Sylvia Lim on misuse of drugs and constitution amendment bills

Out of thousands of new psychoactive substances, how will the Ministry of Home Affairs decide which ones to regulate, under proposed changes in a new Bill? Are there forms of reference besides advice from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and does Singapore have its own scientific analysis? MP Sylvia Lim asked these questions in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 21). She also spoke about a proposed increase in punishments for unauthorised possession of larger quantities of certain controlled drugs. She asked for a justification for the increases and whether it would be correct to infer that the changes are targeted at cases where suspects are charged with trafficking but those charges somehow fail in court. On planned amendments to the Constitution to allow excess monies in contingencies funds to be returned to the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund, Ms Lim asked for clarification of the role of Parliament in the process - such as what form the reporting of reductions in balances will take and what part MPs will play.