SINGAPORE — Amid a growing terror threat, the Home Team’s budget will rise by 11 per cent, or S$642 million, to expand Singapore’s counter-terrorism and emergency response capabilities, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Friday (March 2).

A “large part” of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) higher budget for the new financial year will be devoted to this purpose, added Mr Shanmugam, who warned that the terrorist threat is growing.

He pointed out that the MHA will be leading the response to any incident, and the ministry would “do all we can to protect our people”.

“It is our responsibility and accountability to deal with terrorist threats within Singapore,” said Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Law.

Under the Constitution, the MHA is responsible for home-front and internal security, including counter-terrorism, and crisis and consequence management.

But while MHA will be the lead agency in responding to any attack, Mr Shanmugam told Parliament during the debate on his ministry’s budget that if a large-scale attack occurs, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) would be called in as an auxiliary force, and its specialised capabilities, such as the Special Operations Task Force, would be deployed.

Other ministries, such as the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Communications and Information, will also be roped in.

When asked what type of “large-scale attack” would result in the deployment of SAF troops, the MHA cited as an example the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris, where a series of suicide bombings and gunmen attacks were carried out simultaneously at different locations across the city.

The ministry added: “The Home Team has been working with the SAF and other ministries on joint plans for responses to a terrorist attack. SAF servicemen may be deployed to support police officers in joint patrols to provide deterrence as well as reassurance to the public.

“The SAF could also be activated to assist the Home Team in other operations where specific military capabilities may be required.”

The ministry’s annual investment in technology infrastructure is also expected to triple within the next two years, said Second Home Affairs Minister Mrs Josephine Teo.

Existing technological initiatives have helped cut down the time officers spend on routine tasks and reduced the number of dangerous situations they are exposed to, she added.

For instance, the PolCam initiative launched in 2012, which involve the deployment of police cameras in Housing and Development Blocks and multi-storey carparks, have helped solve over 900 unlicensed moneylending cases.

The annual number of such loan shark harassment cases resulting in damage to property has also fallen by more than 80 per cent — from more than 7,600 cases in 2012 to about 1,000 cases last year.

But Mrs Teo acknowledged that these loan sharks have turned to “non-physical forms of harassment”, such as via text messages and social media. The authorities are looking to crack down on these cases, but the public must also pay a part in advising their friends and family members against borrowing illegally, she said.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Civil Defence Force is also exploring new ways of using technology to assist in fire-fighting and life-saving missions. For instance, exoskeleton suits are being developed to help firefighters lift heavier loads, and to allow them to sustain their operations for a longer period of time.

Members of Parliament raised a wide range of issues during the debate, which lasted close to two hours. Among the questions raised were those touching on MHA’s efforts to deter extremism and segregationist teachings, protect vulnerable victims, and weed out the drug menace.

Mr Shanmugam and Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin reiterated the need for Singapore to stay firm in the fight against drugs, especially when faced with emerging threats like new psychoactive substances and the purchase of drugs online.

Mr Amrin also touched on how the Singapore Prison Service and community partners are continuing their efforts to help rehabilitate drug offenders, such as by providing more opportunities for inmates to spend time with their families, and encouraging ex-offenders to share their experiences.

To enhance the employability of inmates, the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) will be doubling the length of job retention support for ex-offenders from six to 12 months. Some 97 per cent of inmates (2,143 out of 2,201) who were referred to SCORE last year secured a job before their release, said Mr Amrin.

He added: “When I visited our prison school, I was struck by a lighthouse mural which covered an entire prison wall. This symbolises our efforts to shine light towards a bright path, a path that leads away from the darkness of drugs, a path that guides those who have strayed to a fulfilling life, towards a brighter future.”