Hansard, Tuesday, 4 March 2025

1 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the causes of the reported food poisoning symptoms in students at the School of the Arts who consumed ready-to-eat meals distributed as part of Total Defence activities; and (b) what microbiological and shelf-life studies are required by the Singapore Food Agency and conducted as part of Food Resilience Preparedness Programme product testing.

2 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the suspension of the Total Defence food resilience programme after the School of the Arts food poisoning incident (a) what processes are currently in place to vet suppliers of ready-to-eat meals for all Government programmes; and (b) whether there are plans to introduce more stringent checks or audits to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.

3 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the gastroenteritis outbreak among students at the School of the Arts after consuming ready-to-eat meals prepared by SATS at a Food Resilience Preparedness Programme on 18 February 2025 (a) how many meals were contaminated and whether the contamination extended to meals for other organisations such as active ageing centres; (b) what are the causes for the contamination; and (c) whether any penalties will be imposed against SATS.

Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take oral Question Nos 1 to 3 and written Question No 2 in today’s Order Paper, as well as a question on the same topic raised by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim scheduled for the Sitting on 5 March, together. These five Parliamentary Questions (PQs) relate to the food safety incident at the School of the Arts (SOTA).

Please go ahead.

The Food Resilience Preparedness Programme (FRPP) which involved the distribution of over 100,000 Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meals to secondary schools, pre-universities, Institutes of Technical Education, public agencies and Active Ageing Centres, was part of this year’s commemoration of Total Defence Day. The RTE distribution was originally scheduled to take place from 15 February to 28 February.

On 19 February 2025, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) was informed that 20 students at SOTA exhibited symptoms of gastroenteritis after they had consumed RTE meals. Students who needed medical attention sought outpatient medical treatment and have since recovered. None of the students were hospitalised.

On 20 February 2025, SFA, together with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and food caterer SATS, decided to pause the FRPP until investigations on the SOTA gastroenteritis cases were concluded. At the same time, we also reached out to other recipient institutions to ascertain if there were other cases of related illness.

Joint investigations by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and SFA are ongoing. As of 3 March, the total number of verified cases of gastroenteritis was 187, of which 184 were from schools, two were from Active Ageing Centres and one from a public agency. This constituted about 0.16% of the participants. All affected individuals have received the necessary medical attention and have since recovered. None were hospitalised.

SFA has also collected samples of the meals for testing. The tests did not find any foodborne pathogens. SFA and MOH are conducting a comprehensive investigation of this incident, and SFA will take the necessary corrective and enforcement actions if lapses are detected.

Members asked about the food safety processes applied to the supply of RTE meals. SATS, as an SFA-licensed establishment, is required to comply with food safety requirements and subjected to food safety inspections. Food safety requirements include ensuring that food preparation areas and process workflows are set up in a way that prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food, putting systems in place to ensure cleanliness and freedom from pest infestation, as well as having food workers certified with food safety training.

SFA inspected SATS’ premises on 23 January 2025, prior to the start of the FRPP. The premises were found to be clean and no food safety violations were detected. SATS had also put in place additional measures for FRPP. Each meal produced under the FRPP was individually tested for leaks. Further, an SFA-accredited laboratory conducted sample microbiological testing to ensure food safety.

Members asked about steps taken to restore public confidence in the safety of RTE meals used in resilience programmes. We agree that we need to restore public confidence in the RTE meals. As investigation is ongoing, it is too early to state the steps to take. SFA will conduct an after-action review to draw and learn from the lessons of this episode. SFA will continue to engage stakeholders, including schools, food businesses and community partners on our FRPP.

Dr Tan.

I thank the Minister for her comprehensive answer. I have Clementi residents who followed this news and were understandably concerned that there were reports of food poisoning in conjunction with certain RTE meals. I have got two sets of supplementary questions for the Minister.

Firstly, based on media reports, these are ambient RTE meals, which means they were described as not requiring any special storage or refrigeration and could be eaten straight away. There were media reports that described the meals also as having real-time shelf-life studies. Can I ask as part of these shelf-life studies, under what kind of storage temperatures the testing was done to test the shelf-life? And did these storage temperatures reflect the variation that can happen when such meals are stored in the community for longer periods of time? Because weather can be warmer when these meals are being stored in a venue that may have sunlight coming from time to time, and so on?

Secondly, can I also ask regarding the cases that have been found, were there any cluster effects, clustering of cases besides the one at SOTA, as that may help agencies understand if particular batches were affected, or if there may have been some other concurrent infection outbreak happening?

With regard to the first question about the conditions for testing, we believe that SATS had tested the RTE meals in the real-time, real case situations, simulating the transportation and storage conditions. But Dr Tan is absolutely right in the sense that these are the questions that SFA and MOH, together with SATS, will ask as we review the entire exercise. It is important for us to learn from this exercise, including some of the test conditions, to make sure that this programme will evolve more robust than before.

As to the question of whether there was clustering, I think we are still getting the data. We would like to provide a fuller picture after we have gone through the data.

Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for her reply. I have two sets of supplementary questions.

First is while the Ministry conducts regular inspections to ensure compliance with food safety regulations, can the Ministry clarify whether these audits encompass the entire supply chain of RTE food production, from ingredient sourcing to final delivery? And if certain stages are excluded, what are the reasons for these like omissions and how might they impact the overall safety of the food provided to Singaporeans?

And secondly, to enhance public trust, is the Ministry considering making food safety violations by suppliers more transparent? For instance, will there be a public registry of food safety lapses or penalties imposed on suppliers?

On the first questions about inspection and food safety, indeed, SFA conducts regular inspections. We have also, through the enactment of the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB) recently, enhanced the framework of ensuring food safety across all stages of supply of food – from importation to wholesaling to preparation to retail.

Of course, if you look at the entire value chain, not all of them are of the same risk. So, we need to take a risk-based approach, scientifically-based approach to dedicate and focus our inspection resources, so that we are more effective in ensuring food safety as a framework.

As to the RTE process, I have mentioned in my answer earlier on, we have inspected the premises before the FRPP and are satisfied with the outcome of the inspection. Also, as of today, our results have shown that there were no food-borne pathogens detected in the samples of the RTE meals. We do not want to draw any conclusion at this point in time. We want to do a fuller review and we will look at all possible causes of these gastroenteritis cases.

On transparency, again, in the FSSB, there will be a new regime to ensure that our food establishments are licensed according to their readiness, according to the system that they have put in place. If they have many food infringements, they will be downgraded, they will be given more inspections audits along the way. So, our SFA officers will take a risk-based approach. If there has been infringements in the past, we will inspect more frequently. And by grading the caterers and food establishments, we are hoping to give that information, that transparency to buyers and consumers.

Last supplementary question. Mr Dennis Tan.

Can I ask the Minister how long will the review or the investigation take?

I think that we are working as quickly as we can. In the meantime, we have suspended this programme. The RTE meals are actually isolated and controlled, so we do not see that going into the public. So, there is no urgency from a food safety point of view. The packages are all collected, so we are not continuing with this programme for the time being. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment", Official Report, 4 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 157, Correction By Written Statement section.]

We will do our best to do a study quickly, but more importantly is to get ourselves ready for the next programme. We have to learn and take positive lessons from this programme. How do we get Singapore to be ready to be resilient to disruptions? And the disruption is not just in food supply. What if we lack the facilities to cook food? How can we continue to provide nutritious food to the population in large numbers and in a way that is palatable to the population?

This is in no means a small undertaking. We will have to learn from this lesson. We are expected to learn from it and be better. So, we will do it in due course and in full readiness before our next roll-out of the programme.

4 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the total amount of Government subsidies, grants and other financial support provided to Ubisoft Singapore from 2008 to 2024; (b) what specific key performance indicators and conditions are attached to the support provided in terms of local talent development, leadership roles for Singaporeans, and knowledge transfer; and (c) what mechanisms exist to claw back subsidies if companies fail to meet these conditions.

Mr Speaker, the Government has a suite of economic incentives and tools to attract investments, and support companies to grow and transform their businesses. Companies that receive Government support are required to meet key outcomes, such as job creation and local employment, business spending, or fixed asset investment. The level of support and conditions vary depending on the nature of the project. The Government has mechanisms to claw back subsidies from companies that fail to meet the imposed conditions.

We are unable to disclose the details of agreements with individual companies due to confidentiality clauses and commercial sensitivities.

Mr Giam.

Sir, can I just ask the Minister of State some supplementary questions? What key performance indicators (KPIs) and conditions were attached to support in terms of local talent development, leadership roles for Singaporeans and knowledge transfer? And what are the mechanisms that he mentioned that the Government has to be able to claw back government funding if companies do not fulfil these obligations? And has the Economic Development Board (EDB) ever clawed back public funding given to foreign companies who do not fulfil their obligations?

Sir, I thank Mr Gerald Giam for his questions. As I mentioned, we cannot comment on individual company agreements. But I would say that for the claw-back mechanisms, companies may be subject to potential revocation of their existing incentives or claw back of its associated benefits in the event of breach of terms and conditions. But I wanted to assure the Member also that the Government ensures prudent administration of tax incentives through a rigorous process that includes those claw-back mechanisms but also a pre-approval evaluation and also regular monitoring.

With regard to Ubisoft and the broader games sector, those are applied, but the Government has been supporting and, indeed, growing this ecosystem. With regards primarily to the question about building up local talent in this space, I thought it is useful to share a few nuggets.

First, probably the Member knows, Ubisoft has been established for about 15 years. They have trained over 780 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs). There are local leaders who have been developed, and I have met a few of them. Paul Foo is a creative director who has been working at Ubisoft for many, many years. I met with Justin Ng, who is a producer, and their teams produced a few titles, including the upcoming anticipated title, Assassin's Creed Shadows.

They have also onboarded about 150 interns over the last 15 years and have been producing content. I talked about Assassin's Creed Shadows. The local team of Ubisoft Singapore and local developers have been working on the games in two regions, as the game is featured in Japan in the samurai era. So, they worked on the Omi and Wakasa regions. And over 80 Ubisoft Singapore developers and members were involved.

Broader to that, recently I was also at Koei Tecmo Singapore's 20th anniversary. They launched Three Kingdoms HEROES, which is on Apple Arcade, and they also worked together with our local Institutes of Higher Learning, for example, with Nanyang Polytechnic. So, I met with some of the developers who are doing a diploma in animation games and visual effects. There are two, for example, Goh Jia Hui and Lu Shi Ya, have been working on these games that these studios have been developing and are based in Singapore.

So, I think, overall, we support this ecosystem. We have also seen the good flow-down impact on creating very new and exciting jobs on the game developer space and we will continue to do so.

5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry is studying how effective subject-based banding, where secondary school students learn each subject at the level that best caters to their strengths, interests and learning needs, has been on social mixing in schools; (b) if so, what are the Ministry’s findings so far; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will start studying this.

Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB) was implemented in secondary schools starting with the Secondary 1 cohort in 2024. Based on the experiences of students in Full SBB pilot schools starting in 2020, Full SBB has enabled secondary school students to interact more regularly with a more diverse group of students. Students spend around one-third of their curriculum time with peers of different academic profiles in mixed form classes during common subjects, such as Art, and Character and Citizenship Education.

Students in these pilot schools reported that they had a wider and more diverse network of friends, as well as more positive attitudes towards peers from different backgrounds. School leaders and teachers also observed that their students are taking greater ownership of their learning and are more motivated to overcome challenges they face.

We are heartened to see the early positive outcomes arising from the hard work by school leaders and teachers in implementing Full SBB, with the support of parents. The Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to monitor the outcomes from Full SBB and provide the necessary support to schools and teachers.

Mr Louis Ng.

Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. Could I just check specifically what indicators MOE is looking at in terms of studying the extent of social mixing as a result of SBB?

Secondly, I know that SBB does increase the workload of teachers. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned about increasing resources to the schools. Could I check exactly what additional resources are provided to the teachers to help them with this?

I thank Mr Ng for the questions. On the Member's first question, there are several indicators. One of the indicators is looking qualitatively in terms of their networks and friends. When they are in Secondary 1 in their mixed form groups, how are they interacting and how are they engaging one another? And when they move to Secondary 2, do those friendships still persist inside and outside of their form classes? So, that is one of the key indicators. The rest are qualitative in terms of emotional feedback and surveys on how they find certain networks are useful.

On the Member's second question, for example, for Full SBB, obviously, there is a more diverse curriculum and there are more movements. Schedules will definitely be a lot more robust and dynamic. That, certainly, has increased some of the workload and, invariably, teachers and schools will have to manage that.

So, one way that we are doing it is looking at artificial intelligence, and technology and capability in how we can better do scheduling so that distance and travels will be less, less dynamism within the form classes and so on, so that there will be more time for the form teachers to spend time with some of their form class students as well. So, this is ongoing. Each school is monitoring their processes. It is slightly different, but we are monitoring that and we are getting feedback, and we will see what are some of the key technologies or processes that we can implement cohort-wide that could be accretive to this group.

Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Mr Speaker, I thank MOE for this move. On the topic of social capital and social network diversity, can I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that for these studies, will MOE look at it much further into the future? That means looking at the cohort, not just as they progress through school but to the end of formal schooling, and even into the early years of working life, so that we can see how this lifts up children, not just at age 18, but even at 28 or 38 in the years ahead?

I thank Dr Tan for the question, and it is a very important one, because these outcomes are indicative of whether a certain programme is important: social mixing, networks and diversity of friends.

SBB has only been for a couple of years. So, this is something that we definitely want to put into it and study over the long term, and hopefully we get some longitudinal data from that. There will be a review every now and then, and we will most certainly provide updates then.

6 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Transport in light of the new rule which requires businesses that acquire private-hire cars meant for ride-hailing services to keep them for three years before they can be converted or transferred to individuals to ensure a steady supply of ride hailing vehicles, whether a study has been done on the impact of the new rule on private-hire cars on the COE market and COE prices.

Who is answering the question? Yes, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.

Actually, I was going to say that I want to thank the Member for her question. As I mentioned yesterday in my reply to Ms Hazel Poa's Parliamentary Question, the Ministry of Transport will be providing more details regarding the review of the point-to-point transport sector at the upcoming Committee of Supply debate. So, we will address the Member's question then.

7 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) what percentage of pedestrian crossings have bollards of crash test standards, such as the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) 14-1 or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2656; (b) of these, what percentage withstands the equivalent of (i) ASTM F2656 K4 (6,800 kg at 48 km/h) (ii) K8 (6,800 kg at 64 km/h) and (iii) K12 (6,800 kg at 80 km/h) respectively; and (c) what other specific quantitative standards are applied.

The bollards installed at pedestrian crossings by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are not of the K4, K8 or K12 standards stated by the Member. Bollards of these standards are typically security bollards. They are installed to protect critical infrastructure or at high security areas, such as Changi Airport, to be unyielding.

The bollards that LTA has installed at around 100 signalised junctions are safety bollards that help protect pedestrians waiting to cross the road. They are designed to balance absorbing the impact from a vehicle and not causing serious injury to passengers in the vehicle.

In contrast, as security bollards are designed to withstand high impact collisions without yielding, when a vehicle hits a security bollard, the vehicle will likely suffer severe damage and the passengers in the vehicle risk serious or even fatal injury.

Mr Gerald Giam.

Sir, can I just clarify with the Senior Minister of State then whether she means that the bollards at pedestrian crossings are primarily meant as a visual guide to delineate traffic, or is it actually meant to stop, to protect the pedestrians? I understand she said that the bollards are meant to not cause serious injury to the drivers. But how about the pedestrians?

First, let me say that the bollards, the ones that are at the bus stops as well as the signalised junctions at pedestrian crossings are designed to do both. Firstly, as I have said earlier, the bollards are designed to absorb the impact from the vehicle if the vehicle were to encroach into the pedestrian waiting area, for instance. That is to protect pedestrians waiting at the crossing.

But at the same time, the vehicles may have passengers. So, we also want to balance this to make sure that we will minimise the risk of the passengers in the vehicles being seriously injured, unlike the security bollards where, due to the high impact collision and because the bollards are designed to be unyielding, that means for security bollards, they are unyielding. It means they will not move or break off. Whereas for the safety bollards, because we are balancing both the impact, protecting the pedestrians as well as the passengers in the vehicles, they absorb the impact. At the same time, they could break or fall off whilst absorbing the impact.

At the same time, these bollards at the junction would also provide visibility. They will guide the motorist when they are turning. They will clearly delineate the passenger waiting area, the buffer area, as well as enhance visibility and, therefore, minimise or reduce the likelihood of these vehicles encroaching into the area.

Mr Giam. Last supplementary question.

Can the Senior Minister of State clarify then that will LTA educate the public to help them to understand that actually the bollards are not going to prevent a vehicle from colliding into them if the vehicle veers off the road? Because I think most members of the public or most pedestrians would reasonably expect that the bollards are actually going to protect them completely. But what the Minister is saying is that actually the bollards may fall over, and they might still be impacted by the vehicle.

They will provide a certain amount of protection to the pedestrians because, as I have said, the bollards will absorb the impact of the collision from the vehicles. So, there is a protection. But ultimately, of course, road safety really depends on a multitude of factors, including road user behaviour. So, we need to encourage all road users, whether it is drivers or pedestrians, to act cautiously and to take responsibility.

Let me also say that these bollards, although there are no specific international standards that such bollards have to comply with, for LTA, when we design the bollards, we take into account the design parameters, we do take reference from European standards like EN1317, regarding the road restraint systems on the containment level. Of course, these are also built with the steel and concrete structure in compliance with various standards that are an adaptation of the European standards.

I think we can squeeze in one last Parliamentary Question.

8 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations by the National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors, including the (i) appointment of Chief Wellness Officers (ii) Hospital Clinician Scheme and (iii) Clusters pilot; and (b) what specific improvements have been seen in the work hours of junior doctors as a result of these recommendations.

Mr Speaker, Sir, you are very optimistic. Mr Louis Ng has squeezed four substantive issues into one very long sentence. [Laughter.]

Since our last update in Parliament in May 2024, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has made progress in implementing the recommendations of the National Wellness Committee for Junior Doctors. Each of our healthcare clusters has appointed Chief Wellness Officers. Our public hospitals have also designated wellness officers to better understand the concerns of their healthcare staff as well as to support their welfare and well-being.

Sir, the Hospital Clinician (HC) Scheme has been rolled out in all our public hospitals. Currently, around 100 doctors have either enrolled in or been appointed to the HC scheme. These HCs will work alongside family physicians and specialists to deliver team-based care. Where appropriate, HCs may lead healthcare teams and be responsible for the care of patients under their charge. Since its introduction in 2020, we have refined the scheme to enable junior doctors to join earlier in their careers. Doctors now also have the flexibility to switch into the HC career pathway from other medical career tracks.

In collaboration with our healthcare clusters, MOH has implemented pilots aimed at improving the work hours of our junior doctors. Through these pilots, we hope to identify best practices to share across our hospitals. To date, close to half of all clinical departments with junior doctors have implemented shift rosters or have limited their doctors to working no more than 24 hours continuously. This practice will be extended to more departments progressively as we expand our medical workforce.

Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Order of the day.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [3rd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Head P (cont) – (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resumption of Debate on Question [3 March 2025], (proc text)]

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

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

Minister Josephine Teo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minister of State Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

Mr Chairman, I will now speak on the drug situation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that 190 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2023, a 26% jump from 2022. This amount is almost 8,000 times the amount seized in Singapore that year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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