SINGAPORE - A slew of legislative changes proposed under the Criminal Procedure (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill was passed on Feb 5, including a key change that may see dangerous offenders jailed indefinitely.
Another hot topic that dominated the first day of February’s Parliament sitting was the SimplyGo saga, with more than 20 MPs filing questions on how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) addressed the matter and the improvements planned for the system.
Here are key takeaways:
1. Dangerous offenders may be jailed indefinitely, following legislative changes
Under a new sentencing regime, dangerous offenders who commit serious violent or sexual offences may not be automatically released after their jail terms – especially if they show signs of reoffending.
If the court decides that an offender is detained under the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection (Sepp), he can be held for between five and 20 years.
At the end of this minimum term, the offender will be released only if assessed by the Home Affairs Minister to no longer pose a threat to the public.
Sepp is part of a slew of about 20 legislative changes to the Criminal Procedure Code that were passed.
The police will also have enhanced powers to conduct searches without a warrant, while suspects will be compelled to undergo a forensic medical examination, should it be relevant to the investigation. Not doing so will be considered a crime.
Why it matters
Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam told Parliament that Sepp is Singapore’s response to offenders who have “troubling conduct” and exhibit “patterns of serious abuse” repeatedly, sometimes very shortly after they have been released from prison.
He cited a couple of cases, including one where an offender, who was jailed for raping a minor, sexually assaulted two other girls after he was released.
MPs raised questions about what the review process is like at the end of the sentence, and how many offenders are expected to be sentenced under this new change.
Mr Shanmugam, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Rahayu Mahzam told the House that there are safeguards in place during both the sentencing and review stages.
Ms Sun said: “If the minister decides not to release an offender, the minister must review that decision again within a year.”
The minister’s decision can also be subject to judicial review, she added.
READ MORE HERE: New law passed to hold serious sexual, violent crime offenders indefinitely
2. Plans for SimplyGo to be a ‘universal card’
LTA will look into expanding the use of the account-based SimplyGo system to cover motoring payments in future, on top of its current uses for public transport and retail.
This is in addition to finding a way to let users see fare deductions and card balances when they tap out, without slowing down the flow of passengers, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
He also said that more card readers will be available at MRT stations and bus interchanges for SimplyGo users to check their card balances. However, the Ministry of Transport did not share details about when or where this will be rolled out.
Why it matters
The SimplyGo matter has dominated headlines since LTA announced plans on Jan 9 to make it the only accepted system to handle adult fare payments from June.
It later shelved these plans following a public backlash. The main grouse was that passengers would not be able to view fares and card balances at MRT fare gates and bus card readers.
Mr Chee said extending the card-based ticketing system for adults until at least 2030 – a $40 million move – will give LTA time to explore possible solutions.
The Government will bear the cost of rolling out SimplyGo and extending the older card-based systems for adults and concession-card holders. Fares will not be affected, stressed Mr Chee.
3. 2022 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix to be audited
In the light of corruption charges brought against former transport minister S. Iswaran, the Singapore Tourism Board is conducting an audit of the 2022 edition of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, said Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu.
She added that the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will review the terms of Singapore’s Formula One race deal. The latest contract, which was inked in 2022, is now in its fourth term and will end in 2028.
Preparations for the 2024 race are under way, said Ms Fu, noting that the Government remains committed to the Grand Prix, even as it reviews contracts to safeguard Singapore’s interests.
Why it matters
News of Iswaran’s corruption scandal and his relationship with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is the chairman of race promoter Singapore GP, have put Singapore in the global spotlight.
In January, Iswaran was handed 27 charges in court, most of which involved obtaining gifts from Mr Ong such as tickets to Premier League football games and musicals. Iswaran has said he is not guilty of the charges.
The Republic is known for its tough anti-corruption stance, and this is the first time in almost five decades that a political office-holder here has been charged with corruption.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) asked Ms Fu if MTI had conducted an assessment of the potential impact of the case on investor confidence in Singapore.
Ms Fu said the ministry had not “detected” any reservations or any impact as a result of the case.
“But we will keep a very close eye, and we’ll respond quickly, expeditiously and robustly if need be,” she added.
READ MORE HERE: STB auditing 2022 F1 race following corruption allegations against Iswaran: Grace Fu
If you have a few more minutes:
New not-for-profit hospitals to avoid high costs
Restrictions on patients’ bills will be imposed on private acute hospitals under the new not-for-profit model, so as to prevent high costs for patients, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
He added that any new hospital under this model will primarily serve Singaporeans, and complement public healthcare.
Each of these hospitals will be issued its own healthcare licence, allowing for stronger governance. This also means they need to have strong oversight and control of their doctors’ clinical practices, said Mr Ong.
On Jan 8, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced it was inviting private healthcare operators here to take part in an industry consultation. Mr Ong added that MOH had received “good responses” from various professionals and the industry in response.
The dos and don’ts of being a public servant
Minister-in-Charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing outlined how public servants should behave when it comes to gifts, in the wake of Iswaran’s corruption case.
Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister, went through various scenarios, including how they must declare and account for the gifts according to established processes, and report wrongful or doubtful practices to the heads of their organisations or agencies such as the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
On whether the rules should be reviewed since Iswaran has been charged, Mr Chan urged against a “knee-jerk reaction” to immediately tighten or add more rules.
