Mission: We work as a team, in partnership with the community, to make Singapore our safe and secure Best Home.

The mission of MHA is to make Singapore a safe and secure best home for our people. Guided by Ministry Headquarters, the functions of preserving internal security, enforcing law and order, and protecting lives and property are carried out by seven departments. They are the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Internal Security Department (ISD), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Home Team Academy (HTA). A total budget of $3,033 million has been allocated to MHA in FY2009 to achieve this mission.

Outcomes

To guide us in achieving our mission, MHA has developed a set of nine desired outcomes. These desired outcomes are our qualitative long term goals and comprehensively cover the different aspects of our mission of making Singapore a safe and secure best home for our people. MHA aims to achieve the following outcomes:

• A safe and secure society where life and property are protected
• Efficient registration of groups and people
• Secure borders with efficient and legitimate flow of goods, people and conveyances
• Secure and humane custody of prisoners
• Effective rehabilitation of prisoners
• A society free from drug activities
• A Singapore well-prepared for emergencies, civil disasters and unconventional threats
• A Home Team committed to organisational excellence and prepared for future challenges
• Successful partnership with the community to maintain a safe and secure society

Description of Outcomes

A safe and secure society where life and property are  protected

This desired outcome is MHA’s long term target for our law enforcement and fire-fighting efforts. $1,915 million, which amounts to 63.14% of MHA’s budget, will be spent to achieving this desired outcome. The bulk of this amount will be channelled to the operations of SPF and SCDF. The primary functions carried out under SPF include upholding the law, protecting life and property, preventing crime and disorder, detecting and apprehending offenders, and preserving security within mainland Singapore and Singapore Territorial Waters, while those under SCDF include the provision of fire fighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services.

Some of the major initiatives and programmes undertaken to support this desired outcome are:

• $80 million will be set aside for the ongoing replacement of the current fleet of ageing Coastal Patrol crafts for Police Coast Guard (PCG). Besides allowing for faster response to incidents at the seas, the new Coastal Patrol Crafts are also equipped with enhanced surveillance technology for higher detection and interception capability of undesirable elements. The fully automatic weapon systems on these crafts will allow for better tracking of targets and higher engagement accuracy. Our sea border remains the most porous and most likely route for the entry of undesirable persons and goods and this is a significant necessary step towards building up a PCG that can ensure high levels of security within Singapore Territorial Waters.
• $11 million will be set aside to develop a new Command and Control System for SPF and SCDF to provide more responsive services to the public. The new system will improve MHA’s incident and crisis management capabilities through more efficient deployment of resources. The new Command and Control System will also enhance the SCDF 995 Call Centre in managing the fire and medical emergencies in Singapore by providing video streaming from incident sites, a more streamlined call overflow management and the ability to receive and send SMS/MMS.
• $10 million will be set aside to form the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom), a highly professional and specialised law enforcement agency on public transport. With the rapid expansion of the public transport system in Singapore and the persistent heightened security climate, the TransCom will be structured with organic competencies to conduct general policing, security management, contingency planning and intelligence work. This expansion of the current Police MRT Unit to a full fledged dedicated agency, TransCom, serves as a form of assurance to commuters and visitors to Singapore of a safe journey on our efficient public transport systems.
• $4 million will be earmarked for the setup of a new Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) at Marina to cope with the increase in intensity of activities and human traffic flow arising from the many planned high-value developments in the area. The new NPC will ensure the continued safety and security of the Marina area by providing traditional crime fighting and incident management capabilities to the downtown community. The new NPC will also intensify its community engagement of stakeholders in the area and work with other government agencies to deter criminal and terrorist activities.
• $2 million will be set aside to set up the Casino Investigation Branch (CIB) in anticipation of the influx of commercial activities and visitors that the Integrated Resorts are expected to bring. The CIB will strengthen the investigative and intelligence capabilities related to casino gaming operations to ensure that Singapore will continue to be a choice destination for investors and visitors.

Efficient registration of groups and people

This desired outcome is MHA’s long term target for registration services provided to people and groups such as visas, permanent residents (PR), citizenship services, as well as registration of societies. This outcome will be achieved through facilitating the provision of immigration and registration facilities, such as the issuance of travel and identification documents, birth and death registration, processing and granting of immigration passes, Permanent Residence and Citizenship status, etc. $151 million, constituting 4.96% of MHA’s budget, will be spent to achieve this desired outcome. MHA will focus on expanding the existing registration capacity and improving e-services to the public. A centralised online enquiry system, iEnquiry System, will also be developed to provide a one-stop platform to the public for checking the status of their on-line or manual applications. Additional laser engravers for the Singapore Biometric Passport will be purchased in anticipation of higher demand due to population augmentation efforts and passport renewal cycles.

Secure borders with efficient and legitimate flow of goods, people and conveyances

This desired outcome represents MHA’s critical role in safeguarding our borders, while at the same time ensuring an efficient and legitimate flow of goods, people and conveyances through our borders. $354 million or 11.69% of MHA’s budget will be spent to achieve this desired outcome.

Some of the major initiatives and programmes undertaken to support this desired outcome are:

• $31 million will be set aside for beefing up the manning level at the existing land Checkpoints as well as to redevelop the old Woodlands Checkpoint to enhance ICA’s clearance capacity.
• $28 million will be set aside for the enhancement of our intelligence and enforcement capabilities at the various checkpoints through closer collaboration among the Home Team agencies and with their foreign counterparts in intelligence sharing and joint operations. Such efforts will help to detect and deter drug abuse and smuggling and thereby prevent the entry of illicit drugs into Singapore.
• $4 million will be set aside for the expansion and enhancement of the existing Biometrics Identification of Motorbikers System (BIKES) at the checkpoints. This development will enable a more secure and higher clearance rate of motorcyclists and pillion riders at the land checkpoints.

Secure and humane custody of prisoners

This desired outcome represents MHA’s long term target of safe and secure custody of offenders in Prisons. $207 million, constituting 6.84% of MHA’s budget, will be spent to achieve this desired outcome. Among the initiatives and programmes, $37 million will be allocated for the Redevelopment of Changi Prison Complex (CPC), which is an on-going project seeking to centralise all Prisons’ institutions in a single locality. The centralisation of facilities will streamline operations and enable faster mobilisation of resources in the event of contingencies, thereby leading to a safer and more secure Prisons environment.

Effective rehabilitation of inmates and ex-offenders

The Home Team recognises that effective enforcement is only one part of the equation. Successful rehabilitation of inmates and ex-offenders will steer them towards becoming contributing members of the society and reduce the likelihood of re-offending. $139 million will be spent to achieve this desired outcome and this constitutes 4.58% of MHA’s budget.

A myriad of rehabilitation programmes such as education, counselling, vocational training and core skills programmes have been put in place to assist in the reintegration of offenders. Among the initiatives and programmes, $2 million will be allocated to the Yellow Ribbon Project (YRP), which seek to create awareness, generate acceptance and inspire community action to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders. This will help to indirectly reduce the rate of re-offending and consequently ensure a safer and more accepting society for all.

A society free from drug activities

This desired outcome captures the long term target of our operations in narcotics control. $47 million will be spent to achieve this desired outcome. This constitutes 1.55% of MHA’s budget. $44 million will be set aside to intensify our enforcement efforts through increased raids and operations against drug traffickers and abusers. In addition, we will continue to maintain vigilance on existing threats like abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants and prescription drugs and work closely with agencies like the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority to scrutinise the drug scene. Measures will also be put in place to address any potential impact to the drug situation that may arise from Singapore’s hosting of the Formula One Race and the setting up of the Integrated Resorts.

A Singapore well-prepared for emergencies, civil disasters and unconventional threats

This desired outcome captures the Home Team’s core operations in the area of security. MHA aims to provide robust Homeland security for Singapore, to prepare Singapore well for emergencies. $162 million will be spent to achieve this desired outcome. This constitutes 5.33% of MHA’s budget. Among the initiatives and programmes, $57.4 million will be set aside for the construction of new Civil Defence public shelters in MRT stations along the Circle Line (CCL). The development of these public shelters will increase the CD shelter coverage for the civilian population and provide them better protection against the effects of enemy weapons during a wartime emergency.

Successful partnership with the community to maintain a safe and secure society

To maintain safety and security in an increasingly complex operating environment, it is not sufficient for the Home Team to do it alone. The Home Team cannot do everything and be everywhere. The community plays an increasingly important role in ensuring its own safety and security and therefore, successful partnership with the community is crucial to MHA in making Singapore a safe and secure home. $46 million will be spent to achieve this desired outcome. This constitutes 1.51% of MHA’s budget.

To achieve this outcome, we will be undertaking the following major initiatives and programmes:

• $30 million will be set aside for public education programmes to engage the community. To further facilitate Emergency Preparedness Education, a web-based Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) will be launched in FY09 to include more and updated emergency preparedness information. To reach out to the younger audience and Netizens, SCDF is also collaborating with tertiary institutions to design an online flash game on Emergency Preparedness and produce public education videos to be put on popular Internet websites such as Youtube. A Foreign Workers-CD EP Warden Scheme will also be introduced to train selected foreign workers with the necessary fire fighting, CPR and first-aid skills to handle emergencies occurring at construction sites and dormitories.
• $5 million will be allocated to carry out preventive drug education activities which aim to promote a drug-free lifestyle. MHA will continue to engage the community via educational institutions, grassroots organisations and self-help groups, paying special focus on prescription drug abuse that would have an impact on the local drug scene. Through community involvement, we seek to heighten awareness and knowledge on the harmful effects of drug abuse and clarify any misconception on drug misuse. In addition, MHA will work closely with the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) in our preventive drug education efforts so as to achieve the outcome of a drug-free Singapore.

Conclusion

To find out more about MHA and our initiatives, visit our website at www.mha.gov.sg.