Foo Cexiang on Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill

Why is caning to be made mandatory for scammers, members and recruiters of syndicates, but discretionary for scam mules? MP Foo Cexiang said they are all essential participants in the enterprise and questioned the rationale for making a distinction, especially for mules who knowingly enable such activities. He also asked the government to consider imposing more severe penalties for scams involving impersonation of officials, pointing out that this may be the “most deplorable” of scams as it can undermine public confidence in the government and the integrity and security of services. On concerns about using caning as punishment, Mr Foo believes Singapore can now remove mandatory caning for vandalism because it has managed to successfully deter the offence from taking root - and the same should be done for scams. He praised the government’s “practical and hard-nosed approach” to protecting Singaporeans while reviewing policies in keeping with the times. He spoke in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4).