Mark Lee on Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill

The Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill represents a significant step forward in helping to foster communities that are not only harmonious, but also compassionate and respectful of Singapore’s diverse cultural landscape, said NMP Mark Lee. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 12), he said the amendments should make conflict resolutions faster and more robust, reducing the need for formal legal actions. He also sought clarifications on the Bill. One of them is on the expanded powers of Community Relations Officers. He noted that they would be drawn from existing enforcement roles and wanted to know if this could potentially increase their workload. He wanted to know what measures would be taken to ensure that service levels remain consistent with these added duties. He also wanted to know what specific training they would receive, given the sensitive nature of cases, and if their training would include community engagement methods to help foster peaceful resolutions.