Dennis Tan on Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill

A law that puts people behind bars or restricts their movement on the orders of the Home Affairs Minister is a controversial exception to Singapore’s legal justice system, said MP Dennis Tan in Parliament on Wednesday (Apr 3). However, he said the Workers’ Party was “in cautious support” of a proposed five-year extension, subject to the Government’s explanation for its use over the past five years and justification for the extension. Mr Tan asked how many people have been detained or placed under police supervision since the last extension in October 2019, the breakdown of their criminal activities, details of time served and if there were instances where the Public Prosecutor withheld consent or raised concerns over a Minister’s order. He also asked if other enforcement methods have been considered to control the problem of gangs and crime syndicates, as well as the issue of witnesses not coming forward to testify. Would advances in policing methods and technological capabilities help to mitigate these issues, he asked. He also queried what conditions or goals might need to be achieved, for the Government to consider not seeking further extensions of the Act in future.