Singapore remains one of the safest countries in the world. In terms of overall safety and security: Singapore continues to rank well in international assessments. In the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2023, Singapore was ranked one of the top three countries in the ‘Order and Security’ category for the 7th time in a row. Our physical crime and drug situations remain relatively stable, and under control.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam updated Parliament today Feb 29 on our safety and security status as he outlined priorities of the Home Team to keep Singapore safe. They include tackling the drug abuse among youths, combatting scams and managing the resourcing of the Home Team.
He was responding to Members of Parliament’s questions during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate for the Home Affairs ministry.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling also announced efforts to raise public’s awareness on scams.
#1 Young drug abusers are rising, especially cannabis abusers
In 2023, the number of new drug abusers arrested in Singapore increased by 18 per cent from the previous year. More than half were under 30.
In Parliament, Mr Shanmugam responded to concerns from Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC), Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Derrick Goh (Nee Soon GRC) and Nominated MPs regarding the rising number of young drug abusers.
According to a survey by the Institute of Mental Health published last year, many Singaporeans started abusing drugs when they are very young – before 16.
He added that arrests of cannabis abusers in Singapore hit a 10-year high last year. It was the third most commonly abused drug overall and the second most commonly abused drug by new drug abusers. More than 60 per cent of the new cannabis abusers arrested last year were under 30.
He said: “There is a slightly more permissive attitude amongst our younger people towards drugs. They are sometimes influenced by what they read and see online, the lifestyle promoted by permissive cultures and societies, and the falsehoods that are peddled.”
He added that he will deliver a Ministerial Statement later in the year to discuss in detail the global drug situation and Singapore’s approach.
#2 “Drug Victims Remembrance Day” to remember the victims of drug abuse
From this year, every third Friday of May will be designated as Drug Victims Remembrance Day.
Announcing this in Parliament, Mr Shanmugam said activism usually focuses on drug traffickers, but there are thousands more whom Singaporeans should think about.
“These are the victims of the drug traffickers and the lucrative drug trade – the abusers who suffer, their families, and their loved ones, they are forgotten in activism. But we must remember them, the suffering that they had gone through, the harm that drugs had done to them.”
He added that the Government, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning will organise activities on this day to remember the victims of drug abuse.
#3 Enhance preventive drug education in schools and the army
Mr Shanmugam said schools will expand efforts to teach students to think critically about drugs. They will cover the topic and extend it to subjects like General Paper. This builds on efforts last year to expand preventive drug education (PDE) in schools.
Separately, the Central Narcotics Bureau will also improve PDE for full-time national servicemen and better equip NS commanders to identify and support drug abusers and those at risk, he added.
#4 A one-stop portal for all scam-related resources to be launched
The Government will set up a one-stop portal that consolidates anti-scam resources to make such information more easily accessible.
Set to be launched later this year, the site will advise members of the public what to do if they think they have been scammed, how to protect themselves from getting scammed in the first place and the latest types of scams to be wary of.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling announced this during the COS debate.
In addition, the Government is also looking into further measures to protect members of the public, including those who refuse to believe that they have fallen prey to a scam, she added.
Mr Shanmugam said the most effective way to tackle scams is to prevent them. The Government works with stakeholder to strengthen Singapore’s communications and banking channels, digital systems and online platforms.
Scams were the main driver of crime in 2023; there were more than 46,000 reported scam cases, a 46.8 per cent increase from 2022. The total amount lost to scams was more than $650 million.
“The Government will continue to explore other measures, to protect the public from scams. But there is a limit to what we can do. There isn’t a magic bullet, an ironclad shield against scams, unless we decide to roll back digitalisation – in other words: no more internet shopping, no smart phones and social media, no internet banking. This is not possible.”
“A key line of defence: is us as individuals. We have to guard ourselves and our friends and families from scams.”
#5 Resolving manpower shortage issue in Home Team
To deal with the shortage of manpower in the Singapore Police Force, Mr Shanmugam said one way is to rely more on technology, retired officers, community partners and volunteers, and focus on the officer welfare.
He revealed that over the past five years, 36 per cent of the retirees were re-employed in uniformed roles; there has been an almost 40 per cent increase in the number of its Citizens on Patrol volunteers.
The Ministry has been working closely with government agencies to add to the pool of investigation officers in SPF, he said. The police will also automate and streamline work processes where possible, and prioritise investigating areas with the most pressing needs, for example investigating scams and sexual offences.
“On the flipside, this naturally also means that there are other areas where work will be deprioritised. These are the trade-offs” he added.
