REMOVING IMPORTANT MINIMUM Fines ARE A CONCERN.
Nominated Member of Parliament Razwana Begum and Progress Singapore Party ( PSP) Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa, along with MPs Dennis Tan ( WP-Hougang ), Yip Hon Weng ( PAP-Yio Chu Kang ), and Joan Pereira ( PAP-Tanjong Pagar ), collectively raised questions from the electorate.
When the Bill was announced, Mr Yip noted how some of his people asked whether it was  , sending the wrong information, and if it meant that officials were “going sweet” on criminals.
Even if that is not the intention, the removal of mandatory minimum sentences may unintentionally be interpreted as mercy. He claimed that this could destroy public confidence and destroy years of efforts to promote safer traveling practices.
Mr Yip even asked if lighter words had “embolden difficult behaviour” and result to more repeat offenders.
Ms Pereira said the adjustments to the required minimum phrases were” too liberal, even for first-time violators”.  ,
” We have to bear in mind that in these circumstances, lives have been or could have been lost,” she said. The criminals did engage in dangerous or negligent driving behavior in order to cause the injuries. The sanctions must be serious enough to effectively serve as a valuable deterrent.
Ms Begum suggested that it could be “appropriate” for the adjustments to be accompanied by a public awareness campaign.
” We need to make sure that the people who are affected by these modifications are aware of this,” she continued.
In a time when there are more traffic fatalities and dangerous driving accidents, PSP’s Ms. Poa stated that the celebration was in favor of several different proposed amendments, but she could not support the removal of the requirement for mandatory minimum sentences and the disqualification period for first-time unsafe or thoughtless driving offenders.
In the end, both of PSP’s NCMPs, Ms Poa and Leong Mun Wai, recorded their dissention and voted against the proposed modifications.
In her statement, Ms Poa pointed to what she called an “apparent coverage U-turn” following modifications made in 2019 where MHA reviewed Road Traffic Act crimes.  ,