SINGAPORE - The Government has been conducting engagement sessions as part of its consultation plans to canvass views on the Penal Code Review Committee's recommendations, said a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman on Thursday (Sept 13).

This was in reply to media queries regarding a WhatsApp message that has been circulating regarding Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam's upcoming engagement session with pastors and church leaders on the Penal Code review.

Besides public feedback solicited via Reach and the MHA and Ministry of Law websites, the two ministries have been actively engaging social sector stakeholders, commercial sector stakeholders, lawyers, law academics, students and religious groups for their views, said the spokesman.

The Government will provide a summary of the key comments received at the close of the stakeholder engagement and public consultation exercise, he added.

A committee which was set up in 2016 to conduct a wide-ranging review of the Penal Code has called for marital immunity for rape to be removed and also for attempted suicide to be decriminalised.

It has also proposed further protection for minors from sexual predators, as well as enhanced punishment for crimes committed against children, domestic maids and adults with mental or physical disabilities who cannot fend for themselves.

The 169 recommendations also include updating the 150-year-old Penal Code with new laws to tackle emerging crime trends, such as voyeurism and the spreading of nude or explicit images.

The last comprehensive review was completed in 2007.