revise the price of treated water supplied to Malaysia. One can refer to the Bernama report on 11 October 2002.

Then Johor State Assembly Speaker, Zainalabidin Mohd Zain, said that the Johor government had not made a mistake in not pressing for a review in 1986, and said, "There was no point in doing so because Johor was dependent on Singapore for its treated water supply, and Singapore would have also increased its price of treated water sold to Johor." This was from New Straits Times, 3 July 2002.

Under the agreement, after Malaysia decided not to review the water price in 1987, there is no longer any right to review the price of water. Had Malaysia exercised the right to review the water price in 1987, Singapore might then have made different investment decisions to develop Johor River, for instance, that Linggiu Dam project of 1990.

In the event Malaysia chose not to review the water price in 1987 and, on that basis, Singapore then took several actions which also benefited Malaysia. This included building the Linggiu Dam at the cost of over $300 million, which has increased the yield of the Johor River, and enabled both Johor and Singapore to draw water from it during this dry season.

Our position on this issue is well-known to Malaysia. We have stated this publicly and also conveyed it to the Malaysian government, including at the highest levels. The Malaysian government understands the position. Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said on 17 February 2014 that, "an agreement is an agreement. When there is an agreement, we will honour the agreement. If there is any need for review, we will forward it and if their response is positive, we will start talking".

We welcome the Foreign Minister's statement. It reaffirms the position Malaysia has taken previously on honouring the agreement – indeed, that cannot be in any doubt – and acknowledges that a review on the water price is

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possible only if Singapore agrees with such a review.

Ms Lee also asked about the Johor government's reported proposal for a price review. We have only heard of this proposal from media reports emitting from Johor, but there have been no official approaches from Malaysia on this issue. It would thus be premature to speculate on the impact of any such approach on our bilateral relations.

We enjoy good relations with Malaysia at all levels, starting with the two Prime Ministers. But good relations also depend on both parties taking a broad approach to the relationship and honouring all agreements between the two countries. We will continue to work to enhance our cooperation and friendship with Malaysia in order to benefit both our peoples.

Mdm Speaker, the Minister's comprehensive reply has taken away two out of my three supplementary questions, but I still have one more – thank goodness. Do we still need to buy raw water now that we have our own reservoirs, desalination plants and NEWater?

I think the Member may want to ask that of the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan?

Mdm Speaker, I am actually answering a question on this tomorrow. So, maybe the Member can wait a while and we will provide a more comprehensive answer.

Order. End of Question Time.

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[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2014. As there are no amendments, I propose to take the Heads of Expenditure en bloc. I will first take Heads E, F, K, O, P, Q, V, W and X of the Supplementary Main Estimates.

[(proc text) Question, "That the sums stated for the Heads of Expenditure as shown on page 5 of Paper Cmd 2 of 2014 stand part of the Supplementary Main Estimates", put and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question, "That the sum of $318,452,700 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2014", put and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resolution to be reported. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question, "That the sums stated for Heads Q, T and X as shown on page 7 of Paper Cmd 2 of 2014 stand part of the Supplementary Development Estimates", put and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question, "That the sum of $1,674,209,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014", put and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resolution to be reported. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Thereupon Mdm Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]

Minister for Finance.

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Mdm Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has come to certain resolutions.

[(proc text) First resolution reported, (proc text)]

"That the sum of $318,452,700 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Main Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2014."

Second resolution reported,

"That the sum of $1,674,209,500 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure for the public services shown in the Supplementary Development Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, contained in Paper Cmd 2 of 2014."

Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions."

[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resolutions accordingly agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [2nd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

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[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [5 March 2014], (proc text)]

[(proc text) "That the total sum to be allocated for Head J of the Estimates to be reduced by $100". – [Dr Lim Wee Kiak] (proc text)]

[(proc text) Question again proposed. (proc text)]

Mdm Chairman, may I take my two cuts together?

Yes, please.

First cut on ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting. Mdm Chairman, our defence cooperation agreements with other ASEAN countries is an important aspect of our regional security framework. The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus are both relatively new components of our regional security architecture, especially the ADMM-Plus which was established in 2010. Can the Minister provide an update on how the ADMM and ADMM-Plus have progressed and contributed to our regional security?

My second cut on the Gulf of Aden. The Gulf of Aden has been notorious for piracy incidents which have threatened international shipping. As a responsible member of the international community, Singapore has to do its part to counter the piracy threat. Can the Minister update the House on our contributions to the international counter piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden?

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Mdm Chairman, at the Committee of Supply in 2013, the Minister for Defence made mention on the creation of additional posts for full-time safety officers in the SAF to ensure better compliance with training safety regulations. A Directorate for Safety and Systems Review (DSSR) has also been formed. The House was informed that the DSSR would also set up external review panels which will submit recommendations to the Minister for Defence.

The SAF is the port of call and a rite of passage for a vast majority of Singaporean men. Families send their sons and, now, also some of their daughters, to serve and defend this land we call home. It is, therefore, imperative that, in doing so, the utmost is done to ensure that they have a safe and secure training environment.

While there have not been major incidents in 2013, I hope that the Minister will be able to provide and update as to the number of near-misses and serious injuries that occurred during the last year and whether this has seen a downward trend with the introduction of more safety measures.

The external review panel for SAF safety, one of the review panels of the DSSR, was set up in September last year. While the visits have commenced, they will only conclude their report in 2016. Could this be accelerated? What other systems have been put in place to address safety lapses?

All of us owe it to our men and women in the SAF that they train with one of the best-equipped and best-trained forces in the region. It is therefore important that they have peace of mind, knowing that we do all we can to ensure their safety.

Mr Ong Teng Koon, you have three cuts. You can take them together.

Thank you, Mdm Chair. The commonly held notion of "chance favouring the prepared" cannot be underestimated. Effective training of our NSmen is, therefore, vital if we are to

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have a strong defence force.

Changes to our demography are posing new challenges to the way we train our soldiers. The influx of new immigrants, falling birth rate and a shorter NS stint mean that we have to update our training methodology to be more responsive to changing circumstances. Of particular concern is whether the operational readiness of our NSmen is affected by falling birth rates. Does this mean SAF would have to intensify its efforts to capitalise on technology to make up for less physical bodies?

We need to keep NS going and to keep NS strong. Training enhances the fighting competence and capability of our NSmen. Singaporean youths are a highly sophisticated and educated bunch. They are technologically savvy. This is a good thing. How can we tailor our training to better take advantage of their abilities?

Training safety is equally important. I am happy to note that we have had no training deaths in 2013. I look forward to hearing from the Minister for Defence on MINDEF's continuing enhancement to the training efforts of our NSmen to effectively harness their talent and to hear what the Minister has to say about MINDEF's efforts to augment training safety.

Next cut, Madam. A related topic is Singaporean's commitment to defence. The defence of Singapore is dependent on the will of Singaporeans to support the policy of having a strong SAF, and crucially, to take personal responsibility and to get involved in our defence.

Our defence philosophy is predicated on being a strong deterrent force that is technologically advanced. Enemies know that they will have to suffer significant losses if they ever decide to take up arms against us. At the same time, they know that Singaporeans will hold nothing back in the defence of our homeland. This psychological edge is as important as having the latest and most advanced machines. To this end, how does MINDEF ensure that Singaporeans continue to remain committed to defence?

On Total Defence, the concept of defence should really be seen at the level of Total Defence. Besides Military and Civil Defence, Economic, Social and

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Psychological Defence are as important. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Total Defence. How has Total Defence remained relevant, and how is MINDEF educating the public about the continued importance of Total Defence?

Madam, in my Budget speech, I asked if we could all remember what we were doing when we were 16. Being 16 in 1942 at the fall of Singapore was perhaps the worst of times. In the decades after, being 16 has gotten easier and much less fraught with danger and uncertainty. But perhaps for some, we have become soft, unaware of the dangers of unstable geopolitical winds. But, at the same time, NS, as a key institution, continues to play a key role in rooting our people to the defence of our nation. Yet, defence can be a vague concept. And as we mark 30 years of Total Defence, how do we plan to further strengthen this message that all of us, in and out of uniform, play a crucial role? With recent incidents in the region, including the naming of an Indonesian navy vessel, it is perhaps no better time than this to do so.

Being 16 in the decades to come should still be filled with carefree joy and security. Yet, we must remain cognisant of the constant need to be united. The theme for this year's Total Defence is "Because You Played a Part". Let us not revisit anytime that being 16 could be the last year of life amidst conflict and suffering.

Madam, many Members have spoken on the changing and evolving challenges that face Singapore and other small countries in this region, in terms of security concerns and relations with other powers.

The increasing tensions between China and Japan seem to draw in even superpowers like the United States and there are implications for smaller states within ASEAN in their relations between these two superpowers. The maritime territorial disputes in the South China Seas though not directly affecting Singapore itself as a non-claimant state, also threaten to draw in some of our partner nations within the ASEAN grouping as well, and there are pressures for ASEAN as a whole and for small countries like Singapore to take a stand potentially to align itself on one side or the other, which goes contrary to the nature of ASEAN and to Singapore's position of being a friend to all sides.

The implications for Singapore, in terms of defence, are far reaching, in terms of the changing, evolving international concerns. I believe the Defence

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Minister has mentioned the potential of Singapore being part of the multinational force under the auspices of ASEAN. I think the evolving nature of the SAF should take into consideration what this will actually mean for the development of the force as we go forward.

Other challenges that face our country, Singapore, of course, involve issues like terrorism, which is a continually evolving challenge, and the current Third Generation SAF and, hopefully, the Fourth Generation SAF, will also take into consideration some of the future needs to deal with such challenges as times evolve.

A core issue, despite all these challenges from abroad and within, comes down to the idea of communicating what it means to have a strong defence in Singapore.

Through my work as a member of the Working Group of the CSNS committee, we have heard many stories of the commitment by NSmen, both full-time and those who have moved out of their full-time service, is very, very great. My own experiences as an NSman show that many of my compatriots and my colleagues within the unit are willing to extend the service voluntarily to ensure that they play a role and continue to play a role in the defence of the country.

As other hon Members have mentioned so far, a key question now is how do we ensure that the future generations take on the significance of everyone doing their part for Total Defence. The relevance of Usman Harun, the recent incident, the historical anecdotes of what happened during Konfrontasi, I think much of this is actually lost on the younger generation. I hope that the Ministry, as it continues to plan its budget going forward – considering the hardware that we need to acquire and to renew to ensure that we remain relevant as an international force – will also consider devoting sufficient resources to communicating the message of the need for defence.

I think it is very easy for the younger generation these days to be a little bit cynical and to point out the fact that given that we are friends with so many nations, there is no real need for a defence force that is strong or stronger, in terms of relative capabilities to our neighbours, given that we are friends with everyone.

Members in the House spoke yesterday of the need to speak from a position of strength before we can exhibit work from the heart. I think that before we can

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talk about the conviction and the ability to use some of the hardware that we will acquire, we have to ensure that we receive broad-based support from the younger generation and generations to come who commit to NS as an important part of nation-building, as an important part of Singapore's growth story going forward.

This becomes even more critical with the diminishing population, given the population trends that we are facing, that everyone carries out their duties, not just in the sense of fulfilling the time required to ticking the box and saying that I have completed it, but to do it wholeheartedly and with the conviction that this is something that it is really relevant and really important for the future and security of Singapore.

Each generation comes forward and says that we are willing to do our part. But how do we communicate to them that the relevance and the importance of having a strong defence force is something that is integral to the question and survivability of Singapore going forward? And I believe ensuring that the communication and the awareness of the evolving framework that we are facing will continue to be an important part going forward.

Madam, first, let me thank Members of the House for their continued support for MINDEF and the SAF and the strong defence of Singapore. I feel very heartened because this support came from Members regardless of party affiliation, Nominated Members included. I take to heart Mr Nicholas Fang's affirmation for a strong defence and for individual effort, and for us to communicate a need for a strong defence.

The Pioneers of Singapore take centrestage of this Budget and COS. But the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance is a bit upset with MINDEF for putting up the PIONEER bag. Well, you know the PIONEER magazine came before his package, so that gives us some latitude.

For them to take centrestage is the right thing. Singaporeans owe a debt of gratitude to our founding generation – for their vision, tenacity, sacrifice and hard work. Because without these pioneers, today's modern, successful and stable Singapore could not have been built. Our pioneers were deeply convicted that a strong military was necessary to defend Singapore as an independent nation.

The convictions of this founding generation were visceral, emotionally riveted, as many of them personally lived through Singapore as a British Colony,

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through the Japanese Occupation, Konfrontasi, the communal riots and the Communist insurgency. You would have met some of them. Some of them were your relatives, as you have described. When you speak to them about these events, you can see in their faces a face shift as they are relating an incident, mental images seared in their minds, and they speak to you with a different depth of conviction.

Subjugation and terror; fearful even when unjustly treated; defenceless and too weak to respond – these raw lessons that they learnt first-hand on power and dominion shaped their belief, sank deep their conviction that a strong security force was critical to ensure peace and stability for Singapore and to protect our sovereignty.

Even so, when we gained Independence in 1965, this founding generation saw clearly the insurmountable odds to build a credible defence. The reason: Singapore was a poor country with very few resources and our people lived in an island with what military experts say we have no strategic depth geographically.

For the Army, National Service started with significant teething problems in equipment and training. Conscription was newly introduced, and had yet to find general acceptance and commitment. To train our first pilots, the RSAF – it was not called the RSAF then, it was called the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) – had to borrow a Cessna from the Singapore Flying Club! The Singapore Flying Club was built before the SADC. Our Navy's illustrious beginnings were two wooden hull boats that could not go very far from our shores and so they confined themselves to constabulary duties within the Singapore Strait.

And what of our magnificent "communications network" that we speak of today? Well, in our beginnings, we had six high frequency radio sets that we took over from the 4th Malaysian Signals Squadron.

From these humble beginnings, we have today a modern, professional and credible SAF – the Army, Navy and Air Force linked as one fighting machine – able to stand up to the wide range of security threats, able to protect Singaporeans and defend our airspace and surrounding waters.

The SAF has had to undertake missions thousands of kilometres away from home, whether it was in unfamiliar seas off Somalia, the air space over Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan. We have done well and this transformation of

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the SAF speaks volumes of past efforts and of the sterling and defining contributions of our pioneers. We salute the pioneers who laid the foundations of the strong SAF today.

But as with the building of Singapore, the work of building up the SAF is not done. This generation must continue the pioneering efforts to maintain and build up a strong SAF. Present challenges exist and new ones are on the horizon, as many Members in this House have spoken about – Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Irene Ng, Mr Alex Yam, Mr Ong Teng Koon, Mr Nicholas Fang, Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Gerald Giam.

A new generation with different experiences, memories and motivation now form the SAF as protectors of this nation. And, indeed, our immediate part of the world is changing dramatically, as Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Ms Irene Ng pointed out.

In the latter half of the 20th century, US dominance in both security and economic spheres was unchallenged, and it provided the security umbrella for this region. In the 21st century, China's rise as an economic and military power is redefining the power dynamics in the Asia Pacific. Japan and Korea are responding to these dramatic shifts as are India and ASEAN.

Already, Asia's defence spending has surpassed that of Europe's and it is projected to surpass that of the US within the next decade – Asia will spend more than the US. A militarisation of many countries within Asia of this magnitude has no historical precedent. This is the larger strategic backdrop against which territorial disputes and incidents amid rising nationalism should be viewed.

I recently attended the 50th Munich Security Conference – its 50th gathering – and there was one distinguished panel which stood out. It consisted of, among others, former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger – octogenarians, maybe even nonagenarians, in their 80s and 90s, all World War II and Cold War veterans.

This distinguished panel made the trenchant observation that Europe had not seen a major war in the last 50 years. That was a signal of achievement to them because after two World Wars and the Cold War, there was political will

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by European leaders to make war between one European country and another irrelevant. But barely a month after that meeting, a crisis has precipitated in Ukraine, taking it to the brink of war with concerns that another Cold War might emerge.

Beyond Europe, I was struck by a comment Secretary Kissinger made of Asia. Often, we look at Asia from within but, often times, it is useful to hear the views from outside, from others looking towards Asia. Kissinger said that Europe, in the post-modern period, was reluctant to engage in military conflict, very eager to maintain its standard of living and quite different from the Europe that organised the world 100 years ago. A hundred years ago, because this is 100 years since the First World War. However, he continued, Asia, at present, was more like 19th century Europe, where military conflicts among each other – he mentioned between China and Japan, or other neighbours – could not be excluded. Military conflict in Asia could not be excluded. Kissinger added that the risk exists that "some relatively peripheral issues are escalated step by step, into a conflagration."

These were sobering words, indeed, on the risks that exist in Asia from wise men who have studied or witnessed the making of wars.

How do we prepare and build our defences for this kind of future? I think many Members here in their speeches are grappling with this issue. How do you prepare for this future? It is not possible to predict the future precisely or tailor-make an SAF that meets only specific security challenges. All of us know that because if you look within the last decade – just within the last 10 years – all the major security challenges globally, whether it was 9/11, the terrorist threat, SARS, piracy – all came as surprises.

No one foresaw us operating a Weapon Locating Radar and UAVs and running hospitals 6,000 km away in Oruzgan in Afghanistan, or deploying frigates and naval helicopters more than 7,000 km away in the Gulf of Aden. This is not a surprise because military history is replete with unknown unknowns. And because we are unable to forecast specific security threats, we, therefore, must adopt a more robust and resilient approach by building an SAF that can deter would-be aggressors and meet a wide range of security threats so that we would not be caught off-guard or flat-footed.

A robust approach in building our defence capability to achieve strategic deterrence is why MINDEF maintains a steady defence spending which has delivered, over time, a strong SAF respected by even advanced Western

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militaries. Our planning horizons are intentionally long term and we spend prudently and steadily. This steady defence spending allows us many "opportunity buys", for example, the refurbished Leopard Tanks from Germany. It was a good buy because this was what they termed the "post-Cold World War dividends" – the Berlin Wall came down, people said tanks were no longer required, so there was a huge surplus of tanks that went on the market and we picked them up at a relatively good price and refurbished them.

After this came Iraq/Afghanistan where the Canadians, who had sold their Leopard Tanks realised that Leopard Tanks were, indeed, very much needed even in desert warfare, had to re-buy them at an escalated price. So, we were smiling and said, "Good buy".

This steady defence spending allows us a long lead time to train our men adequately and to develop platforms that meet our specific requirements when we cannot buy from the open market. For example, some of you may have heard of our Pegasus lightweight howitzer that was locally developed, it can be lifted by helicopters and self-propelled; it is the first and still the only one of its kind in the world.

MINDEF will continue this approach of steady defence spending that has reaped significant benefits for our defence capabilities. In other words, we will avoid sharp spikes unless the security risks require increased spending. We will also avoid sharp dips that will undermine our defence capabilities over the medium term. So, if you look at our defence spending over the last 10 years, and I think Members have asked for it – what is our thinking, what is our trend – if you look at our defence spending over the last 10 years, it reflects this steady investment in capability building where our defence budget has roughly kept pace with inflation. Let me give you the figures.

In 2004, it was S$8.6 billion and, last year, it was S$12.2 billion. In other words, it has kept pace more or less with inflation and I expect going forward that our defence spending will continue on this trajectory that more or less keeps pace with inflation over the long term. It is sustainable and it is a prudent way of investing in our defence capabilities.

In buying equipment, we prefer to upgrade existing platforms instead of buying new ones. For example, we upgraded our Navy's missile corvettes which were first commissioned in the early 1990s. These "ladies" are not particularly young but they are still very seaworthy and we have upgraded them. The Army's Leopard tanks were also bought second-hand and upgraded to

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meet our needs.

Through this prudent, steady, long-term view of defence spending, the SAF today that has been built up is a deterrent force, and it sends a strong signal to all that Singaporeans value our independence and we will fight to protect it. This signal, this unequivocal signal of deterrence is priceless.

The SAF has also responded well to security challenges, even unexpected ones, as we have done in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden. Another "test" that validated whether our SAF is ready was our response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Members would remember that this happened on Boxing Day, so there was no prior warning, but we were able to quickly dispatch the Charlie-130 aircraft with supplies and helicopters to assist in the efforts, as well as a Landing Ship Tank (LST). The RSS Endurance carried over 400 people, more than 50 vehicles, and a large amount of relief supplies. This was, of course, to Aceh and this was before we realised also that other parts were also hit. Remember the epicentre, it also affected Krabi and across in Thailand.

So, within days, we had to send our second LST, it was deployed, and then a third. At this time, our fourth and remaining LST was deployed in the Northern Arabian Gulf. For your information, we only have four LSTs – all deployed, 100% operational efficiency, button pushed, all out – deployed, ready, men and machine working well.

It is because we have invested steadily, trained our men, made sure that our systems are optimised that we are able to do this. And when called to do more, the SAF will step up. Ms Ellen Lee asked about our National Maritime Security System (NMSS), and the SAF have stepped up to coordinate and control this maritime security system.

We have done well thus far, but MINDEF and the SAF must again be strongly positioned for the future. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Nicholas Fang and Mr Pritam Singh asked about this.

The question is: what are we building for the future? So, I thought instead of telling you, I will try to show you, I think it is much easier. Let me illustrate with a schematic of what the SAF might look like in the SAF in 2030. You will find this in your goodie bag, this particular picture [A slide was shown to hon Members]. Basically, it says current, planned and future.

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The SAF in 2030 will be one with all parts highly connected. Which means that whether it is the fighter pilot in the air, the sailor out on the oceans or the soldier on land, each will be able to see the big picture and, beyond that, speak to one another to jointly target threats and orchestrate responses. Let me repeat that. Whether you are a fighter pilot, sailor in the ocean, soldier on land, you will be able to see the big picture, speak to one another, jointly target threats and orchestrate responses. It sounds simple but very, very difficult to do. This concept of a networked force is now a reality and the SAF is a frontrunner, in global terms, in realising the full potential of a networked military.

In 2030, our F-16s would have been upgraded with what we call the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars which are more precise, which can see further and can see with greater precision and will have more precise air-to-ground munitions. The F-16s upgraded, with our F-15s, would be able to defend our airspace ably. In addition, we would have acquired our next generation fighter aircraft, which I think Mr Pritam Singh asked about, but we are not quite ready to decide yet. We will take our time because our F-16s and F-15s serve us for the near term and medium term.

We will also have in place multi-layered air defence capabilities with the deployment of the SPYDER and ASTER-30 Surface-to-Air Missile Systems. In other words, layers of air defence. Our current KC-135 aerial tankers will have been replaced by the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), which we have decided to acquire. The MRTT or the A330 can hold 20% more fuel than our current KC-135 and we will extend the range of our fighters through Air-to-Air Refuelling. The Airbus 330 can also double up as a cargo and troop air-lift to deploy troops and equipment to overseas sites further away as we have done in HADR operations. You will be familiar with the A330 because you fly in some of these commercial planes.

For our Navy, the two Type-218SG submarines will be in operation, together with our two Archer-class submarines. Our Frigates, operating with their Sikorsky S-70B Naval Helicopters, and our new Littoral Mission Vessels, will form the mainstay of our surface fleet. The Naval helicopters have proved to be effective and versatile for a wide range of missions. When we deployed them in the Gulf of Aden, we validated their usefulness in counter-piracy missions, and therefore the SAF has decided to acquire two more Naval helicopters. The SAF has also found the multi-role Landing Ship Tank (LST) to be an effective workhorse in our relief efforts. So, whether it was the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Northern Arabian Gulf, whether it was to relief efforts elsewhere, they were found to be effective. But if there was one limitation, it was in the carrying capacity. We are therefore studying carefully the need for

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larger LSTs that can carry more helicopters as well as more cargo.

The Army in 2030 will certainly be more mobile. In the next 10 years, the number of units that will operate on wheel or track platforms will almost double. So, whatever we have now, in 10 years they will double in numbers and this will create more mobile units. This includes more Terrex Infantry Fighting Vehicles to deal with threats in urban environments. The Terrexes will be linked to UAVs to see better, further and act more decisively. The Bionixes will also be upgraded and this will be operationalised by 2030.

By 2030, the SAF also expects that future systems that are currently prototyped or thought about will probably be part of our day-to-day use. Possibilities include multiple micro-UAVs for individual soldiers. Some of you may have seen them on YouTube – these gyrocopters that are swarming. It is very likely that individual soldiers will be able to use them, or robotic mules that can carry very heavy loads and follow soldiers autonomously. I know this will be every soldier's dream where a robot mule carries your rifle, but do not get ahead of yourself, this is for serious stuff. We will continue to test these capabilities in realistic terrain and scenarios. For example, we did it in Exercise Forging Sabre 2013 where we deployed the widest range of platforms and precision munitions to date, including F-15, F-16, Apache and Chinook helicopters, and our High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

I am painting you a snapshot of the SAF 2030 so that you can see what our defence spending is moving towards in visual terms. These capabilities of the SAF, if achieved by 2030, should provide Singaporeans the confidence that Singapore can be protected. I say "confidence", not "certainty". The future is as always unpredictable. I would also remind Members of this House and Singaporeans, who have asked whether we are too far ahead or we are too well protected, that as a small country of only 700 square kilometres and about four million residents, our vulnerabilities will always exist. We cannot erase these vulnerabilities. We can mitigate them, and prepare the best we can for our defences with the resources available. But we must be resilient enough to withstand the unforeseen. But, most importantly, whether we can deter would-be aggressors for another 50 years and achieve peace depends not on advance systems or weaponry, no matter how sophisticated, but our people and their resolve to defend our island home.

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Therefore, I agree completely with Members who have said that we have to raise and inculcate values in the next generation and in this generation. We must therefore continually strengthen the training and commitment of our solders, which is why we started the Committee to Strengthen National Services which I chair, and the Second Minister and Minister of State chair the workgroups. Our National Servicemen are a critical part of our fighting force and, together with the regulars, are crucial to our defence. This is why we have to ensure that Singaporeans give full commitment to their duties during NS.

I think Singaporeans should be heartened that NS continues to enjoy widespread support. Many of you would have read the independent survey conducted by Institute of Policy Studies. It was randomised, rigorous in statistical terms. We outsourced it so that it would not be connected with MINDEF. They surveyed 1,200 people last July – 98% of respondents acknowledged that NS is crucial for national defence and for securing Singapore's peace and prosperity. When they presented these results to me, I tried very hard to poke holes in the methodology. I said these were the people that you knew would say that defence is important. The researcher was somewhat taken aback. He said "no", and he defended it very well. I kept probing him. And he was satisfied that his methodology was rigorous. I know of no issue in Singapore when 98% of your respondents give support. The Committee also engaged nearly 40,000 people from all walks of life to draw ideas as well as to find ways that we think we can improve.

I would say while the majority of Singaporeans support NS, many also said that the time committed to the SAF during full-time national service and in-camp training could be better utilised. I think that is fair comment. The SAF takes this criticism to heart because those who gave feedback were not asking for lighter loads or less involvement. They, in fact, wanted NS to better strengthen our national identity, social cohesion and instill discipline and values, which many Members of this House have echoed. They said that there should be less time wasted and more effective training systems. I agree that these are good outcomes, even if people are committed to NS, and that we should find ways to improve the system – seriously look at the system to see if we can improve. So, I asked the SAF to take a serious look, and let me share with Members some preliminary responses from the SAF.

We need and we can improve training, but we will need to employ more professional trainers, especially for the Army. Let me explain why. The current system has second year full-time NSmen train and lead new recruits and servicemen. You would have gone through it yourselves or you may have children and relatives who have gone through it. In other words, the older batch,

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second year NSF train and command the first year NS batch. I think there are merits in this. You really build commanders, you need leadership skills and build a sense of stakeholdership, ownership.

But there are limitations, compared to having professional trainers which will have greater impact on training outcomes, inculcating discipline, and more important, transmitting values. There is a limit to which what a 22-year-old NSF second year can transmit to a 21-year-old. Some of them do it very well and I am very proud of them. But we have to accept that there are limits. In fact, using only full-time regular trainers is how the commandos train their recruits in basic training. They have done that for years. All their trainers are professional trainers. So, for the basic military training centre, which I think your relatives and children go to, only one in six trainers are professional regulars. Of all the trainers, five are NS full-time, and one of them is a professional regular.

So, arising from the Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS), the SAF has decided to employ more regulars as full-time trainers, as a career path. We are studying the details about how many we need, but we could employ as many as 1,100 more regulars to fill this vital role. This will increase the proportion of professional regular trainers in Basic Military Training Centre from one in six, to one in three, which is a significant improvement and which I think will strengthen the training of our NSmen.

Full-time Army trainers will make the training of NSmen more effective and efficient, possibly even shorten training duration. As quickly as I said that, let me quickly dispel unrealistic expectations. The number of in-camp training that NSmen have to perform will not be reduced. Let me say that, again – will not be reduced. The reason is this: we reduced it from 13 in-camp training to 10 in-camp training cycles in 2006. As many of you have pointed out, including Mr Ong Teng Koon, demographic challenges are there, and we need these 10 in-camp training cycles and those in MINDEF reserves to maintain the strength in our standing force. This will meet our defence needs, even with falling birth rates, until 2040.

The largest impact of employing more regular trainers will be on the training of our full-time NSmen. There can be some time savings because in the present system, some time is required for the second year NSF trainers to adapt themselves to the training environment in their units and training schools. Having regular trainers will smoothen this transition. But here, again, let me quell unrealistic expectations. The time savings will be a few weeks at most, if any. I am not making any promises here, because the Army has to study many details to ensure that we can continue to generate operationally ready units. If

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there are some time savings in terms of weeks, we will pass it on and we will operationalise it, but Army is under no pressure to deliver on that score.

However, there is an area which we can improve in, arising from the feedback, and that is to reduce the waiting time before enlistment. Many of you know this problem. The reason is because Singaporeans before enlistment have different education pathways. Some go to Junior Colleges, some go to Polytechnic and some go to ITE. They have different waiting times – some are longer than others. I asked the SAF to respond to this feedback, to develop a system where we can commit to all enlistees, except for some exceptions, that all of them can start their BMT and NS within a fixed timeframe, say, within four to five months. I think this is possible. But please remember that we are dealing with nearly 20,000 enlistees every year, so the logistics are very challenging. The Army is studying this seriously and expects to complete its detailed studies on the issues raised by the CSNS in the second half of this year.

The Committee also noted that many Singaporeans supported the idea of more women, first-generation PRs and new citizens volunteering for roles in national defence. The idea of an SAF Volunteer Corps for women, PRs and new citizens has gained wide acceptability. Mr Pritam Singh talked about his own session that he was involved in and we think that this is a very good idea that we will adopt. Second Minister Chan Chun Sing will speak more on this idea. Minister of State Maliki will also share ideas from the CSNS how we can enhance recognition and benefits for our NSmen.

Some of the Members have asked how we are good stewards of another precious resource, apart from dollars – land – and I agree with them. MINDEF is mindful to use land efficiently, given competing needs, which Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Ms Sylvia Lim asked about. This is why MINDEF and the SAF, on its own, undertook studies to relocate Paya Lebar Airbase. I want to remind everybody here that this will free up 800 hectares in Paya Lebar for redevelopment, as announced by the Prime Minister last year.

Where we can, we also train overseas. But we do need local land for training, which we optimise. The Multi Mission Range Complex (MMRC) is an example. We encourage Members to visit it. We will arrange for you to visit this Complex. The Multi Mission Range Complex houses seven ranges which can simulate both day and night conditions. It occupies the site of what used to be one single 100-m range. Seven ranges on one site.

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We consolidated our training into two main training areas – the live firing and manoeuvring areas in the West and the offshore training area in Pulau Tekong. We have intensified the use of our camps and equipped centres to fulfil operational, security and safety requirements.

Our security is also strengthened when we build up defence ties with other countries, as Ms Ellen Lee mentioned. With Malaysia, our Armed Forces cooperate regularly through bilateral exercises and joint activities, including the Malacca Strait Patrols and the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Last month, our two navies – the Malaysian and Singapore navies – commemorated the 30th anniversary of Exercise Malapura. My counterpart Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Hussein visited Singapore recently and we agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. With Indonesia, the warship naming episode has impacted bilateral relations and set back many years of relationship-building in defence ties. Yet, Singapore and Indonesia continue to share many common interests in maintaining regional peace and security. We want good defence ties with Indonesia. I hope that we can rebuild this important relationship, based on mutual trust and respect.

With the US, the rotational deployment of the US Navy's Littoral Combat Ships in Singapore began last year. Our close relations with the US have provided us with many benefits, such as access to high-end defence systems, which contribute to our capability as well as access to training space. I mentioned to Members that the training space in Arizona is many multiples of the whole of Singapore. Without these areas, we will be unable to hone or test our capabilities. We also welcome the US Secretary of Defence Hagel's reassurance that the US remains committed to this region.

With China, the SAF and the People's Liberation Army have regular professional exchanges. We attend each other's courses and port calls. Last year, when the PLA Navy called at Singapore, we took the opportunity to conduct a bilateral passage exercise. I look forward to working with the new Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan and the new PLA leadership. Our ties with partners, such as Brunei, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, India, France and Germany, also remain strong.

Mr Alvin Yeo asked for an update on the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. The ADMM-Plus has made good progress. One example is the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise in Brunei last year where

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over 3,000 personnel from all 18 ADMM-Plus countries exercised in June last year.

Mr Alvin Yeo also asked about our international security efforts in the Gulf of Aden. We will deploy a fifth Task Group, comprising a frigate and a naval helicopter, to the Gulf of Aden, from March to June this year.

Madam, we build the SAF for an uncertain future with unknown risks and new challenges. But MINDEF is confident that as long as we have the strong support of Members of this House and Singaporeans, who are resolved to defend ourselves and willing to invest in building these capabilities, the SAF will be able to preserve our peace and protect our sovereignty. Second Minister Chan and Dr Maliki will address your remaining questions, as well as elaborate on the deliberations of their various CSNS Working Groups.

Mdm Chair, beyond military hardware, the strength of our defence and the SAF is founded on the support of our society and the fighting spirit of each and every Singaporean.

I chair the CSNS "Support for NS" Working Group. We take it as our starting point that societal support for NS, while very high now, should never be taken for granted. As Mr Sitoh Yih Pin said, support for NS has to be reinforced and continuously strengthened, especially in times of peace. For what we do today will determine what we can achieve tomorrow. The commitment of the previous generation defined the SAF of today. The commitment of this generation will define the SAF of the future.

To strengthen community support for NS, we will look into restructuring the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, or ACCORD, as we call it. MINDEF intends to strengthen ACCORD's outreach with various groups, especially with employers or businesses, schools, families and the community at large.

For partnership with employers and businesses, we desire to work closely with trade associations and business chambers in the different sectors to find specific ideas to better support NSmen in balancing their work commitments and their duties to our nation.

We will also review the Total Defence Awards to recognise organisations which have gone the extra mile to demonstrate their support for NS. These will

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include employers, businesses, schools and community organisations.

During the CSNS discussions, it was heartening to hear much feedback and many ideas on how MINDEF can provide more avenues for more Singaporeans to come forth and serve our defence needs. MINDEF is seriously working on the proposal for a new SAF Volunteer Corps. This will allow the broader community – in particular, women, new citizens and first generation PRs – to better understand and contribute to our defence.

The proposed SAF Volunteer Corps should harness the different skills of the volunteers to complement our defence capabilities. Volunteers with expertise in specific areas, like healthcare, communications and psychology, could be given opportunities to serve in their respective specialist areas. Others who wish to serve in other military functions, like Protection of Installations or Access Control as part of our Island Defence, could be trained as necessary for these operations.

MINDEF will also look into developing basic modules to impart relevant basic military skills and values to all volunteers. Specific training will then be conducted according to operational needs. In order for meaningful contributions to be made, volunteers could commit to performing various operational duties for a certain period of time.

Madam, when I speak to NSmen, they often tell me that they are not afraid of hard work or more work. They want, more than anything else, meaningful work. In fact, many of them would want their potential to be fully realised. We can take pride that we have come a long way since the early days of NS, where one might be advised by concerned parents to do the minimum necessary and never to volunteer for more.

MINDEF will look into this feedback to see how we can increase the leadership opportunities for our people to do more, in more meaningful ways, and to do justice to the potential of our people. Indeed, the operational demands of the SAF have evolved. Increasingly, operations are now much more decentralised, necessitating stronger small unit leadership. More advance technology also requires better trained operators and leaders.

These are opportunities for us to better match each serviceman's background potential and interests with the operational needs of the SAF. A system that allows us to build on the potential of our soldiers will certainly be

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stronger than a system that deconstruct and then reconstruct them.

MINDEF will also want to strengthen our qualification system for employers to better appreciate the skills and leadership qualities of our NSmen. This will not only help NSmen in their job market, but also provide meaningful recognition for their efforts during NS.

Mdm Chair, Mr Gerald Giam asked about the prudent use of our NSmen resources.

MINDEF appreciates that we are stewards of our nation's most important resource and, that is, our NSmen. We have spoken about optimising the talent and contribution of our NSmen above. Let me now touch on optimisation of training time, which we recognise is a premium for all of us.

Take, for example, call-ups and in-processing for In-Camp Training (ICT). MINDEF has, over the years, refined the call-up system according to operational needs. Only NSmen needed for a specific set of duties are called up for that specific timeframe that they are needed, and no more. For example, for planning of ICTs and Mobilisation Exercises, only relevant Commanders are called up prior to ensure the smooth planning and execution before the main body comes in for training. For Mr Giam's information, this system has been in place for many years.

On the day of the in-processing, what used to take half a day or more, will now require less than an hour to complete. Many NSmen have given feedback that, in the past, they would come in and have about half a day just to adjust to the new environment before training commenced. Nowadays, they would have in-processed, completed their unit route march with full battle order before lunch time. I am not sure if this is a compliment or complaint.

Last year, at the Committee of Supply 2013, I shared with Members of the House how we used to conduct mobilisation and equipping over the entire day or night. Now we take the same time to do everything that was done previously, plus many more things like refresher training – all within the same time budget. MINDEF will continue to refine our processes and leverage on IT to optimise the use of our NSmen's time, without compromising safety and operational effectiveness.

The Multi-Mission Range Complex (MMRC) that the Minister talked about is another investment that MINDEF has made to maximise our NSmen's

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training time and also to optimise our land use, as suggested by Dr Lim Wee Kiak. We combined seven ranges into one single complex. What used to take almost two days and two nights for a 500-men unit, can now be done in slightly just under a day. In addition, new training proficiencies, like shooting under different environment conditions – day or night, urban or jungle terrain, or different operational scenarios – can now all be done faster and with better and more immediate feedback.

MINDEF will soon launch the Murai Urban Live Fire Facility to strengthen our units' live fire competencies in an urban environment. Previously, we could only allow up to a section of seven men to conduct urban live fire training. In the future, we will be able to train a company size force of more than 100 men in an urban live fire environment, operating in an integrated manner with support fires from tanks and armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles and all these done with facilities to provide immediate feedback to help our soldiers and units improve their performance.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked about the benefits of outsourcing and security controls. MINDEF outsources certain non-operational roles selectively to free up manpower for critical operational roles. For example, basic driver training is outsourced because we can tap on the civilian learner-driver market. However, vocational and combat driving is maintained under the core competencies of the SAF.

All sub-contractors are subject to the necessary security and safety requirements. For example, the contractors working at the MMRC, where weapons and live ammunition are involved, would be subject to an even higher level of security clearance. All contracts have their respective series of performance indicators that contractors must meet.

Mdm Chair, let me now update Members of the House on the SAF's training safety system.

Last year, Dr Ng announced the formation of the Safety and Systems Review Directorate to conduct safety and systemic reviews on MINDEF and SAF. This Directorate has been established since June last year with a mix of ex-military and civilian officers.

The Directorate has also convened an External Review Panel for SAF Safety since October 2013, comprising experts from outside the SAF. The panel has since reviewed the safety practices at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC),

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Officer Cadet School (OCS) and Specialist Cadet School (SCS). They have found the SAF safety system to be robust. They have also made useful recommendations to help check our blind spots. For example, they have recommended that as much attention be paid to the psychological well-being of our soldiers as to their physical safety. They will continue to review the safety systems and practices of more units in the coming year. We will constantly and continually ensure that we stay vigilant and make sure that we continue to check our blind spots.

We have also commenced the deployment of Unit Safety Officers in every unit. As ex-Regulars with experience, they will help strengthen our system by imparting their knowledge and experiences to new and junior commanders. They will also complement the "external pair of eyes" from the inspectors beyond the unit.

Madam, safety depends as much on robust system as our people's constant vigilance. There are inherent risks in all military operations and training. We can never eliminate all risks but we must certainly reduce everything to a minimum possible. We have to get it right, first time, every time and all the time. A momentary slip of concentration or ill-discipline can have fatal consequences on one's life and one's buddy's life.

There were no training-related fatalities in 2013. This is not a sign that we have arrived. But this is a sign of how much we need to do and how intensely we need to focus our efforts to get things right and stay that way.

In response to Mr Alex Yam's question, the number of training incidents is about the same between 2012 and 2013. The number of near misses reported has increased by about 60%.

May I now invite Dr Maliki to speak on the CSNS efforts and initiatives arising from the "Recognition and Benefits for NS" Work Group, and the Total Defence Campaign.

Madam, I thank Mr Ong Teng Koon, Mr Gerald Giam and Mr Pritam Singh for asking what more can MINDEF/SAF do to recognise the contributions of our NSmen. Over the years, we have shown our appreciation to NSmen in different ways, such as the National Service Bonus, the NSman Tax Relief and the National Service Recognition Award (NSRA). Many NSmen have benefited from these schemes. For example, the NSRA has already benefited 210,000 NSmen

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to date.

As part of the Committee to Strengthen National Service (CSNS), I chair the "Recognition and Benefits for National Service (NS)" Working Group to address how MINDEF and SAF can better recognise the contributions of our NSmen. We have spoken to many NSmen as well as Singaporeans from all walks of life, and are at our final stages of evaluating the feedback and suggestions, including enhancing our existing recognition schemes like the NSRA, for example, to better recognise our NSmen in the area of healthcare.

When we commemorated the 45th anniversary of NS in 2012, MINDEF also offered SAFRA benefits in the form of vouchers and club memberships. I am pleased to report that more than 80% of NSmen have redeemed some $43 million worth of the SAFRA vouchers, and about 400,000 NSmen have taken up the free membership offered.

With increased membership and as part of our continuing efforts to recognise our NSmen, I am pleased to announce that the construction of a new SAFRA clubhouse in Punggol will commence in the middle of this year. This will add close to 20,000 square metres of additional recreational spaces for our NSmen and their families to enjoy and bond. When completed, NSmen and their families will have convenient access to quality lifestyle facilities at six SAFRA clubs located island-wide. We will also be redeveloping SAFRA Tampines to include new sports and other exciting facilities, and also studying the feasibility of a new SAFRA clubhouse in the northwestern part of Singapore, to expand further the variety of offerings to more than 540,000 NSmen and their families who are SAFRA members today.

Mr Giam has suggested that NSmen who take on extra responsibilities be specially appreciated. We are heartened that Mr Giam shares our sentiments. In recognition of their efforts, these NSmen have been given an additional allowance since 1983. This is reviewed periodically and MINDEF will continue to look into other ways to recognise the contributions of these NSmen.

However, as we explore how MINDEF and SAF can continue to offer more recognition to our NSmen, it is also important for other stakeholders to do their part in showing recognition to our NSmen. Employers, families, communities – there is much that each can do to send a clear message that NS is a critical institution and its success, including showing recognition, is everyone's

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responsibility.

This shared responsibility and the commitment of all Singaporeans to defence were highlighted by Ms Irene Ng and Mr Ong Teng Koon. MINDEF continues to engage all Singaporeans to strengthen their support for defence. The CSNS is only the latest in our series of engagement efforts over the years. We have been engaging ACCORD members, grassroots leaders, employers, trade union leaders, overseas Singaporeans, new citizens and others through various activities, to keep them updated on NS and defence-related issues. For example, we arranged for more than 260 different stakeholders and their family members, and more than 10,000 students, to visit the Singapore Airshow in February 2014. In November 2013, the Navy@Vivo also attracted around 31,000 visitors. Such outreach efforts aim to enable Singaporeans to experience first-hand the capabilities of the SAF, particularly also the competence of our NSFs and NSmen. In collaboration with MOE under the SAF-Schools Partnership Programme, we have also reached out to almost 70,000 students from 30 schools through various activities since 2010. Hopefully, these activities do give the boys a good preview of the SAF before their enlistment, thereby increasing their level of commitment when they get enlisted and, for the girls, we hope to give them a better understanding of what their friends and family members go through during NS.

MINDEF has continuously sought new communication and engagement initiatives to bring the SAF closer to the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. On the social media front, our cyberpioneerTV YouTube channel, and the Army, Navy and Air Force Facebook pages have attracted strong followings. It is heart-warming to read some of the personal reflections on these Facebook pages. Let me share with the House one such post made by LTA(NS) Davis Koh Han Rong, who is currently a University student, on the Army Facebook last year: "I am grateful for the Army that has transformed me to who I am today... Ever a day the button is pressed, I will be ready to stand forth and protect this place I call home."

Many Members will be familiar with PIONEER magazine, which was started in 1969. PIONEER continues to reach out to 180,000 subscribers each month. Over the years, we have refreshed the magazine to make it more relevant and informative. We have also shared its content on our social media channels to extend its reach and help us engage our audience. Members will also be familiar with the BMT web reality series "Every Singaporean Son", and may be pleased to know that MediaCorp will be telecasting the series on Channel 5 later this year. Entertainment aside, these efforts create a strong emotive resonance that allows all members of the public to understand the need for defence, the SAF

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and NS.

We are extremely heartened that Singaporeans' commitment to NS and defence remains high. According to the October 2013 survey conducted by NUS' Institute of Policy Studies, more than 98% of respondents agreed that NS is necessary for Singapore's defence. Surveys aside, we have also witnessed different members of the community expressing their support for our NSmen in their own ways, ranging from the 21 retailers who offered exclusive promotions to all SAF servicemen during SAF Day last year, to bloggers, such as Darryl Kang, who saluted online those who have contributed to national defence, and an unnamed female student who gave PTE Yang Hui a thank-you note for his service to the nation whilst on a bus earlier this month. MINDEF will not take this support for granted and we will continue to expand our engagement efforts to further strengthen Singaporeans' commitment to defence.

Madam, we agree with Ms Irene Ng and Mr Ong Teng Koon that Singapore's defence depends on Singaporeans taking personal responsibility and getting involved in our defence. Mr Ong and Mr Alex Yam asked how Total Defence remains relevant and how MINDEF engages the public on Total Defence. This year marks our 30th anniversary of Total Defence. Over the last 30 years, we have seen and have been confronted with a variety of challenges, including the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the potential terrorist threats post-9/11. In all these instances, we witnessed Total Defence in action. Total Defence has stayed relevant because it has adapted to changing circumstances. Because everyone played a part, we were able to overcome all these adversities.

But as we move forward, a new generation of Singaporeans will need to take ownership of Total Defence. For the younger generation, their memories do not stretch to World War II and Konfrontasi, events that many could read about only in textbooks and the Internet. While these events remain vivid in the minds of our Pioneer Generation, it may not be so for our younger generation. Of course, we must not allow these memories to fizzle away. But we must also recognise that our younger generation will have their experiences and memories that will be etched in their own minds. We must ensure that these experiences continue to have relevance to Total Defence, given that the younger generation now exists in an increasingly unpredictable world and that the next crisis could be just around the corner.

How Singaporeans responded to the haze crisis last year gives us clues of how our younger generation views and is capable of managing Total Defence.

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We witnessed how many young Singaporeans stepped forward to help fellow Singaporeans. Some groups set up Facebook pages to encourage Singaporeans to share resources, such as masks and air purifiers, while others distributed masks and herbal tea to the less fortunate.

Similarly, when asked to share their takes on Total Defence via an animation clip for our annual N.E.mation! competition for students, I was impressed by how many of the teams went the extra mile for their projects and also how thoughtful their messages were. Many of the students' stories revolved around helping people in need and initiating actions to strengthen our society. This sense of community is integral to Total Defence today.

The path of reflection and self-discovery taken by these students must be integral to Total Defence as we move forward, as every generation of Singaporeans must also discover for themselves what Total Defence means for them. On MINDEF's part, to strengthen support for Total Defence, we will continue to reach out to the younger generation and other sectors of society through more "experiential" and "reflective" forms of engagement. Indeed, Total Defence must be a daily experience of every Singaporean.

In this year's Total Defence campaign, which is themed "30 Years of Total Defence: Because You Played a Part", we featured stories of everyday Singaporeans who have contributed to Total Defence in their own way. For instance, Mr Lin Chin Heng, who was once a troubled youth, is today a mentor to other troubled teenagers. Or the senior SMRT bus captain, Mr Suppiramaniam, who unfailingly greets all his passengers and remembers the names of his regulars.

These are everyday Singaporeans doing what they consider to be ordinary things, but the outcome for the community is anything but ordinary. Their stories were featured at an interactive Total Defence exhibition at the National Museum last month and were also published in a commemorative book. These stories will also be showcased at some of our public libraries over the next few months. We hope that these ordinary Singaporeans with extraordinary hearts will be inspirations for others to do their part, daily, for Total Defence. Some of these materials are in the bags that you have received.

Let me conclude by sharing a quote from a young Singaporean taken from the reflection wall we put up at the National Museum during the Total Defence exhibition this year, which I found very encouraging. Ms Lee Li Wen, a 21-year-old student wrote, "Singapore is home to me and I love her dearly. I am glad

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that my parents and the public are taking the time to make meaning of Total Defence Day. Indeed, we protect what we love."

This tells us that the younger generation shares the conviction that Total Defence continues to be relevant and important to Singapore. It also gives us confidence to, together, build an even stronger Singapore. Total Defence has evolved and it will continue to evolve. It is up to each generation of Singaporeans to take ownership of Total Defence and infuse it with fresh purpose. But what will not change is Total Defence as a personal and collective commitment to defend our home and our way of life.

We have a bit of time for clarifications. Dr Lim Wee Kiak.

Mdm Chairperson, let me thank the Minister for his earlier reply to our questions. Every day, the peace that Singapore enjoys is a victory for the SAF as well and, for the last 50 years, we have been doing well.

I would like to ask the Minister to paint a picture as to what is happening in the next 50 years, given that Singapore has limited land mass, our population is going to dwindle, in terms of ageing population, our economy has matured, we are having a slower growth now while our immediate neighbours are continuing to grow. They have much bigger land mass than us, their economies will be projected on a growth path, their defence spending will definitely surpass Singapore's in the next few years. What is going to change the equation? How does SAF continue to defend us over the next 50 years to ensure that Singapore is around to celebrate the 100th anniversary?

Mdm Chair, that is a tall order, but let me try to do it within as few phrases as possible. It is clear that we are better resourced. Thankful that over the last number of decades we have built up our defence capabilities.

The trend, as I have described, a change in power dynamics in the Asia Pacific and the ongoing China's rise, economically and militarily, is a fact. We all have to adjust to it and countries are adjusting. It is also clear that countries within ASEAN, because their economies are doing well, will increase their military spending to modernise their militaries, whether it is Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and so on and so forth. It is a legitimate need and something

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which countries want to do and will do.

I will not ex-ante say that increasing modernisation of militaries is an unstable factor. It is only unstable when there are inadequate platforms to resolve disputes or to conduct dialogues or increase cooperative measures, which is why we spend considerable time in ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meetings and the ADMM-Plus partners to find ways to do it. I mentioned the 18-nation military exercise.

We will continue in these efforts and we will continue to make sure that, for SAF, as I have said, we build the best defence we can with resources available in a sustainable manner over a longer term. With that trajectory, I am fairly confident that we will have the means and the wherewithal to be able to defend Singapore for the next two or three decades.

Chairman, I have two questions for the Defence Minister. Before that, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Minister of State, Dr Maliki Osman, on the passing of his father two days ago. I thank him for being here to answer our questions during this difficult time for him.

Questions for the Minister: China's increased defence spending of 12.2% this year comes at a time when it is taking a more assertive stance in territorial disputes in this region. It also comes at a time when the US is cutting back on its defence spending.

Can I ask the Minister for his assessment, first, on the impact of these trends on regional security, given the rising tensions over territorial disputes in this region; and, second, the impact on our defence planning and strategies, especially defence diplomacy on how to build more confidence and trust among emerging powers and established powers during this historic juncture?

Madam, that is an excellent question because that is exactly how we have to approach our defence plan over one decade and beyond. There is a level of certainty in which we decide based on security requirements that we can plan. But always at the back of your mind, there is a significant degree of uncertainty that you have to be able to adapt your forces to respond.

I mentioned that within the last decade, whether it was 9-11 which no one predicted; whether Afghanistan or piracy or the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts after the Indian Ocean tsunami, Typhoon Haiyan,

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so on and so forth, despite the uncertainties, we are able to configure our units to respond.

Ms Irene Ng asked an important question: how does the trajectory of others impact Singapore's defence planning. We are fairly well positioned because we have had this steady investment in our planning so that we do not have to make any sudden jumps, even if, for example, defence spending increases in our region. That is a significant benefit of having a longer-term horizon. We take the trajectory which I mentioned: keeping up more or less with inflation at this level is the right level for the foreseeable decades.

Obviously, if something happens, another incident like 9-11 where you have increased risk, we have to increase spending, then we have to. Barring those unforeseen and precipitous events, I think we will keep our current defence trajectory.

Madam, I have one clarification for the Second Minister concerning the outsourcing of functions that he responded to earlier. He mentioned that each contractor is given a performance indicator to meet. I note that in the Auditor-General's Report for FY2012, they did note, under MINDEF, one case of lapse when it came to managing this logistics contractor. They stated that the basis for measuring the contractor's performance was not actually agreed while the contract was in force. In other words, there was some disagreement between MINDEF and the contractor about what needed to be done and how it was to be measured. I would like to ask the Minister whether the Ministry has actually done any review on whether there are any other such cases and whether they are tightening up on this aspect.

Mdm Chair, let me respond to Ms Sylvia Lim's question. Yes, we have taken account of the Auditor-General's comment. The larger point that the Member made is an important one, which is, that whatever that can be written in the letter of the law must also be interpreted according to the spirit that we want it to be. Given the many contracts, there will be cases like this but we want to keep it to the minimum, if not to eliminate this altogether.

Where there are contestations about interpretation of what it is, we will work through with the contractors, first and foremost, to make sure that they understand what exactly we need them to achieve in terms of performance indicators. Only as a last resort will we go for the legal recourse because we want to develop a long-term relationship with the respective contractors. MINDEF regularly and routinely scrutinises all our contracts with the existing

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contractors and this will give us important lessons to plan for future contracts whenever we have new contracts with other contractors.

Mdm Chair, again, our condolences to Minister of State Dr Maliki in this time of bereavement. Two questions for the Second Minister. One is in response to my question on the safety regime. The Minister stated that there was a 60% increase in near misses. Just to clarify whether this was because we now have a stricter regime and not because there are more incidences of being careless during training.

The second is with regard to the SAF Volunteer Corps and other CSNS proposals. Would the Second Minister be able to share with us when more specific details will be made available?

Mdm Chairman, let me respond to the first question. Let me clarify that the increase is due to the increased command emphasis to have more incidents reported. So, there is a 60% increase in the reporting in the first half of last year, compared to the year before. But the number of training incidents, non-fatal training incidents, has remained the same between 2012 and 2013, which is between 67 and 68 respectively.

We were fortunate not to have any training fatality last year, but, as I mentioned in my speech, this requires tremendous effort. This requires us to be constantly on our guard and we hope to keep it that way. Having said that, we recognise that all military operations will have inherent risks. Our job, and the job of all commanders, is to make sure that we minimise the risk to the lowest possible, even though we cannot eliminate them altogether.

On the second question about the SAF Volunteer Corps, we will be providing more details on this in the next two months when the CSNS report is submitted to MINDEF.

If there are no other further clarifications, Dr Lim, do you want to withdraw your amendment?

Mdm Chairperson, let me thank the Minister, the Second Minister as well as the Minister of State for answering all our questions. Certainly, we are pleased and happy to note that the long-term investment in both hardware as well as heartware in the SAF has ensured that all of us can sleep well at night as well as enjoy more years of peace. May I beg leave to

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withdraw my amendment?

[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $12,137,000,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $429,000,000 for Head J ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]

Mdm Chairperson, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head P of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

MHA does not usually get into the spotlight unless something unpleasant happens. We are surprised and shocked by serious crimes and high profile incidents because they are and remain the exception in Singapore, and we continue to enjoy living in one of the safest countries in the world. That is in no small measure due to the efforts of the staff, officers and leaders in MHA.

But it is clear that the challenges to maintain safety and security are growing. Last year, we witnessed a number of incidents which have challenged assumptions on how secure and ready we really are when a crisis hits us. Just recently, the Little India riot and the border-security breach at Woodlands have led us to review our readiness and protocols and, indeed, much soul searching.

No one expects, or should expect, a perfect system. The best equipment, systems and protocols in the world cannot anticipate all challenges our officers will face on the ground. Often times, these gaps must be bridged through good judgement and exercise of discretion, and these usually come with training, time and experience. I will not comment on the ongoing Committee of Inquiry (COI) in relation to the riot, but Deputy Prime Minister's answers to this House on the riots and the breach of border security do raise uncomfortable questions on whether our officers will respond adequately to emergencies and unexpected situations.

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I would, therefore, like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister on his perspective on what the Ministry's key challenges are in the current climate and how his Ministry intends to tackle those challenges. And underpinning those issues, whether the Deputy Prime Minister believes he has, or is able to recruit and train, sufficient personnel with the sufficient experience and ability to meet those challenges.

I would like to make three points on this.

First, are we prepared to deal with future riots and public order disturbances? The Little India incident involved a crowd of about 400 migrant workers, but not all were actively involved. It was eventually quelled by two Police Tactical Troops from the Special Operations Command (SOC). We know from the Deputy Prime Minister's statement in Parliament that the first SOC troop arrived about an hour after the incident occurred. As Ms Denise Phua so eloquently explained during the debate on the Public Order Bill, things could have turned far, far worse in that time. Over and above the questions the COI will answer, there are a number of other questions we need to ask. Do we have enough trained Police to handle a riot on a larger scale?

I understand that we presently have eight SOC troops, each comprising 20-30 men – therefore, at most, we have 240 SOC officers. Larger foreign dormitories may house thousands of men. Would the SOC be able to quell a riot breaking out in such a dormitory? And if we have two incidents at two different dormitories at the same time, what will happen? Coordinated riots are not unheard of. It has been revealed that the SOC has grown smaller over the years – from a peak of 12 troops to the present eight. In addition, they now perform other duties, such as counter-terrorism operations. Will we therefore be able to deal with such threats?

My second point has to do with the deployment of Auxiliary Police Officers. The SPF relies on the Auxiliary Police in several capacities, such as to conduct patrols and to beef up enforcement on the roads. In fact, Auxiliary Police were involved in patrolling Little India before the riot and were also present at the incident. Is this high degree of dependence on Auxiliary Police desirable?

Auxiliary Police are not substitutes for Police Officers. They have limited enforcement powers. The quality of training received by them may also be different. Therefore, I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister to what extent do we depend on the Auxiliary Police force to supplement our Police force and

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what does he see as a desirable balance?

Thirdly, much more is expected today of our Police and law enforcement officers. Singaporeans hope to see a stronger Police presence, not just in areas where foreign migrants congregate, but everywhere, particularly where we live. I have lost count of the number of times my residents have requested more Police patrols, even in areas where statistics show low crime rates.

We all want to feel safe in and around our homes. And in a way, the Ministry is promising that – with its Community Policing initiatives – more boots on the ground and more bottoms on bicycle seats. We have also recently amended the Prisons Act to introduce the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme where ex-offenders will be provided with counselling, case management and supervision to support their reintegration into society. This is an excellent approach, but will require the involvement of more resources, more counsellors and more officers. Can the Ministry realistically deliver or continue to deliver on these programmes? Or do we need to temper our expectations? If the Home Team is not adequately staffed, they will be hard-pressed to deliver.

I understand that the Ministry has stepped up recruitment efforts over the past few years, but is this going to be enough, particularly in our tight labour market? A comparison with other cities shows how lean our forces already are. We have 239 Police Officers per 100,000 people; Hong Kong has 393 police officers per 100,000 people; New York has 430.

Even if we are able to recruit sufficient numbers, how does the Ministry intend to keep them in the force to ensure that there is sufficient experience both at the management level and, more importantly, on the ground? A cool, experienced head on the ground may prove more effective than an entire troop of raw officers.

In this regard, I have one suggestion. The Ministry should find an enhanced role for retired Police Officers. I had the pleasure of recently lunching with the Management Committee of the Singapore Police Retirees' Association. They may have thinning, greying hair and may be less fit than they once were. But what struck me most was their passion for law enforcement and their sense of duty, and most of all, a powerful call deep within them to help Singapore remain a special place. With their experience and instincts, their older and wiser heads can be a tremendous resource. They can be tapped on to train younger officers,

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reviewing investigation reports and other work which can accommodate their physical abilities. They told me they are ready, willing and able to serve again, if called. What a shining example they would be in our efforts to get more older Singaporeans and retirees active and involved.

Madam, do I continue with my second cut, please?

Yes, please.

Madam, the community plays a critical role in our efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure. Recognising this, the Ministry has made structural changes to promote community engagement. In 2012, following the launch of the Community Policing System, our Neighbourhood Police Centres were revamped to enhance their crime fighting and community liaison capabilities. More foot and bicycle patrols were introduced to allow Policemen to become more familiar with residents and neighbourhoods, thereby enhancing Police engagement with the community.

These structural developments were complemented by a range of schemes. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) runs several volunteer schemes, including the Neighbourhood Watch Zone, which cultivates mutual assistance among residents in the community to help to prevent and detect crime. We have the Crime Prevention Ambassador project and the Volunteer Special Constabulary, which recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to work with the SPF in helping to enforce law and order in Singapore. We also have programmes like the Community Safety and Security Programme which provide an additional platform for residents and grassroots to work with the Home Team.

Madam, there is no doubt that these schemes are important, but there is scope for further engagement. A study published in 2012 from Ottawa, Canada, confirms that crime prevention and law enforcement are more effective where the community takes collective responsibility for them. According to the study, the reported incidents of crimes against persons or properties in three communities that adopted community-based crime prevention techniques were tracked and the results were significant. From 2006 to 2011, the rate of reported incidents in each of the three communities fell far more than the overall city average. The overall city average fell 15% and the three communities fell between 20% and 27%.

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What was critical to each community's success was the diverse and holistic range of initiatives launched. Police conducted outreach sessions, resident-led walkabouts were organised to identify and report safety issues, such as signs of drug peddling and prostitution, and community forums were organised to bring residents together to discuss security and crime-prevention strategies. What is clear from the study is that crime prevention is not about enforcement or enforcement-type activities alone.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister what strategies MHA will adopt to continue engaging and building strong relationships with its community partners, and to continue supporting the Home Team's work in keeping Singapore safe.

Mdm Chair, in September 2013, it was reported that a young Singaporean was the fifth to be self-radicalised and was detained for two years under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for trying to join an insurgency in Thailand. According to reports, he had been influenced by what he read online to join this insurgency. I understand that, in this case, he was detained under the ISA after he had been handed over by the Thai authorities following his arrest and conviction in Thailand for immigration offences because he entered Thailand illegally.

The threat of self-radicalisation is one of particular concern because it seems that the material on the Internet that influenced this individual is readily available and continues to be readily available. In this regard, is MHA able to provide an update on the regional terrorist threat and, in particular, on any measures it plans to take to deal with the threat of self-radicalisation in Singapore?

Mdm Chairperson, the crime rate in 2013 fell to 549 cases per 100,000 population and it was the lowest in 30 years. It also fell 4.3% compared to the year before in 2012. But, Madam, these are statistics and numbers. These are not numbers that we can afford to be complacent about and we need somewhat to look into the details as well.

The decreases were in relation to crimes against persons, housebreaking, theft and other miscellaneous crimes like vandalism, trespassing and disorderly behaviour. But what is troubling and remains troubling is that there were

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increases in violent and serious property crimes as well as commercial crimes, such as cheating and other related offences. Anecdotally, we have seen how the Kovan murders, the Little India riot and other such fairly high profile newsworthy incidents have dominated the headlines in the course of 2013. And it is these concerns which I would like to focus on.

Madam, the Home Team is responsible for various aspects of security in Singapore and it is something that we can never take for granted. There are other issues which remain pertinent to security in Singapore today and will continue to evolve. It is a threat that will continue to evolve over time and I would like to highlight a few.

The first, cyber crimes. The usage of the Internet has grown. It has proliferated to an extent that we have an Internet penetration rate of 160% of our population having broadband access; a mobile penetration rate of 150%. Access to wireless, location-based cloud computing and other such technologies has become pervasive in daily life. That itself has led to an increased Internet usage and penetration, with a corresponding increase in the number and type of cyber crimes.

Take, for example, cheating using e-commerce. That has been the main contributor to the increase in commercial crimes. It has seen a rise from 238 cases in 2012 to 509 cases in 2013, almost more than double the number. Further, there have also been significant increases in multiple payment online purchase scams involving culprits who posed as sellers of various products and advertising them on the Internet and failing to deliver at all.

The number of cases demonstrates that the Internet-savvy audience, typically the young, the vulnerable, had been targeted and we have to pay particular attention to how these crimes continue to evolve on the Internet. We have also seen in the last year how various high-profile prominent websites had been hacked into. This hacking into the servers and websites of entities, which are otherwise considered to be the most secure in Singapore if not the world, in a matter of days if not weeks, almost with impunity, makes for interesting news. But they highlight just how much of a threat this can be and how much this will cripple the day-to-day life which relies so much on technology.

Second, on the areas of drug enforcement, we have seen how in recent times the number of drug-related arrests has gone up. Just in the month of February 2014 alone, and based on the CNB website, we have seen that in that 28-day period, two-and-a-half kilograms of heroin and more than two kilograms

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of cannabis were seized, with a street value worth more than hundreds of thousands of dollars. The number of drug abusers arrested has gone up. The number of repeat abusers has gone up. The number of new abusers has gone up.

Third, counter-terrorism measures, which Mr Vikram Nair has outlined earlier, I would simply say that the recent apprehension of Masyhadi tells us that extremist terrorism remains a real and potent threat. The underlying structures, which have training camps supporting terrorism, remain in place. Self-radicalisation remains a growing phenomenon and we cannot afford to assume that no terrorist threats will materialise. To deter terrorism in Singapore, we need strong operational capabilities with a variety of different skill sets just to be commensurate with the ever-changing methods used by these small cells to evade detection.

Fourth, Madam, on civil defence readiness, a seemingly simple and straightforward issue, but one must look at the underlying numbers as well. We have seen an increase in the emergency ambulance services by 5.3% year to year. But the demand from the elderly alone, which comprises 10.5% of our population, has accounted for 36% of those requests or calls for emergency assistance. That illustrates that there already is and will continue to be, in light of our ageing population, an increased demand on the resources of the civil defence operators.

Finally, on immigration, we have seen in 2013, 203 million travellers cleared for entry into Singapore, a slight increase of about 3.6% compared to 2012. The ICA faces the constant challenge of accommodating these increasing traveller volumes while at the same time having to clear them efficiently and ensure that security is not compromised.

Madam, I raise these points because all of them require a few challenges to be met by the Home Team: one, the increase in resourcing which Mr Hri Kumar has touched on; and two, the increase in the amount of training to deal with these ever-changing and evolving threats through different means will continue to be a serious challenge to the Home Team.

In that context, I would ask the Deputy Prime Minister what MHA is doing to ensure that the Home Team is able to rise to meet these operational demands as well as to remain constantly vigilant and ready to deal with these threats on the horizon which one may not be able to anticipate today.

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Mdm Chair, Singapore is an attractive city state that many have come to work, play and live. Our resident population has increased over the years. In this respect, our security forces, particularly the SPF, needs to keep up. Sophisticated criminals are quick to adapt to new technology, demographic changes and increases in resident population. The Home Team needs to and will have to prepare, equip and deal with demands that such changes bring.

In the 1980s, the Home Team was quick to realise that efficiency and speedy response could not be just placed with the divisional Police stations. With larger housing estates, they required a relook at the response and policing system. That led to the NPP system that was decentralised to better serve an increasingly urban Singapore.

The NPC of today and the success of the Community Policing system in an even more urbanised setting is testimony to the foresight of that strategy. Even as we actively promote community involvement in crime prevention, we need more resources to address crime and emergency incidents.

While the Little India incident had alluded to manpower issues, I am even more concerned that multiple incidents could have arisen from that. The ripple effect from, say, multiple incidents of terrorist action will put the Home Team's resources and deployment into question.

Are we preparing ourselves in enlarging our Force size to cope with increasingly complex security situations that can befall upon us? Can our officers cope with the air and land checkpoint loads that Mr Tong alluded to?

I understand that with increased expectations from a more affluent and educated public, hiring of officers to meet such expectations will be more difficult. Our education system has made our graduating cohorts attractive for the private sector. It would have to be a compelling, appealing and rewarding career for men and women to join up.

Our current Force size is about 10,000, including civilians in service. Even if we harness technology as a multiplier to the Home Team in its work, we still need boots on the ground. As mentioned, will our young men and women be attracted to this noble profession and spend extended time on the beat?

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We can increase our Force size through enlarging the pool of reservists by having a larger intake of NS Policemen. Through a few cohorts, we can build up this ballast. Therefore, training resources and facilities must be prepared and future budget allocated.

I urge the Minister to review policies as well as training and doctrines relating to security coverage, crowd control, incident response and rules of engagement. Organisation structures that directly affect frontline operating systems and response time could similarly be reviewed so that manpower gaps, resource re-allocation and hybrid solutions can be considered.

In similar vein, Madam, I am concerned about many Home Team uniformed services turning to outsourcing as a response to increasing demand for services and manpower shortages. For example, in October 2013, the SCDF added only four more emergency ambulances to increase its fleet to 50 vehicles, but doubled the number of private ambulances to 20. Today, the number of Auxiliary Police Officers stands at 6,000 officers, compared with over 8,000 regular officers in the Singapore Police Force. At the Woodlands checkpoint, Auxiliary Police Officers make up 20% of officers. Recently, the Prisons Act was amended to expand the role of Auxiliary Police Officers to allow them to conduct inmate escort and patrols within prison premises.

Will the trend of outsourcing of Police, security and emergency functions to private operators increase further? If so, where is the line to be drawn before we see the quality of functions compromised and cost-effectiveness eroded? Should the issues be dealt with not by outsourcing, but instead by allocating more resources and support for recruitment and retention to the Home Team? And instead of outsourcing with its limits, should we not focus on "best-sourcing" instead?

I would like to point out three problems. First, Auxiliary Police Officers do not have the same level of training as regular officers. Regular officers go through a six-month basic training course at the Home Team Academy, while auxiliary officers attend a much shorter in-house training course offered by Aetos or Certis-Cisco. Police Officers also attend continuous training to keep their skill up to date with societal and criminological developments. The esprit de corps of belonging to

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the Home Team also instils a greater sense of purpose, pride and discipline.

Second, best-sourcing is about choosing a provider, be it a public agency or a private sector provider, who could deliver the services most efficiently and effectively. Here we have a paradox. To maintain standards, private operators have to comply with equivalent deliverables and ensure their staff are just as competent in those functions. If the public officers also have to conduct constant auditing and supervision to ensure the outsourced entity is up to mark, as in the case of emergency ambulances, would it not be more cost-effective to increase the regular services?

Third, best-sourcing is targeted at non-strategic functions of public agencies, so as not to compromise public health and safety. But what are considered non-strategic security functions to be outsourced to auxiliary officers? As the recent breach at Woodlands Checkpoint suggests, the secondary security check by the Auxiliary Police Officer is very important and has implications on public safety.

With 300,000 people and 130,000 vehicles passing Woodlands checkpoint each day, co-ordination between ICA, SPF and Auxiliary Police Officers is a huge challenge. Likewise, prison inmate escort within the prisons is not merely a security function but requires proper training to ensure the prisoner's rehabilitation is not compromised. Furthermore, injuries or death of an inmate resulting from improper handling can be disastrous for the services. In today's complex policing environment, every Police Officer requires strong situational awareness and adaptive leadership skills, and foresight in exercising discretion.

Outsourcing clearly has its limits. Should the focus instead be on Home Team manpower recruitment and retention, and ensuring they have the best resources on hand to protect our Home?

Madam, Singapore's total population has grown over the years. At the same time, the mix of the population has also become more cosmopolitan. This growth in population density and complexity increases the likelihood that friction would occur as groups and people, so to speak, rub each other the wrong way, whether intentionally or otherwise.

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To deal with this challenge, it is right that measures be put in place to emphasise and catalyse continued racial and religious harmony, as well as increase mutual understanding and integration between locals and migrant communities.

While we pursue these proactive and preventive steps, we must at the same time plan for the worst, which is the scenario where larger scale public disturbances occur. The recent Little India riot is an example of that. However, I am not referring specifically to that particular riot as the Commission of Inquiry (COI) is ongoing.

What I am concerned about is whether the Police riot control function, in terms of sheer manpower, as well as equipment and access planning, given the more congested roads, for example, has kept pace with population urbanisation trends over the years.

Sometimes, when things appear to be calm, emergency resources may be less emphasised. Some may think of such "standby" resources as somewhat of a dead weight. However, when emergencies occur, we may then find the resources insufficient or quickly over-stretched and not sustainable. A proper balance has to be struck between the two, taking into account the assessments of threat and the likelihood of multiple concurrent needs.

Madam, I want to help make sure that our troops on the ground get the support and resources they need to do a good job. How will MHA ensure that there are enough riot troops in headcount terms, SOC and divisional resources together, to keep pace with population changes, so that deployment would not be stretched too thin and the security forces are able to dominate the ground quickly when called upon?

Mdm Chair, biometric information is increasingly being used for security purposes. Recently, the National Environment Agency is using face scans to clock in hawkers to prevent illegal subletting and a pre-school is using the same technology to control door access for parents and guardians to drop off and pick up their children.

With the proliferation of biometric information collection and usage in society, the theft of it becomes easier and likelier. Furthermore, biometric information technology is undergoing mass commercialisation, as smart

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phones are now capable of thumbprint and face recognition.

Many organisations are also outsourcing their information technology and security systems. It was previously pointed out in this House that the Government's outsourced systems experienced many instances of unauthorised access and other security vulnerabilities.

Biometric information is very important for our border security. How are the Ministry of Home Affairs and its agencies, particularly the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, prepared for security breaches and identity theft? Are there contingency plans to maintain the same level of security and functionality in the event of system glitch or breakdown? Is there a need to update the Personal Data Protection Act to tackle the specific problems caused by biometric information and to regulate its collection and usage?

Mdm Chair, presently, Singapore Identity Cards (IC) are issued at the ages of 15 and 30. They are only replaced if they are lost, defaced or damaged, or if the holders wish to change their particulars or photos. In contrast, the validity of our passports is only for five years. For security reasons, ICs, like passports, should be updated more frequently.

I would like to suggest that we require IC replacements every 20 years, that is, additionally at 50 and 70 years old. The prevailing opinion is that most adult facial features do not change significantly. Hence, there is no legal requirement to update the photos in our ICs. However, it is not possible that a person looks the same at ages 30 and 80, which is the average age a Singaporean man is expected to live to today, or five years longer for ladies. For a span of 50 to 55 years on average, there will be visible changes due to ageing.

Facial identification is an important component of security checks. Authorities would have the necessary equipment to check the thumbprint, but most others can only rely on the photo to verify that the person using the IC is the person in the photo, whether to start a new mobile subscription or borrow money. We have heard of cases of people losing their ICs, and even after they have reported the loss, having their ICs being used illegally and becoming victims of loanshark harassment or being laden with funny bills. Who am I to challenge someone who insists that he is the person in the IC photo, just that

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he has put on weight, lost weight, or the photo was taken on a bad hair day?

As plastic surgery becomes even more common, we can also expect facial features to change in more people. Hence, it is important that citizens and PRs update ICA on these changes. These measures will ensure that we do not reduce the effectiveness of facial identification.

Security technologies develop rapidly. Today, when I change my IC at 30 years old, I have to rely on the same card and technology for at least 40-50 years. There would not be many other personal belongings which are around after all these years, and I am not referring to items of sentimental value.

Another compelling reason to replace the IC is that while it is made of relatively good material, it is subjected to wear and tear. Even our credit cards are replaced every few years. People in certain occupations also require frequent presentation of ICs. For example, those in the delivery and despatch line need to exchange their ICs for visitor passes at camps, certain commercial buildings, and condominiums. They have to take out their ICs a few times every day, and these are also the people who do not have strong financial strength. If their ICs are damaged, they will have difficulties affording the replacement fee.

I have met one man whose tattered IC is kept in one piece by scotch tape. He told me he could afford the replacement fee, but feels that since it is compulsory for Singaporeans to carry our ICs, it is reasonable for him to expect the Government to replace it for free after every few decades of wear and tear. Hence, I urge the Ministry to review the current system of IC renewal.

Mdm Chair, there is the human tendency to value effort almost independent of outcome. Effort alone, even when apparent to all, is not enough. And so, the sweet spot for the Home Team is one where it is not only working hard but also getting things right and well.

These are challenging times for the Home Team. Convictions of senior Home Team officers for a variety of criminal offences in the last few years, the lack of coordination between Home Team agencies in the Woodlands Checkpoint security breach and the seemingly inadequate response in the Little India riot all conspire to undermine the image and standing of the Home Team.

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This is unfortunate.

It is no surprise if the public has legitimate concerns of the Home Team's integrity, competence, professionalism, coordination, operational readiness and the ability to adapt to the rapidly changing operational realities.

To be sure, we must not exaggerate the challenges and issues but every lapse in performance dents the public confidence in the Home Team. Major lapses are body blows, detrimentally affecting the morale of the dedicated men and women of the Home Team.

The harsh reality is that people mostly pay attention when the Home Team gets things wrong or does not measure up. The fact that the Home Team is performing well matters little as the public perception is more often than not the prism through which trust in and confidence of the Home Team is measured by.

There is no doubt that corrective actions are always taken to tackle the lapses, including internal disciplinary sanctions and criminal prosecutions. However, if there are systemic issues and problems resulting in sub-par performance, is it fair to punish the officers concerned, especially the rank and file men and women? Yes, they may not have measured up but there may well be systemic factors beyond their control.

It is easy to dissect or micro-analyse a Home Team officer's conduct and judgement after the event. But we should bear in mind that how a reasonable officer exercises his discretion and powers in any given situation is very much a function of his or her training, the applicable standard operating procedures and operational doctrines. If they did not equip the officer well to do the job well, then the officer should not be solely culpable.

As such, I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide details on the ongoing effort to renew confidence and trust of the public in the Home Team, and what efforts are being taken to maintain and improve the morale within the Home Team itself.

Like Policemen wearing shorts, community policing is actually not new. It has been around for about 30 years, since the early 1980s and it was modelled after the Koban system in Japan. We launched

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our first neighbourhood Police post in 1983. It was these NPPs which brought the Police closer to the ground, closer to the community and making them more effective as patrols were made on foot, on bicycle and the familiarity of the Policemen and community was seen as an advantage. Over the years, the system has been reviewed to ensure that it is kept up to date and in tandem with the operating environment. In 1997, the NPP system was redesigned to the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) system. The NPCs were empowered with more resources and capabilities for community policing.

In May 2012, the transition of the NPC system to the Community Policing System (COPS) was made and this was in response to the changing needs of our population. Under this system, we strengthened localised crime fighting capabilities with the creation of crime strike force in each NPC. The officers in the crime strike force are familiar with local terrain, and therefore more effective and responsive than tackling crime.

A community policing unit was also set up to deepen our community engagement and Police Officers now interact more with residents in these local communities. Today, I think COPS has about 20 over presence in the 30-odd NPCs that we have. It has been about two-and-a-half years or so since the programme started. In that respect, I would like the Deputy Prime Minister to comment on whether the results have been encouraging, what improvements, if any, should be made to the system and the extent to which this would be continued to be rolled out to the rest of the NPCs.

The other benefit of having the NPCs close to the ground is something which I find quite laudable, which is the use of non-traditional means to also engage the public. I believe some NPCs have their own Facebook pages, and this in turn has assisted with the apprehension of suspected criminals. Some advertisements have been put up on Facebook. The community has also responded with various suggestions and tips. Using that, I think the Police has been able to better apprehend the criminals.

Finally, the importance of the community as the key partner of the Police can only grow with time, given the challenges of the increasing changing environment for the Police and crimes being more complex. The trust, confidence and support of the community are critical for the Police to be successful in community policing. To stay effective, Police forces around the world will need to continually evolve in the way they serve and engage the

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communities and to keep up with the operating landscape. It is in that context that I invite the Deputy Prime Minister to comment on these issues.

Mdm Chair, our crime rate is low by international standards. Community policing is a principal policing strategy that has shown success since the NPPs were set up in the 1980s, and then the revamp of the same towards the NPCs in the 1990s.

My residents in Clementi Division can testify to the effectiveness as well as the significant impact on the ground of community policing introduced two years ago as a pilot, through the various initiatives such as the Community Safety and Security Programmes and the very successful Citizens on Patrol. Our resident volunteers and the Police work together to detect, report, suppress and prevent crime in the neighbourhood. Through this experience, our residents learn that crime prevention is a community responsibility, as much as it is the Police's enforcement of law and order. It cannot be just a Police issue. Residents are involved in community policing.

Safety and security can be enhanced if the community can be persuaded to do more for itself. Public education about the kind of crime, criminal behaviour and effect of different types of crimes in the community can further bring citizens to the growing force of community crime fighters. I congratulate the SPF for being proactive and incorporating community policing into its crime fighting strategy. At the same time, this ownership of the community and not allowing criminals to roam free encourages community integration and mutual trust.

It is my belief that the Police Force is stretched and community policing will help our Home Team officers to concentrate on problem solving and investigation, rather than just incident response at the outset. Community policing cannot be successful if the partnership between the Police and the community is not established and strong. As a result of the information provided by the citizen cops, the Police will able to apprehend UML harassment activities. This public-assisted arrest has contributed to the overall positive effects on residents over the safety and security of the neighbourhood. What other initiatives or support for community policing can we expect? Can the Minister update the House if the goal to roll out community policing at the 35 NPCs has been achieved? What is the progress? Are there any intentions to

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scale this up further and to include other partnerships?

Madam, ensuring law and order is essential and enabling in an environment in which we can be freed up to focus on our lives, work, families and aspirations. Against the backdrop of rising expectations and tight labour force, the Police has actively leveraged technology to attain efficiency of scale, accuracy and effectiveness in law enforcement.

In public housing estates and even on the roads, the Police has deployed cameras to deter offences and fight crimes. Therefore, I would like to ask how effective have the cameras been in fighting crime? Are there any other initiatives or examples that the Ministry can share to illustrate how the Police is leveraging technology to support its policing efforts?

As of the end of 2013, a total of about 1,000 cameras would have been installed by the Police at HDB void decks and multi-storey carparks under the larger community policing system initiative. There is a public expectation that these cameras would go a long way to address the scourge of loansharks who harass HDB residents even if these residents are not involved in any illegal moneylending. At one block in Bedok Reservoir, where such cameras have already been installed, a resident not involved in any illegal moneylending activity remarked to me that he had to endure harassment to his family by loansharks who masqueraded as salesmen when he was out at work, causing him much consternation.

Have the Police determined whether loansharks have changed tactics in light of installation of such cameras? In tandem, I would like to ask for an update of this specific programme under the Community Policing System with cameras already installed in a number of precincts in Singapore, and its success in addressing the scourge of loansharks. Separately, would the Ministry consider allowing Town Councils to access video footage on an ad hoc basis from these cameras to tackle unauthorised dumping, for example, and other anti-social activities?

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I turn to my second cut. In view of the heavy use of Auxiliary Police Officers for various policing and patrolling responsibilities in Singapore, from foreign worker management in places where they gather to the staging of international events, I seek to enquire what sort of formal training these Auxiliary Police Officers undergo to manage and communicate with the culturally diverse public they face.

As Singapore diversity becomes more apparent with Filipinos, mainland Chinese and Indian families, and yet other races and transient population coming to Singapore for work and long-term residence, have the relevant agencies under the Ministry reviewed their training programmes to take into account the demographics changes in our society? Is there a formal training package for mainstream Police Officers for our Auxiliary Police Officers to tap on? Would the Ministry consider setting up a cultural advisory unit or institutionalising similar training to work with migrant groups in particular, as they tend to congregate in large groups on their off days, so as to build up trust and understanding, as seen in other immigrant communities in Commonwealth countries, such as Canada and Australia?

Separately, have there been any operational examples where there has been a lack of Auxiliary Police Officers with the appropriate language training to communicate their intentions or instructions to the public, and how are these challenges overcome? Finally, for our Auxiliary Police Officer force, how many are Singaporeans, PRs and foreigners respectively?

Madam, when vulnerable persons are detained and interviewed by the Police, they often do not understand the questions, the significance and the intent of the questions asked, nor the significance of their replies due to their mental state or capacity. These persons are not limited to only children or those with intellectual disabilities. They include those with other learning difficulties like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and high-functioning ones with Asperger Syndrome and others with mental or personality issues.

The Appropriate Adult (AA) Scheme is a common feature in progressive Police and criminal justice systems. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the role of an AA was created alongside the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984. The AA supports, advises and assists the vulnerable person especially

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during Police interviews.

In Singapore, a workgroup comprising members from the Law Society, the Attorney-General's Chambers, Bedok Police Station and several others started a pilot programme. They convinced a group of volunteers to sign up to support AAs. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. I seek the approval of the official adoption and funding of an Appropriate Adult Scheme by the Ministry and to include (i) all key disabilities, and (ii) across all Police Divisions.

Ms Sylvia Lim, you have two cuts. Take them together, please.

First, sexual crime investigation. According to the 2013 report on the International Violence against Women survey on Singapore, only 17% of women who experienced sexual violence reported the matter to the Police. Victims were found more likely to report if they had been injured, felt that their life was in danger, if they perceived the incident was serious, or if they regarded it as a crime. It does appear that women who do go to the Police, go with some expectations – for protection or seeking justice. Yet, the Police data raises questions about whether these victims' concerns are met.

According to the answer to my Parliamentary Question on 17 February this year, there are about 180 reported cases of serious sexual crimes handled by the Criminal Investigation Department each year for the last three years. Of these, only close to 30 cases are charged in Court each year, or about 17% of the reported cases. This means that about 83% of reported cases are not charged in Court. These cases were instead dealt with by a warning or no further action taken against the accused. Besides the low prosecution rate, the investigation procedures also seem long and cumbersome. The same answer revealed that, on average, it took 12 months to conclude investigations. Since this was an average, some cases would have taken much longer.

Beside having to undergo medical examinations and polygraph tests during investigations, victims are left wondering about their status of their cases for months. Given the above, I seek the following answers from the Ministry. First, why is the prosecution rate only at 17%? Two, what are the main reasons for issuing a warning in lieu of prosecution? Three, where lies the bottleneck for investigation to take an average of 12 months? And four, have Police sought feedback from social workers and women groups on gaps in

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Police's service and tried to address them?

Next, road traffic investigations. At last year's MHA COS, Minister Iswaran talked about the initiative called "Safer Roads Singapore". He mentioned that Traffic Police would be employing Auxiliary Police to complement its presence on the roads for enforcement duties. I would like to obtain some clarity as to the exact role of the Auxiliary Police and the approach of Traffic Police in accidents resulting in injuries.

Recently, I came across two incidents of injured motorcyclists along the Pan-Island Expressway. In the first case, the injured motorcyclist was possibly the victim of a hit-and-run. Several motorists, including myself, stopped to render assistance and call for help. A while later, a SCDF ambulance arrived followed by one Auxiliary Police Officer. Some of us potential witnesses gave our contact details to both the paramedic and the Auxiliary Police Officers who recorded them on pieces of paper. The victim was conveyed to the hospital. The Auxiliary Police Officers told us that the Traffic Police might contact us, but I receive no follow-up communication from Traffic Police at all. I am not sure whether this was because the information was not conveyed to Traffic Police, or because Traffic Police does not investigate every injury case.

In the second incident, I observed an Auxiliary Police Officer attending to several injured motorcyclists after a collision. He appeared to be finding out what had happened, and what needed to be done, but the extent of his role was not clear. Do the Auxiliary Police Officers have a role in traffic investigations now? What safeguards do Traffic Police adopt to ensure they make proper assessments of injury cases?

Mdm Chair, the Safe Road Singapore Action Plan was announced at last year's Committee of Supply debate with the pillars of education engagement and enforcement. Could MHA provide an update on the implementation of this effort and measures that perhaps have brought about some of the improvements in road safety? Over the past years, the statistics from the Traffic Police show that the total number of accidents with fatalities or injuries has decreased by about 8%.

One area of concern is heavy vehicles. More people were killed in accidents involving heavy vehicles last year. Traffic violations by such vehicles have also increased. I would like to ask what measures would be taken by the Traffic

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Police to address this matter, apart from stepping up enforcement against heavy vehicles who flout traffic laws.

Madam, every vehicle on the road is a potential source of danger to other road users, in particular, heavy vehicles, because of the combination of their size and speed as well as issues with the visibility that the drivers have over other road users are particular risks and of particular concern to vulnerable road users, that is, those on cycles, motorbikes and pedestrians. I would appreciate the Minister's comment on this.

Mr Alvin Yeo is not here. Mr Baey Yam Keng.

Mdm Chair, the number of fatalities from accidents involving heavy vehicles had risen from 32 cases in 2012 to 44 cases last year, that is, almost one person died every week in 2013 due to heavy vehicle accident. This is a big and tragic jump.

One seemingly logical reason is that there are just more heavy vehicles on our roads due to more construction projects around the island. However, let us compare the numbers. The total number of vehicles in Singapore increases slightly by 0.4% over these two years. Yet, there has been a decline of 5.4% in the total number of fatalities from traffic accidents. On the other hand, there is a 3.7% increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles and very heavy goods vehicles from 2012 to 2013. But the rise in number of fatalities involving heavy vehicles was 10 times at 37.5%. There is clearly something about heavy vehicles that we need to look into than for it to take a natural course.

The heavy vehicle industry is loosely regulated and drivers are paid on a per trip basis. I have received feedback that many of these drivers are under pressure to make more trips due to higher demand as well as to make ends meet. Hence, sometimes they take the risk of driving beyond speed limits. On the other hand, we also need to appreciate that the driver's work conditions are pretty tough. First, it is not easy to control a heavy vehicle. Heavy vehicle parking lots near the driver's home are also not easy to come by. Many have to find transport to and from home in the dead of the night or early wee hours where public transport is not available or accessible. They do not hence get to rest well and have irregular meals. There are also reports on drivers spending the night in their vehicles. It is not easy for them to even find a temporary space to park their heavy vehicles to have toilet breaks. We should do more to

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enhance the work conditions and the welfare of these drivers for it would translate to safer roads for us all.

With the volume of infrastructure works in Singapore increasing, there will be more heavy vehicles, more trips on the road and more drivers joining the trade. Let us do something before the accident and fatality rate goes out of control. I would like to suggest that we require all heavy vehicles to install two devices: one, real-time speed recorder, the requirement to submit speed locks at regular intervals, say, every three months; and two, digital video cameras which should be useful in getting drivers to be more conscious of the way they drive.

I am sure that the recorders would not only be useful in accident disputes, it would also help the drivers to drive more safely. I understand that these issues are not totally under MHA's purview. They include MOT, LTA for vehicle registration and traffic regulations, MOM and perhaps NTUC for driver's work conditions and MND, URA, BCA for parking and construction industry practices.

However, even that the accident fatality rate is checked by MHA and Traffic Police, I would like to ask MHA to take the lead or perhaps arrow another Ministry to coordinate efforts with all relevant authorities to address the problems.

Mr Christopher de Souza, take your two cuts together, please.

A close partnership between the Home Team and the wider Singapore community is integral towards ensuring the effectiveness of measures to curb the occurrence of illegal moneylending, or loansharking, activities within our neighbourhoods.

With both parties being actively involved in the detection and deterrence of such activities in our heartlands and residential neighbourhoods, we will have peace of mind that our children and families are growing up and living in a safe environment.

In light of this, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs to provide an update on what new efforts are being taken to eradicate the prevalence of

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unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases, and an update on the progress that these initiatives have made in targeting the scourge of loansharking in our community.

Taken together, the Police and MHA have implemented many broad-based measures that are meant to support and complement one another in the fight against unlicensed moneylending in Singapore. These measures, namely, preventive education, enforcement and community engagement, ensure that the Police have robust measures at their disposal to curb the spread of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment incidents.

Thus far, initiatives, such as the Community Policing Scheme (COPS) and the Anti-Unlicensed Moneylending Awareness Campaign, enable the Police to tap onto the community as a potent source for surveillance and information gathering in the neighbourhoods.

Furthermore, the deployment of Police cameras at HDB blocks has assisted in allaying safety and security concerns of such loansharking activities happening in our communities. Regular reports of the arrests of unlicensed moneylenders are a testimony of the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Also, with the introduction of tough measures under the Moneylenders Act and other legislation, the Police have been successful at achieving a consistent reduction in the number of reports of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases in Singapore.

But as the Police slogan goes, "Low crime doesn't mean no crime". Therefore, tough and robust measures must continue to be utilised to stem the spread of such activities in our community. This is particularly important as unlicensed moneylending is amongst a cluster of crimes that tend to involve large organised crime syndicates and often have a transnational aspect to them.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister whether existing punitive, legal and enforcement measures to reduce illegal moneylending activities continue to be relevant and effective, and whether there are further enhancements that may be required to augment the Home Teams' ability to fight against such activities, particularly in pursuing upstream offenders who are the puppeteers and masterminds of such activities.

With the ever-evolving nature of such crimes, the Home Team and the Police must remain up-to-date with their measures and methods to reduce

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loansharking in our neighbourhoods, and must be able to adapt to the ever-changing and evolving criminal landscape.

Mdm Chair, my second cut on remote gambling. In this era of unprecedented Internet broadband access and widespread prevalence of smart phones amongst Singaporeans, a new phenomenon of remote gambling is starting to take root amongst our Singaporean population.

Remote gambling is essentially gambling either via the Internet or through a communication device like a smart phone. It was noted in 2013, that the size of the remote gambling market in Singapore was estimated at around $375 million and was expected to grow by about 6% to 7% annually.

This spread of remote gambling in Singapore is particularly worrisome as remote gambling websites can be accessed at any time of the day, from anywhere and often without any charge. This is unlike one of Singapore's two casinos where there is a $100 levy imposed on Singaporean seeking to enter the casinos.

Therefore, Singaporeans who wanted to gamble but are reluctant to pay the $100 would choose to engage in remote gambling instead. This would allow Singaporeans to circumvent the preventive measures that had justified the implementation of the levy on Singaporeans at the two local casinos, namely to prevent the spread of problem gambling in our community.

Another key issue with remote gambling is that remote gambling operations tend to be centred beyond the jurisdiction of Singapore and remote gambling operations may also become a source or conduit of funds for illegal activities or syndicated crimes.

Therefore, in November 2013, the Government announced that it would be introducing new laws to allow enforcement agencies to act against those who are involved in the provision or facilitation of remote gambling in Singapore.

These new laws are expected to block Singaporeans from accessing gambling websites, prevent them from making payments to remote gambling operators online and to ban advertisements that promote remote gambling sites.

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Soon after, MHA announced that it would be holding a public consultation exercise to engage with relevant stakeholders to understand how best such legislation can be crafted and implemented.

Hence, I would like to ask the Minister for Home Affairs: what feedback had been collated from the public consultations that were conducted and, moving forward, what plans does the Ministry have to operationalise the proposed measures to restrict remote gambling in Singapore.

Until and unless the Government implements tough and robust measures to curb the spread of remote gambling in Singapore, there will continue to be an avenue for Singaporeans to get caught in the vicious cycle of problem gambling.

Mdm Chair, on the drug situation, the worsening regional situation has made its impact felt even in Singapore, with the growing use of recreational or party drugs, especially among young adults. Singapore has fought hard to contain the drug menace and it is important that we do not let up on our efforts now. Given its disturbing developments, could the Minister update the House on how he perceives the current drug situation and the plan that MHA has to deal with new abuses of drugs, particularly among our youth?

I have similar concerns as Mr Yeo. According to the Home Team's annual statistics on drugs for 2013 that were recently released, there was a 2% increase in the number of arrested drug users as well as repeat offenders. Altogether, some 3,574 drug abusers were arrested, of which 69% were re-offenders. The large number of repeat offenders tells the story of how serious the problem of drug abuse is. My own encounters with reforming addicts in the course of my work as a Member of Parliament leave me under no illusions about the man exposed to drugs.

In this regard, I was particularly concerned because of the people who are arrested, 31% are new drug abusers and of these new drug abusers, about half were between the ages of 20 and 29 years old. This might be a long painful road ahead for these drug abusers.

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I also understand that about 92% of the drug arrests were for heroin and methamphetamine. But it was also notable that there was a sharp increase in the number of abusers of cannabis, a drug which some people might perceive to be less harmful.

I understand that while heroin is the main drug of abuse for older addicts, younger addicts are more likely to use methamphetamine, such as Ice and cannabis. Could the Ministry provide an update on the local situation in relation to these types of drugs? Are any steps being taken to educate the youth of the risks of drugs such as these?

Madam, this House will agree that the ability to find a job as in financial independence and being meaningfully engaged in community will ensure offenders stay drug-free and crime-free for as long as possible after their release from the prison. Even while they were in prison, it is also reassuring and motivating for them to know that their families are not left alone to fend for themselves. These are also some of the reasons underlining the appointment of Yellow Ribbon Champions in our communities of which MacPherson is part of. As such, can the Ministry provide an update on its overall effort to work with volunteers and community partners to rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders?

Deputy Prime Minister.

Thank you, Mdm Chairperson. First of all, let me thank all the Members for their keen interest in issues that are faced by the Home Team and also for their support for Home Team officers for the very challenging and difficult work that they do. Very often, Home Team officers are held to account for what happens in society and to answer for how they respond to them. But, in fact, they are helping to maintain peace and order and to clean up what happens in our society. So, I thank all Members for their support.

With your permission, Madam, may I ask the Clerk to distribute a handout with some Home Team statistics, just to illustrate the points I want to make. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members. Please refer to Annex 1.]

As Assoc Prof Eugene Tan and other Members have pointed out, we have built a strong record of safety and security in Singapore. The overall crime rate

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has been falling steadily and is at its lowest in 30 years. Our crime rate is among the lowest in the world, well below major cities like New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Recidivism rates remain stable. Our fire fatality rate is also lower compared to these same four major cities. Our road fatalities and injuries continue to fall, though we want to see them decline further and there are some specific areas which we need to look at. The number of immigration offenders arrested has been declining steadily and is less than half of what it was five years ago.

The most recent Safety and Security survey, carried out by MHA in 2012, found that more than 90% of Singaporeans felt safe in their neighbourhoods. Members would also have read in the news today that the US-based World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2014 ranked Singapore second out of 99 countries, in terms of order and security.

Mdm Chairperson, law-abiding citizens in Singapore have the freedom – a real freedom – to feel safe and secure in their home, and wherever they go in Singapore, whatever time of the day or night. There is strong deterrence against law-breakers because of strong public support for robust laws and effective enforcement, complemented by strong community partnerships.

We have been able to achieve these positive outcomes because the Home Team has been working together with Singaporeans to be more united in our efforts, integrated in our systems, committed to our values, and dedicated to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Let me speak about these four principles and how they have been applied in our approach to tackling our key safety and security challenges, which Mr Hri Kumar and others have asked about.

First, drugs, which Mr Alvin Yeo and Mr Vikram Nair were concerned about, as are we in the Home Team; very concerned. Many of us have seen the damage that drug abuse causes, not just to the drug abuser but also his family and the community. And this is why Singapore has remained committed to our zero-tolerance stance against drug abuse. Singaporeans support these tough measures because they keep our streets safe and our children safe.

In contrast, some other countries have given up the fight in the face of rampant drug abuse. Instead of suppressing abuse itself, these countries have adopted so-called "alternative approaches" to reduce the collateral harmful effects of continuing drug abuse. They tolerate and even decriminalise drug

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abuse in order to reduce, for example, the spread of hepatitis or HIV by offering free needles to abusers to inject drugs, sometimes, as many as 100 needles per year. Such alternative approaches do not mitigate the demand for drugs but instead perpetuate drug abuse and we should not go down this route.

While the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is the agency responsible for our anti-drug efforts, it is able to succeed only because it works together in an integrated manner with other Home Team and Government agencies, as well as the community.

Within the Home Team, CNB works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to stop drugs from entering Singapore. CNB has also stepped up inland enforcement together with the Police. As a result, the number of drug offenders arrested and drug seizures rose in 2013.

Beyond the Home Team, societal support is also needed to rehabilitate drug abusers and to ensure youths say no to drugs. CNB and Prisons have recently enhanced our post-release reintegration and supervision programmes to help former drug offenders break the cycle of re-offending. We need community support through halfway houses, the Yellow Ribbon Project and employers. All these are key to improving our success rates. With support from family members and the community, former drug offenders will be less likely to seek out their old friends and relapse back to their old habits.

This integrated approach extends beyond our shores. CNB works closely with their overseas counterparts to exchange information and conduct joint operations to crack down on transnational drug syndicates. In this integrated, coordinated and united way, we are able to keep our grip on this menace which has overwhelmed many other countries.

Senior Minister of State Masagos will say more about how we are tackling the drug scourge.

Second, unlicensed moneylending (UML), which Mr Christopher de Souza and others asked about. The number of cases of UML and loanshark harassment has fallen by more than 55% in the past four years, from a high of over 18,000 cases in 2009 to over 8,000 cases last year.

A coordinated and integrated approach including strengthened laws, coordinated and sustained enforcement, effective use of technology and strong

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community partnerships, brought the UML issue under control.

With the backing of strengthened laws, Police stepped up their presence and enforcement efforts, including through the Community Policing System. Installing Police cameras in over 2,000 HDB multi-storey carparks and residential blocks has also proven to be a strong deterrent to UML operators and has also helped us to catch many of them.

Local residents also play an important part. We now have nearly 10,000 volunteers in Citizens-on-Patrol groups, who patrol their own neighbourhoods and promote a greater sense of vigilance. Police will continue educating the public on the dangers of getting involved with UML activities, protecting themselves against UML harassment and keeping an eye out to detect UML harassment activities.

Because many UML syndicates are now transnational, with ringleaders based overseas, our investigation officers also work closely with their overseas counterparts to track them down, dismantle the syndicates and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Second Minister Iswaran will say more about our integrated anti-UML efforts in his speech.

Third, terrorism. Mr Vikram Nair asked for an update on this issue. Political instability in the Middle East and Africa has seen the emergence of new terrorist groups, some of whom have aligned themselves with Al Qaeda. The conflict in Syria has attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including some from our region and we cannot rule out the possibility, remote though it may seem, that Singaporeans may join them too.

The reduction and possible complete pull-out of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan at the end of this year will leave the country in a fragile state. Will Afghanistan proceed on a stable trajectory after more than a decade of UN-endorsed international efforts since December 2001? Or will the country return to turmoil again, and provide a safe haven in which terrorists can be trained and exported to other parts of the world? What happens in Afghanistan and other hot-spots has an impact on us. Members will recall that several of the core Singapore JI members received training in Afghanistan prior to September 2001.

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Self-radicalisation remains a concern for us, given the widespread availability of radical material on the Internet, including in English. Several Members have brought this up. Since 2007, we have detained five self-radicalised individuals under the ISA, and issued Restriction Orders against six others. All of them were radicalised through the Internet, and had intended to wage armed jihad in overseas conflict zones.

Our officers from the ISD, Police and ICA work hard to detect and apprehend these terrorists before they do harm to others and to themselves. More importantly, the community plays a critical part to protect Singapore and Singaporeans against terrorism. MUIS and our local Muslim community are vigilant against teachings that promote extremism or violence. In 2003, our Muslim religious leaders came forward to form the Religious Rehabilitation Group, to help counsel and rehabilitate those who have been involved in terrorism-related activities. Sixty-six individuals have been detained under the ISA for their involvement in terrorism-related activities since January 2002. More than two-thirds have since been released after they were assessed to have been rehabilitated.

The efforts to counter violent extremist ideology continue. In 2013, the Religious Rehabilitation Group organised an international conference on terrorist rehabilitation and community resilience to share best practices and lessons learnt amongst experts and practitioners from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the US, as well as European and ASEAN countries to counter extremist ideas. Such efforts will help to expose and counter the distorted interpretations of religious texts and doctrinal concepts that are propagated by extremists and this includes doing it on the Internet and on the web.

Violent extremism is a transnational phenomenon, which manifests itself as a threat to Singaporeans, both in Singapore and Singaporeans overseas. An integrated approach involving security agencies, the community and international cooperation is required to protect ourselves from this dangerous and constantly evolving threat.

Fourth, cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is important for Singapore, given our high dependence on information technology and the Internet. And cybercrime, as I pointed out, is also growing. Cyberattacks can take many forms and come from many sources. They range from hacking, defacement of websites to data theft, often by persons who hide behind the anonymity of cyberspace, which Singapore experienced last year. They can also pose systemic threats against the security of our National Critical Information Infrastructure. Last year, the attacks that we faced did not impact upon our National Critical Infrastructure

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but we cannot rule that out in the future when such attempts may be made.

Cybercrime is also a growing concern. The number of cheating cases involving electronic commerce more than doubled last year compared to 2012. Internet love scams also increased by more than 60% and the amount cheated last year increased to more than S$5 million – five times that in 2012.

Police cannot solve this problem on their own. They require people to have an awareness of those sort of "too good to be true" offers, whether they appear in the physical world or in the cyber world and to be very wary of them. Because once you fall into the trap, for Police to catch somebody who is somewhere in another part of the world is very, very difficult. And this is not the physical world; this is in the cyber world. So, self-awareness is important. The Police will do their best to enforce and are increasing their ability to investigate such crimes, even at the divisional level.

Last year, we amended the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act to strengthen our defences against cyberattacks. We continue to work closely with the community and industry to promote good cybersecurity practices and expand Singapore's pool of infocomm security experts.

The National Cyber Security Centre will commence operations in April 2014. It will work closely with sector leads responsible for each of their respective sectors on round-the-clock detection of major national cyber threats. We are not where I would like us to be but we are getting there and we will make progress to defend our critical infrastructure in Singapore. The Cyber Security Lab in the Home Team Academy will open in September 2014. It will provide realistic hands-on training for those regulating, managing and operating the National Critical Information Infrastructure.

Because the cyber world transcends national borders and attacks can materialise without notice from anywhere in the world, it is critical that we continue to work with like-minded global and industry partners, to build a community of responsible and security-aware users, and to strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities. INTERPOL is opening the INTERPOL Global Centre for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore over the next year and one of its areas of focus will be cybercrime.

Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Edwin Tong asked how we will ensure that the Home Team is able to meet its operational demands, including unanticipated incidents

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and threats.

Given the wide range of existing threats, as well as the emergence of new threats, it is indeed a challenge to meet all these demands within the very real overall resource constraints that we have, particularly people. Every company, every agency, every organisation faces that, and we have to try and manage this within the overall resources that can be made available to the Home Team. But we have been growing.

Over the last 10 years, manpower in the Home Team has grown from about 19,000 to about 24,000 – a 25% increase. And the Police have grown from about 9,000 to about 10,300, an increase of about 15% over the last 10 years. But we have to be realistic. Can we continue to recruit good men and women of high quality, train them to do all the general-purpose work that is required, for example, in the Police Force, and then we deploy them to do very simple, mundane duties – boots on the ground?

We have to strike a balance and, therefore, we are using Auxiliary Police Officers and security officers, and training them to do very specific duties which they can do on a regular basis. Then we can deploy our Police Officers who are generally trained for a wider range of duties to areas where their qualities are most valued and needed. This provides a good balance between having more people who are generally trained and more people who are specifically trained in order to meet our overall security needs.

Let me describe how we deal with emerging threats, emergencies and crises. There are so many things that happened which the Home Team has to clean up after and to protect ourselves against. These can fall into two main categories, namely, situations that our officers have trained and prepared for, and situations that are difficult to anticipate. They can happen but will they happen; when will they happen?

So, let me illustrate the first category by looking at how we deal with emergency medical response. These are things that we can anticipate, and our officers train and prepare for them. Where the type of situation can be anticipated and occur fairly often, the main variables are where, when, what, or who is involved – for example, a medical emergency.

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To improve our emergency medical response, we are growing the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulance fleet. We have cross-trained some fire-fighters as Emergency Medical Technicians. And we have fitted our fire bikes and fire engines with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). We have also engaged private operators to augment our ambulance fleet to attend to the growing number of ambulance calls, particularly medical emergencies as compared to trauma cases.

So, how can we respond better to emergency cases, in particular medical emergencies? If we focus solely on continually improving ambulance response times, it will require an ever increasing resource level that will ultimately reach our resource limits. But we can redefine the problem. If somebody has a medical condition that requires a fast, almost immediate response, there is no faster first responder than the person standing right next to him. So, how can we make him more able to respond and help? How can we help each other?

We can facilitate this by leveraging on resources already available in the community. SCDF is collaborating with the Singapore Heart Foundation to set up and maintain a National AED Registry to guide members of the public to the nearest AED in an emergency. SCDF is also developing a complementary mobile app to alert volunteers trained in AED and CPR to emergencies in their immediate vicinity so they can provide first response even before the emergency ambulance arrives. This can help improve patient survival and outcomes.

Together with MOH, we are working with stakeholders to encourage the installation of AEDs in public places with high human traffic and to train more first responders in the community. For a start, we are partnering the People's Association to install AEDs in Community Centres and conduct CPR and AED training for their staff and for the public. By marrying the accessibility and the location of AEDs, the readiness of AED-trained volunteer community partners, and the reach of mobile communications, we can supplement our emergency medical responders to achieve faster response and better outcomes in a sustainable and resource-efficient way. Similarly, we can tap on community resources to detect and report crime or traffic violations. Some of these suggestions were put up by the Members today.

The second category comprises situations that are difficult to anticipate. They may only happen once in a very long while, but can have very serious consequences. Or they might not have even been anticipated at all. We can try to anticipate every eventuality, and plan and prepare for every one of them. But it is not possible to predict to the last detail what can happen, nor can we set

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aside dedicated resources at high alert for every single eventuality all of the time, and all at the same time.

So, our approach is to organise the Home Team and train our officers to prepare them for their core work and the situations that they are most likely to face and, at the same time, our forces and our officers must have the right instincts and operational flexibility to respond and adapt to the specific requirements when the unanticipated happens.

Let me give you an example. We have not had a kidnapping case for a very long time but when a kidnapping occurred, the Police was able to respond very, very quickly and resolve the case within 12 hours. And they had their priorities right – which was the safety and the life of the victim. They made sure that she was safe, then they arrested the suspects and then they recovered the ransom. So, victim survived, arrested the suspects, then recovered the ransom. That was a response in a very, very rapid way, in a very well coordinated way to an incident which has not happened for many, many years.

So, we may not necessarily have specific and separate forces that are dedicated to and on high alert for each possible eventuality, but we can structure our forces to provide sufficient redundancy and resilience to adapt as necessary and respond to whatever situation arises. You may not get an optimal 100% response which comes from a dedicated high alert force that is ready to do it all the time, but you will get a very good response anyway.

By preparing a tiered response and building in some redundancies and reserves, we can bring our forces up to the required level of alert, deployment and response according to the threat or risk assessment for each eventuality. The deployment posture for our forces will adapt according to operational needs. For example, a high profile international meeting that attracts international protest groups or terrorists will require one type of deployment; a major football game, another; a street parade, an international sporting event, a civil disaster, or possible tension among foreign groups in Singapore that might arise due to developments overseas. All these require different postures and deployments, out of the same general purpose response forces that we have.

The approach I outlined also applies to how we prepare, train and equip our officers for riot control and other public order and security threats, which Mr Heng Chee How and several others asked about. For example, the structure, equipping and training of our forces was reviewed in preparation for the World

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Bank/IMF Conference in 2006 and reviewed again after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. I do not just mean the SOC forces but also our general purpose Police Officers as well as the SCDF.

One area that the Committee of Inquiry into the Little India riot is looking into is examining how the response forces managed the incident. As you would have seen from the testimonies at the COI, there are many considerations in dealing with such a fluid and fast-moving incident and all the factors should be taken into account before arriving at any conclusions. SPF, SCDF and MHA will study and consider the Committee's recommendations as part of our review of public order management and response capabilities.

Mr Hri Kumar, Mr Arthur Fong and others asked whether the Home Team has adequate resources and manpower. The short answer is that more resources and manpower are always welcome because there are growing operational demands and calls for more enforcement presence. But there are natural limits to how much we can grow the Home Team, without compromising the standards expected of officers. As our resident workforce ages and stops growing, it will be even more challenging to recruit and retain good officers, especially given the demands of a uniformed career. I had explained earlier our approach to recruiting officers of good quality and whom we can train in a general purpose way; and employing Auxiliary Police Officers whom we can deploy effectively but for more specific domains and jobs.

I agree with Mr Hri Kumar that it is important to retain a core of experienced officers within the Home Team. That is why in October 2013, we extended the retirement age of Home Team officers. These experienced officers can help to guide younger officers, and share the experience and expertise that they have built up over the years.

We are also increasingly using technology to support the work of our Home Team officers – Ms Tin Pei Ling asked about that.

ICA has been deploying automated self-service immigration lanes that offer secure immigration clearance through the use of biometric identifiers. Many of you would have used it at the airport – it is very fast, it is very convenient and it is secure. SCDF is acquiring unmanned fire fighting machines that are able to respond to a variety of operating environments safely and remotely.

Installing Police cameras at the foot of every HDB block serves as a deterrent against crime and helps in investigations and prosecution, and this is

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a more effective way of using our Police Officers than deploying a Police Officer 24 hours a day at the foot of every block. This frees up the Policeman to take on more and higher value tasks, such as understanding the local community and their needs.

Assoc Prof Eugene Tan spoke about public trust and confidence. We will continue to recruit and retain good officers, and we will train, equip and prepare our officers so that they can perform their duties well. Our Home Team officers work round the clock, 365 days a year – investigating and solving crimes, manning our immigration checkpoints, responding to medical and fire emergency calls and more. They bring justice to victims, protect the vulnerable from harm and steer people who have broken the law back onto the right path. In all they do, Home Team officers are expected to act with honour and integrity.

As I said in this House last month, when officers perform well, I will recognise and commend their good work publicly and so should we all – give them a pat on the back when they do well. If they act professionally and discharge their duties properly and to the best of their abilities, while the outcome does not turn out as well as expected, I will still support them publicly – for this is the difficult and challenging work that they do in the Home Team. And they need our support and encouragement. So, do give them your support and encouragement too when the outcome is not as good as one might have expected. However, if they do not discharge their duties properly and fall short of the standards expected of the Home Team, I will hold them accountable and where warranted, admonish and discipline them.

We will not tolerate wilful misconduct, abuse of power or a lack of integrity. This is not only fundamentally wrong at the individual level, but also tarnishes the Home Team's reputation and undermines the public trust that our officers have collectively and painstakingly built up over the years.

Mdm Chairperson, the individual Home Team agencies already have a system of carrying out investigations into allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct by their officers. To strengthen this system, I have decided to set up an Independent Review Panel. When directed by the Minister, the Panel will review the findings of internal investigations into cases of serious alleged misconduct by an officer in his official capacity. Examples include cases which have resulted in death or serious injury, cases which obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice, or where it is in the public interest to do so.

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The Panel will report directly to the Minister, and review whether the allegations are substantiated and whether the investigations were thorough and carried out in a fair manner. The members of the Panel will comprise prominent members of the community, including people with deep legal knowledge and experience, and also include former Home Team senior officers. The Panel will ensure that there are independent, robust and fair processes in place to review allegations of misconduct by Home Team officers. And this will, in turn, foster greater public trust and confidence in the integrity of the Home Team.

Mdm Chairperson, the Home Team has the important mission of keeping Singapore a safe and secure home. Our officers know that the duties they perform and the decisions they make can have a serious impact on the safety and security of fellow Singaporeans. This is a heavy responsibility. It is a responsibility that every Home Team officer bears.

Our officers can only succeed if they have the support of Singaporeans for the difficult and challenging work that they do. We will continue to forge strong partnerships with businesses, community groups, and fellow Singaporeans in tackling our current and future security changes. Working together with Singaporeans, the Home Team will remain united in our efforts, integrated in our systems, committed to our values, and dedicated to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. Let us give them all our support and encouragement.

Thank you, Mdm Chair. May I have your permission to show some slides on the LED screens?

Yes, please. [Slides were shown to hon Members.]

Deputy Prime Minister Teo has laid out MHA's strategy to keep Singapore safe and secure. Let me now elaborate on our efforts to ensure the safety of our neighbourhoods and roads, and also address some specific queries from Members.

Madam, as we have heard, the overall crime rate declined to 549 crimes per 100,000 population, which is a 6% decrease from 2012, and it continues a favourable trend since 2005. To sustain this, we will continue to invest in our frontline policing capabilities, harness technology, while building on our partnership with the community.

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Community policing is a key aspect of our efforts to keep neighbourhoods safe. Many Members have spoken on this. Mr Hri Kumar has commented on the efficacy and merits in the context of other jurisdictions.

Mr Edwin Tong and Mr Arthur Fong asked about the progress of the Community Policing System (COPS). To strengthen our frontline policing capabilities, we have been implementing COPS in phases since 2012. To date, 20 of our 35 Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) have adopted the COPS model. Under this approach, a Community Policing Unit (CPU) and a Crime Strike Force (CSF) is established at each NPC to reach out to the community, and to tackle local crime concerns.

Our Community Policing Unit officers regularly engage residents to forge closer ties, to raise crime prevention awareness, and to assist and support victims of crimes. Their outreach efforts have generally been well-received by members of the public.

The familiarity with the local operating terrain has enabled our Crime Strike Force officers to be more effective in detecting and deterring crime. For example, officers from Clementi NPC relied on their experience, knowledge of the neighbourhood, and detailed crime pattern analysis to solve within three days a case of serial theft of television sets in November last year.

We will continue to allocate more resources to the Community Policing System. In the second half of 2014, COPS will be implemented at eight more NPCs in Ang Mo Kio North, Bedok South, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah West, Bukit Panjang, Kampong Java, Queenstown and Yishun North. We expect COPS to be introduced in all NPCs by 2015.

Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Pritam Singh asked for an update on the programme to deploy Police Cameras in HDB estates. To date, Police Cameras have been installed in over 2,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks (MSCPs), across all 16 Town Councils, and the 87 wards that they cover. Police Cameras will be rolled out to 1,000 more blocks and MSCPs by the end of this year. We expect all 10,000 HDB blocks and MSCPs to be covered by 2016.

Harnessing such technology is another important element in our efforts to enhance Police's ability to fight crime. Over a period of 21 months, footages from Police Cameras have been used to solve 48 crime cases and generate

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investigative leads for a further 195 cases. On Mr Singh's specific query, the Police is willing to share footages from its cameras with Town Councils where it is relevant for investigations into offences under the Town Councils' purview.

The Home Team continues to seek new ways to leverage on technology as a force multiplier. One new initiative that the Police is working on is the use of body-worn cameras by frontline officers. The experience of Police forces in countries like the UK and Canada indicates that such cameras and their recordings have been useful in deterring crime, calming rowdy members of the public and providing valuable investigative leads. Police will commence a pilot on the use of body-worn cameras for frontline policing in the middle of this year.

Madam, we also remain steadfast in our efforts to strengthen community partnerships. As the Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned, more residents are stepping forward to partner the Police, as evident from the 36% increase in Citizens-on-Patrol membership – from 7,094 members in December 2012 to 9,623 in December 2013.

Police have also extended their partnership to other community stakeholders. For example, Jurong Police Division collaborated with dormitory operators, employers and MOM to launch a Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) to promote crime prevention and safety and security awareness among foreign workers.

Madam, let me now turn to some specific issues that have been raised by Members.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked for an update on the unlicensed moneylending situation. As we have heard, the number of reported unlicensed moneylending and related harassment cases fell to around 8,300 in 2013. This is a decrease of over 2,500 cases, or 23%, from 2012. Since 2009, there has been a cumulative decline of over 55% in such cases. There has also been a shift in the harassment tactics of loanshark syndicates; for instance, harassment cases with damage to property fell by almost a third, or 2,461 cases, over the past year.

This is the combined result of the tough laws that we have enacted, the Police's sustained enforcement effort complemented by the use of technology, such as CCTVs and public education and community partnership.

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Police will also press ahead with their community outreach efforts to educate the public, especially the financially vulnerable, on the perils of borrowing from loansharks, the availability of legal channels and to stay vigilant against loansharking activities.

On the enforcement front, Police have detected an increasing incidence of debtors assisting unlicensed moneylending syndicates by allowing their bank accounts to be used for transactions. To curb their illicit operations, Police are working with banks on a three-year pilot trial to terminate the ATM and Internet banking facilities of persons who are convicted of, or administered with a stern warning in lieu of prosecution, for assisting unlicensed moneylending syndicates. They will be denied such services for a year after which the banks will have to assess whether their services are to be reinstated.

As highlighted by Mr de Souza, unlicensed moneylending tends to involve organised crime syndicates, which are transnational in their activities. MHA is working on legislation targeting organised crime that will strengthen our enforcement efforts against the various levels of unlicensed moneylending syndicates, including those who are based overseas but conduct their unlawful activities in Singapore.

Ms Sylvia Lim spoke on investigations into serious sexual crimes, in particular the length of investigations and the prosecution rate. Madam, investigations into such offences are delicate and inherently complex by their very nature. Where it entails the word of one party against another, the challenge for the Police investigators lies in finding objective evidence to prove the guilt, or otherwise, of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

To this end, as part of investigations, Police record statements from the victims, witnesses and defendants. Exhibits, if any, would be sent for forensic examination. Polygraph examinations may also be conducted in some cases, on a voluntary basis with written consent. Time is also needed for any additional investigative enquiries, and the preparation of the necessary medical and forensic reports. The Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) may also conduct further interviews with the victims and witnesses.

As Ms Sylvia Lim has noted from previous replies, typically, Police take 12 months on average to conclude investigations into serious sexual crimes. The duration can vary for individual cases depending on its complexity. And as a point of reference, its duration of process is comparable to murder cases, which

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like serious sexual crimes are also tried in the High Court.

Upon the conclusion of investigations, as with all criminal investigations, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) will make the final prosecutorial decision based on the facts and circumstances of the case and the strength of the evidence. That will determine the outcome, whether it is to be a prosecution, a stern warning, or no further action to be taken. Police go their part of the work and the AGC will have to evaluate the evidence and circumstances in deciding on the path forward.