Heads of Departments

Fellow Home Team colleagues

The year 2001 has been an eventful one. Vivid images of earth-shattering events during the year are forever etched in our minds. In particular, the images of two planes crashing into the New York World Centre towers one after another, and the towers, engulfed in flames and falling amid clouds of heavy smoke are images we will not forget. The world today is changed. It has since September 11.

It is our business, as the Home Team, to keep Singapore a safe and secure best home for our people. In essence, it means an anti-drug, anti-crime and anti-terrorist environment. And our job has taken on greater significance after September 11.  

We scored successes in the year 2001. Crime fell about 12 percent last year with about 28,000 seizable offences in 2001. This decline is commendable, since the corresponding period in the year 2000 had already seen a 10 percent drop over 1999. The pattern of arrests of illegal immigrants and overstayers shifted last year – a drop in illegal immigrants by 11 percent last year to 10,300, while the number of overstayers arrested last year rose by 10 percent to 5,600.

Fire outbreaks in Singapore has consistently seen a declining trend. The number of fire incidents dropped to a low of about 5,100 cases in 2001 after peaking at about 6,700 in 1997. This 24 percent drop in incidents is a very encouraging picture. It not only reflects on the success of the ongoing fire safety public education programmes, but also shows that the many Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP) initiatives undertaken by the grassroots and Civil Defence Executive Committees are paying off.

Seizures of drugs were significant last year. About 100 kg of heroin no. 3 with a street value of close to $16 million were seized. Over 23,000 ‘Ecstasy’ tablets and more than 19,000 methamphetamine or ‘ya ba’ tablets were also seized. The drug situation in Singapore is under control with the arrest of about 3,000 drug abusers in 2001, a 6% increase over the previous year. Heroin and ‘Ice’ abusers were the main contributors to the increase. This increase in the number of drug abusers arrested, although small, is a clear reminder that we cannot be complacent about the problem of drug abuse.

In December, the Internal Security Department crippled a terrorist network and arrested 15 people suspected to be involved in terrorism-related activities. Although there was no information of any imminent threat, all measures that can be reasonably taken to defend ourselves against any terrorist threat have been taken. Some, such as the enhanced security at key installations, are very visible and the public can see this. Police National Servicemen were brought on board to augment the regulars in safeguarding our key installations.

Others are less visible, involving our security and intelligence agencies working with counterparts in the region and other parts of the world. We also gave internal briefings to our officers after September 11 to explain the situation to them. Swift action and a ready and prepared posture have helped to ensure that no terrorist activities spilled over to Singapore.

The spirit of cooperation within the Home Team has remained strong. The Home Team Achievement Awards that we are giving out today shows this spirit. An example of an award-winning project is the

joint operation by Police Dog unit and CNB on cannabis trafficking in Woodlands. At the end of the operation, 2 traffickers and 2 abusers were arrested, together with a seizure of about 90 grams of cannabis.

We must press on. The future months will be even more challenging. Given the current economic climate, crimes of opportunity – like robbery and theft – could go up. Last year, I mentioned that the declining crime rates cannot keep going down forever. There will be times when the rates will fluctuate and we have to be vigilant and not let up on our efforts. Other than illegal immigrants and overstayers, we have also to be vigilant against others who come in to commit terrorist acts.

In the response to the terrorist threat following the 911 attacks, it is clear from the scope of coverage, resources and expertise required that Homeland security must involve the security and intelligence agencies in the government and not only the Home Team. However, even more importantly, it must involve the shared responsibility for common security which ordinary citizens must feel and be committed to.

In the aftermath of the 911 tragedy, even as the horror continued to shock and numb many Americans as it did others around the world, it was inspiring to see so many ordinary citizens coming forward to offer help and support. This is a picture of resilience and spirit that is instructive to all.

In the same way, our officers must be resilient in the face of crisis, for in our hands are the security of our homeland and the very lives of fellow countrymen.

It is only human nature to be affected by events and to have a personal opinion of sensitive or contentious issues. But as officers in the Home Team, we are here to do our work. We have to be united and work with one heart. For if we are divided, the foundations that we have taken so many years to build, will crumble and fall.

How do we build resilience and internal cohesion? Resilience and internal cohesion begins firstly with a shared commitment to a common purpose. For the Home Team, this is the worthy mission of making Singapore a safe and secure home. How well resilience and internal cohesion is sustained in the face of adversity will be determined by the intensity of that commitment, the level of professional preparedness of ground forces and the quality of leadership.

For the Home Team as an organization, we must have a focused, coordinated and adaptive structure of response to crisis. In operational terms, we must have balanced and well-trained officers working on the ground guided by strong and level-headed leadership.

One concrete and tried-and-tested way to foster internal cohesion will be through joint operations and HT project teams, where officers will gain a better understanding of their counterparts’ role. Another way is through multi-agency exercises. Training, especially in simulated crisis, will incorporate the element of realism.

But the Home Team does not and cannot succeed on its own. Neither can we formulate policies or programmes in an ivory tower. The Home Team must constantly renew efforts at curbing crime. We have to be on the alert for the emergence of new crime patterns and be aware of the new developments, new trends both in Singapore and in the larger world outside. That the Internal Security Department, the Central Narcotics Bureau and the Singapore Police Force enjoy close working cooperation with their foreign counterparts would be an advantage to keep an eye on emerging trends and their implication for Singapore.

In the fight against terrorism, it is important to prevent money laundering as a source of finance for terrorism. The Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO), set up by the Singapore Police Force in 2000, was further enhanced in 2001 to tackle terrorism. STRO acts as the central agency in Singapore for the receipt and analysis of Suspicious Transaction Reports made pursuant to the provisions of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. It is through suspicious transaction reporting that money laundering and related predicate offences may be detected.

Indeed, recent events have shown that monies are laundered not just to conceal its illicit origin. They may also be laundered to finance terrorism and transnational crime. The global fight against money laundering has therefore taken on a new dimension. The significance of STRO in maintaining a strong anti-money laundering regime in Singapore through the financial analysis of suspicious transaction reports has also increased.

Even before September 11, the Home Team works in close collaboration with other government agencies in maintaining the safety and security of Singapore. The yearly "Chemical Spill Exercise" is an illustration of joint operations carried out on a regular basis. The exercise, which saw the participation of the government agencies such as the Maritime Port Authority, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Police, help sharpen collaborative reflexes and responsiveness. This will ensure the agencies’ prompt reaction should any such incidents occur in Singapore waters.

Following September 11, it has become clearer from the scope for coverage and resources and expertise required that Homeland security must involve the entire spectrum of government and not just the Home Team. Other ministries such as Defence, Information, Communication and The Arts, the Environment and Heath, all have an important and significant part to play in the total defence of Singapore. The Home Team has tapped much of their expertise, for example, in the crisis management of hazardous materials and shelter management.

When security for key installations was stepped up, the Home Team worked with a number of agencies. For example the Singapore Armed Forces augmented Police’s resources to safeguard our key installations such as Changi Airport. We also worked with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the management of various private companies in Changi Airport and Jurong Island to address the challenge.

Even more importantly, homeland security must involve the shared responsibility for common security which Singaporeans must feel and be committed to. The introduction of the CSSP initiatives in the heartlands is a strong start in the Home Team’s effort to consolidate community relations efforts and foster greater co-operation with the public. There are now close to 1,300 CSSP initiatives in the CDCs, a comprehensive effort after only three years. The benefits can be seen in the lower crime rate and the warm response to CSSP training sessions.

Let me now turn to what we can do, as Singaporeans. We may each have personal views about events overseas. But we must remind ourselves that we are first and foremost Singaporeans. We should not do anything that put at risk the collective security and peace that all of us as Singaporeans enjoy in our own country.

On this, I am heartened to see the support and readiness from our Police NSmen and their employers who were given short notice for their standby and recall. Besides being recalled for active duty to augment our regular forces, some of these Police NSmen were also placed on standby. We are aware that the additional call-up may inconvenience some employers. We will try to keep this to a minimum. We are fortunate that employers today understand the importance and necessity of National Service. By giving us your continued support, you play an invaluable and crucial role in ensuring that Singapore remains safe and secure, for our businesses and everyone in the community.

As our motto says "The Home Team – Here to Make it Right", we cannot let up on our vigilance and effectiveness. We cannot fail. It is with the alertness of the Home Team, that Singaporeans and residents can live here peacefully, comfortable in the knowledge that they are in safe hands.

~~o0o~~