IN FOCUS: The global scourge of child porn – how does it spread and what is Singapore doing about it?

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In: South-East Asia

“PARTICULARLY DISTRESSING”: PROSECUTOR

When the authorities manage to identify and nab the perpetrators, they are charged in court. But before that, investigators and prosecutors such as Mr Chong have to sift through the evidence, with some cases involving thousands of videos. 

“Many of us felt nauseous when we viewed such clips, as they involved young toddlers or infants being harmed. It is particularly distressing when we can see or hear the children in distress or pain,” Mr Chong told CNA.

“Personally, I always feel most affected when I see a child unsuccessfully trying to cover their face when being filmed, as even this tiny bit of dignity is being taken away from them.

“There can also be feelings of helplessness, as the children appear to be in faraway countries. These children may never be rescued, and the people involved in inflicting such unspeakable harm may never face justice.”

He has advised his colleagues to take frequent breaks when reviewing such material, and to do it in the mornings so that the images “do not become the last thing we work on before going home for the day”.

Nevertheless, he said that their job was to remain objective and impartial no matter how grave the offence, and that they find it rewarding to successfully prosecute such cases.

Since the dedicated laws came into effect in 2020, the culpability of offenders has been “tiered” at every level, said the prosecutor.

Offenders who are involved in the production of such material can be jailed for up to 10 years. Those who download, stream, access, or possess such films can be punished with up to five years’ imprisonment. Caning and fines can also be imposed.

Those who distribute child sexual abuse material can be jailed for up to seven years, caned, fined, or a combination of those punishments. Before the new laws, such offenders could only be prosecuted for transmitting obscene material, which carried an imprisonment term of up to only three months and/or a fine.

THE REHABILITATION PROCESS

Following a conviction, some offenders will serve time behind bars and be placed in rehabilitation programmes.

The prison service said that offenders will undergo a psychological assessment to identify their risk of reoffending and intervention needs.

These psychological interventions aim to help them address problems with:

  • Interpersonal relationships
  • Self-regulation, such as difficulties in controlling inappropriate impulses or sexual urges
  • Negative attitudes that support sexual offending
  • Responsible use of the internet and other problematic online behaviours
  • Using leisure time meaningfully

After this, inmates are guided to develop individualised risk management plans. Inmates will also undergo other rehabilitative activities, like work, religious counselling and family-based programmes.

After their release, they may also be referred to relevant agencies in the community for further counselling and support, if a psychologist assesses it to be necessary.

People who committed serious offences as specified in the First Schedule of the Prisons Act – which includes crimes involving child sexual abuse material – are required to undergo mandatory supervision and aftercare support upon their release. This includes curfew hours and electronic monitoring.

SPS said: “With the Mandatory Aftercare Scheme, better protection of society is achieved through closer supervision … of these serious crime offenders after their release, as well as enhanced aftercare support such as case management to assist their reintegration and reduce their reoffending risk.”

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15 cafes and restaurants you can refuel at after you’ve walked these hiking trails around Singapore

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Social Smoker begins grilling only in the evening, so plan appropriately. They serve meat platters for two, three, or five, all of which are spiced, seared and sliced on a custom-built, S$20,000-smoker from Ole Hickory Pits in Missouri. Accompany your meats with Maple Sprouts or Cornbread Bibingka, and top it off with a cup of sake, a glass of natural wine, or a refreshing craft beer from local brewery, Niang Brewery.

2. Cava

Not far from Social Smoker is Cava, an all-day brunch destination that joined the scene in 2022. In contrast to the cafes along Upper Thomson Road, it is exceedingly spacious, capable of accommodating pets, bicycles, and diners coming from MacRitchie Reservoir without seating them elbow to elbow. It even has room for antiquity, housing one of Singapore’s last remaining wells.

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Commentary: Reintroducing some form of inheritance tax could help address wealth inequality in Singapore

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In: South-East Asia

In practice, an inheritance tax can end up a cat-and-mouse game. The ultra-rich can easily avoid inheritance tax through tax planning, for example by gifting properties to the next generation during their lifetime. 

As a result, the eventual annual tax collected from estate duty was only about S$75 million on average, according the 2008 Budget statement. This makes it an unsustainable source of tax revenue for the government to rely on, when compared to the resources that must be mobilised to collect this tax.

THREAT OF CAPITAL FLIGHT

These factors favouring the removal of inheritance tax are still valid today. Our entrenched position as a wealth management hub in the region will be seriously threatened if the inheritance tax is re-introduced.

The likelihood of the exodus of funds and assets out of Singapore to other countries with no inheritance tax is high. Worse still, some of our wealthy residents may be enticed to relocate if that can save them from such a high tax burden.

Consequently, more tax revenue could potentially be lost if we take into account the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the big-ticket items they may otherwise have purchased or the income tax payable by their family members who derive employment or trading income.  

Such capital flight means tax collection will continue to be low unless the taxes are tweaked to make it more progressive, with much higher tax rates and lower exemption values at the risk of diluting our attractiveness as a wealth management hub.

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Who knows where you live? A search on the Internet could prove surprising

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SINGAPORE: Official records once showed Ruzaidie Dar Surnik’s home to be where five migrant workers resided, only it wasn’t true.

He discovered this falsehood by chance, through a fellow member of a parents’ support group who had had the same misfortune.

Ruzaidie reported his case to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and said it took about three weeks for things to be rectified.

When he posted about his experience on Facebook in April 2019, he received feedback from others who said, “Me too.”

That year, the MOM’s Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry Service (FWTES) began allowing home owners to check the details of migrant workers registered as residing in their public flat or private residence.

It seems that the problem has not let up.

Since 2020, the MOM has stepped up inspections and discovered around 1,000 cases each year involving the false declaration of residential addresses as housing addresses for migrant workers, the ministry told the programme Talking Point.

It has also taken enforcement action against more than 2,000 errant employers since 2020.

Offenders may face fines of up to S$20,000 and/or up to 24 months in jail for each false declaration, in addition to being barred from hiring migrant workers.

WATCH: How your home address could be leaked — who knows where you live? (22:28)

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Singapore says UN Human Rights statement on death penalty ‘glossed over’ serious harms that drugs cause

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DETERRENT EFFECT OF DEATH PENALTY

The UN spokesperson said in the Apr 25 statement that the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent.

“The death penalty is still being used in a small number of countries, largely because of the myth that it deters crime,” said the spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani.

“We call on the Singapore government to adopt a formal moratorium on executions for drug-related offences and to ensure the right to a fair trial for all defendants in line with its international obligations,” she added.

In response, Singapore said that capital punishment has proven to be a strong deterrent against serious crimes in the country. 

It cited the introduction of the death penalty for kidnapping in 1961. The average number of kidnapping cases fell from 29 per year between 1958 and 1960 to two or fewer cases annually in all but two years since 1961.

Capital punishment was also introduced for firearms offences in 1973. A similar decline in the number of such offences immediately followed this move. “Today, firearms offences are very rare in Singapore,” said the mission. 

It added that when it comes to drug trafficking, the death penalty has also had a strong deterrent effect.

“When mandatory capital punishment was introduced in 1990 for the trafficking of opium, the average net weight of opium trafficked into Singapore in the four-year period that followed fell drastically by 66 per cent from the four-year period that had preceded its introduction,” said the mission.

It also cited a study conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2018 which found a very high level of awareness of capital punishment among convicted drug traffickers, influencing their drug trafficking behaviour. 

According to a separate study in 2021 which surveyed more than 7,200 people from countries in the region from which most of the drug traffickers arrested by Singapore originate, a majority of them believed capital punishment makes people not want to traffic substantial amounts of drugs into Singapore.

A majority also believed that capital punishment is more effective than life imprisonment in discouraging people from trafficking drugs into Singapore, according to the study.

The use of drugs has been linked to a host of social, economic and health-related issues, including increased crime rates, lower productivity and a greater burden on healthcare resources, said Singapore Permanent Mission.

“Singapore cannot afford such a high cost to our society and our people,” it added.

“We shall continue to implement evidence-based measures that have worked well for us in the fight against drugs.”

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HDB to streamline home-buying process by consolidating eligibility assessments

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SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will simplify the process of buying a flat by consolidating eligibility assessments for HDB flat purchases, Central Provident Fund (CPF) housing grants and HDB housing loans into a single application through the HDB Flat Portal.

Upon obtaining the new HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, buyers of new or resale flats will be able to gain a better understanding of their purchase costs and financing options, HDB said in a press release on Friday (Apr 28).

The HFE letter will replace the current HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter from May 9.

“With greater clarity in advance on their housing budget and financing options, flat buyers should be able to make more informed and prudent decisions in their home purchase,” HDB said.

Currently, HDB assesses buyers’ eligibility for flat purchase, CPF housing grants and HDB housing loans at different stages of the home-buying process.

For instance, when purchasing a new flat, HDB at the moment assesses the buyer’s eligibility for flat purchase at the application stage, while eligibility for housing grants is assessed at the booking stage.

Eligibility for an HDB housing loan is assessed at the HLE letter application stage, and buyers have to wait for HDB to inform and confirm the application.

At each assessment, flat buyers are required to provide HDB with the necessary supporting documents such as pay slips and CPF statements for verification. 

Under the current process, buyers of new or resale flats are unable to determine their eligibility for purchase or housing grants at the application stage, which may lead to “some uncertainty” over their housing budget, HDB said.

NEW FLAT ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT

The new HFE letter streamlines the home buying process as the different eligibility assessments for HDB flat purchases, housing grants and HDB housing loans will now be integrated.

From May 9, flat buyers must have a valid HFE letter when they apply for a flat from HDB during a sales launch or open booking of flats or when they obtain an Option to Purchase (OTP) from a flat seller, as well as when they submit a resale application to HDB.

Once flat buyers submit their completed application, they can expect to receive the HFE letter within 21 working days, indicating their eligibility to purchase a new and/or resale flat, along with the amount of CPF housing grants and HDB housing loan they are entitled to.

However, the processing time may be extended during peak periods, such as in the months of and before a sales launch. As such, flat buyers are advised to apply for an HFE letter early, HDB said.

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South Korea’s funeral industry adapts to more people dying alone

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“In the case of South Korea, we used to put a lot of importance on tradition. In the past, funerals followed Confucian virtues, such as ancestor worship and filial piety. But now, the funeral culture has become simplified and convenient,” he said, adding that it will be further streamlined in the future.

Typically, funerals in South Korea last three days. Bereaved family members do not get any shut-eye during this period as one person always has to be awake and keep watch. 

The reality of living and dying alone has become so entrenched in society that even some students as young as in their 20s have started thinking ahead about their funerals.

“I would go for a natural burial because this way, I won’t become a burden to others. And I can just leave without incurring any expenses when I die,” said mortuary science major Shim Jae-heon.

LIVING AND DYING SINGLE

The 24-year-old has no desire to get married as of now. 

“I feel that I very much lack economic and other conditions and so I think it’s okay for me to live alone. I don’t like to ask people for favours and I prefer to do things on my own,” he said.

Mr Shim is not alone in the way he thinks.

Slightly more than 30 per cent of South Korea’s 52 million population are single and that appears unlikely to change as many in their 20s, 30s and 40s have said they have no plans to tie the knot or have children.

Combined with fears that South Korea’s birth rates – already the world’s lowest at 0.79 – could drop even further, there are concerns that the situation may be irreversible.

Many are also expected to be alone when they die, raising questions on who will take care of their funeral sites.

The number of Kodoksa – a Korean term meaning lonely death – has increased in recent years.

According to a report released earlier this year by the Welfare Ministry, there were about 3,378 lonely deaths in 2021, a 3 per cent increase from the 3,279 in 2020.

Over the past five years, the number of lonely deaths has grown at an average annual rate of about 8.8 percent.

THE RISE OF CREMATIONS

Among the solutions is cremation, which has risen in popularity in the last few decades. It is viewed as simpler to take care of than graves, with cemeteries usually far away from central Seoul.

That has also given rise to unconventional kinds of columbarium services.

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Kenneth Mak to be redesignated as Singapore’s Director-General of Health on May 1

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SINGAPORE: Professor Kenneth Mak, who played a key role in Singapore’s fight against COVID-19, will be redesignated as Director-General of Health on May 1.

His current title is Director of Medical Services.

The title change more accurately reflects the role as the main overseer of both clinical and public health of Singaporeans, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (Apr 28).

These include the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, upholding healthcare professional standards, as well as enhancing the performance of the country’s healthcare system and services.

The plan to redesignate Prof Mak was first announced in March during a parliamentary debate on the COVID-19 White Paper. 

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung gave details then on changes that will be made to Singapore’s healthcare system post-pandemic, including a new Communicable Diseases Agency to oversee disease preparedness and control, surveillance, risk assessment and outbreak response.

Prof Mak, a familiar face on the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, was awarded a top national award for his contributions to Singapore’s fight against the pandemic. 

The Prime Minister’s Office lauded his role in advising the task force and other government agencies in crafting the overall strategy to manage the outbreak.

MOH said his redesignation is among several changes to restructure the Health Ministry to place emphasis on both clinical services and public health, building on lessons learnt from the pandemic.

“Other efforts include the eventual formation of the Communicable Diseases Agency, the maintenance of a permanent Crisis Strategy and Operations Group and the setting up of a Healthcare Reserve Force,” said MOH. 

“When in place, these changes will enable clinical services and public health to be institutionalised and built up within the ministry.”

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