Parliament
Total numbers of drug abusers on the rise
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Parliamentary Secretary for Singapore Ministry of. Home Affairs, Amrin Amin said in Parliament that the total numbers of drug abusers arrested rose from 2,887 to 3,343.
This is his response to Mr Azmoon Ahmad, Nominated Member of Parliament, who asked the Minister for Home Affairs with recent statistics showing an increase in Malay drug abusers, what actions have been taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs to curtail this trend, whether Singapore is on the right path in combating drug addiction, and whether the core of the problem has been understood to arrive at the right solutions and action.
Mr Amin said the number of Malay drug abusers increased from 1,376 in 2010 to 1,738 in 2015. The number of Indian drug abusers arrested has also gone up, from 403 in 2010 to 522 in 2015. Worryingly, of these 522 Indian drug abusers, 265 were Indian Muslims. They are disproportionately represented in this context. The number of Chinese abusers arrested was about 1,000 in both 2010 and 2015.
He said that the Government has worked on multiple fronts, with multiple partners, in the fight against drugs, to strengthen prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation.
“First, we need good preventive drug education efforts. The key focus has to be on our youths,” he said, adding that they also work with parents and schools in their efforts to reach out more effectively to our youths.
He noted that the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has stepped up engagement on various social media platforms to provide more frequent, bite-size information and messages on drugs.
“We are also building an Anti-drug Abuse Advocacy Network in our communities. This Network comprises individuals who help to promote a drug-free lifestyle and society, through their own social circles,” he added.
Mr Amin said that they also work closely with our community partners to engage youths with our anti-drug messages. For example, CNB worked with MENDAKI and Majulah Community to provide an anti-drug talk to a group of student leaders, so that they could share what they learnt about drug abuse with their peers.
Second, the Government said it need rigorous enforcement to keep drugs away from our streets. CNB has enhanced its capabilities to tackle drug syndicates. The Organised Crime Act, which came into force in June this year, criminalises organised crime activities, such as the recruitment of members into drug syndicates. In particular, the Act introduces Preventive Orders, which can be issued by the Courts as a pre-emptive measure.
Third, he said that they need to better support drug abusers in their rehabilitation. Since 2014, they have introduced more intensive rehabilitation programmes in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) for drug abusers with more severe drug addiction issues and higher risk of re-offending.
Earlier this year, the Government introduced a day release programme for low-risk drug abusers in the DRC, to facilitate their re-integration into society. Under this arrangement, drug abusers are allowed to work or study in the community during the day, and they will return to a community facility at night. They are subjected to supervision, such as regular urine tests.
“However, a strong in-care programme is not sufficient. The rehabilitation journey after release is a crucial step. If the drug abusers do not have good family and peer support, they are more likely to relapse,” he stated.
Mr Amin said that the Government work closely with the community to help ex-abusers. One example is the Community Befriender Project. The Project matches volunteers with inmates who have poor family or peer support. The volunteers visit the inmates, and offer them moral support. They continue to meet the inmates after their release, and help build a new social support network. Since 2010, about 600 inmates have benefitted from this Project.
Another one is The Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) which opened its Step-Up Centre in January 2015. This Centre serves as a one-stop centre for services, such as counselling and support groups, to support ex-drug abusers and their families in their reintegration journey. More than 600 ex-abusers have sought help from the Centre.
Drugs have a devastating impact on individuals, families and the society. ”
We must therefore not let up on our efforts to be a drug-free society. We will continue to improve our prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation efforts. The community and families have a critical role to keep our youths away from drugs, and to keep ex-abusers from returning to drugs,” he said.
Editor’s note – So is it because there are more drugs out in the market despite the death penalty in place, or is there a social issue present specifically within the minorities given that the drug abusers are disproportionate from the Malay community.
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Parliament
Workers’ Party to question Govt on Mobile Guardian breach and entry of extremist preacher in upcoming parliamentary sitting
In the 9 September 2024 parliamentary sitting, the Workers’ Party will raise questions on the Mobile Guardian breach, which affected 13,000 students, and the entry of extremist preacher Amir Hamza. Other key topics include housing affordability and the costs of the Founders’ Memorial.
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In the upcoming parliamentary sitting on 9 September 2024, the Workers’ Party (WP) Members of Parliament will focus on key issues such as housing affordability, cybersecurity, national security, and public expenditure.
The topics raised reflect the party’s attention to areas affecting Singaporeans’ daily lives, public safety, and the management of government resources. (read PQs here)
Housing Affordability and Policies
Housing remains a priority, with multiple WP MPs addressing questions on the topic. Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis is seeking details from the Minister for National Development regarding HDB loan-to-value ratios and HDB resale price trends over the past five years. This aims to provide insights into the challenges faced by first-time homebuyers.
Additionally, Ms Sylvia Lim will question why some Build-To-Order and Sale of Balance flat applicants are restricted from selecting flats in projects with later booking dates, seeking clarification on policies that may limit buyers’ choices.
Cybersecurity in the Education System
The recent breach of the Mobile Guardian app, which impacted 13,000 students, is another key focus. Mr Gerald Giam will question the Ministry of Education on how many students were affected, the extent of data loss, and recovery measures.
This follows a Reddit user’s claim that the vulnerability had been highlighted months before the breach. The Ministry confirmed receiving the tip-off but stated that the reported breach had been patched, although the informant refutes this in a subsequent Reddit post.
Ms He Ting Ru will also address the Ministry of Education, asking how it plans to involve parents more actively in managing their children’s devices following the security breach and the removal of the Mobile Guardian Device Management Application.
National Security and Extremism
Mr Pritam Singh is questioning the Minister for Home Affairs about the entry of Bangladeshi preacher Amir Hamza, who delivered a sermon in Singapore on 9 August 2024, asking if he is on any watchlist in the possession of Home Team security agencies.
Hamza was able to enter the country under a different name, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Singapore’s security measures.
He had publicly announced his intention to enter Singapore on his Facebook page with the date and location specified.
Transparency in Public Events
In another area, Mr Gerald Giam will question the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth on the People’s Association’s criteria for inviting elected MPs to Resident Network-organized events, asking for details on how equal access is ensured for MPs from all parties
Costs of the Founders’ Memorial
Public expenditure will also be under scrutiny, as Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asks for information on the development and annual operating costs of the Founders’ Memorial. The S$235.6 million project has sparked public debate over the use of taxpayer funds, with critics questioning whether such a large sum is justified for a national monument.
Defense
About 580 National Servicemen disrupted annually for university studies from 2018 to 2022
In response to a parliamentary question by WP MP Gerald Giam, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen disclosed that about 580 full-time NSFs were allowed university disruptions each year, between 2018 and 2022.
Notably, about 520 opted for local institutions, while the other 60 pursued studies abroad.
SINGAPORE: Annually, from 2018 to 2022, approximately 580 full-time national servicemen (NSFs) were granted disruptions to pursue university studies, as revealed by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Among these disruptions, 520 NSFs chose to attend local universities, while 60 embarked on overseas academic pursuits, marking a distinctive trend within the sphere of National Service (NS) commitments.
Dr Ng was responding to a Parliamentary Question presented by Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, a Member of Parliament from the Workers’ Party, on Tuesday (19 Sep).
Mr Giam sought clarification on the number of full-time NSFs who were granted disruptions for overseas studies, the proportion of Government scholarship holders among them, and the rationale behind allowing these disruptions.
In his written response, Dr Ng elaborated that the majority of disruptions, approximately 70%, pertained to NSFs who had enlisted later than their peers.
This aligns with the policy of ensuring that each cohort commences their university studies in the same academic year, necessitating disruptions for these later enlistees.
Around 27% of the disruptions were allotted to NSFs pursuing medical studies, preparing them to serve as SAF Medical Officers during their NS.
Public Service Commission (PSC) scholars make up the remaining 3% or an average of 19 NSFs. This follows a long-standing practice since 1967 to attract top talent into the public sector.
Dr Ng emphasized that all NSFs are required to complete the remainder of their full-time NS after the disruption period.
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