Wong Kan Seng
Unprecedented pressures
Not all is right with the ministry he heads after a series of
glaring blunders. By Seah Chiang Nee.
June 28, 2008
One
of the most hard-pressed leaders in Singapore today is probably
Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, who heads the police
force.
It
is an unusual spot for Wong, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, to
be in. In fact, no minister in charge of security in this city has
been subjected to the kind of pressure that he is facing
now.
There
is a reason for it.
Since
colonial days, Singapore’s police force has had a global reputation
for its no-nonsense efficiency and discipline.
For
Wong, the trouble started early this year when terrorist leader Mas
Selamat Kastari escaped from the high-detention centre by climbing
out through a toilet window.
Government
leaders, including Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, blamed it on
“complacency” at the lower ranks, but not the minister.
Since
then, there has been a series of other high profile mistakes,
including: -
* Two detainees escaping from a court lock-up after
beating up a policeman who was bringing water to one of them. Both
were subsequently caught. A breach of procedure was
blamed;
* In a rare display of indiscipline, Gurkhas attached to
the police clashed over a wage dispute two weeks ago, resulting in
eight being injured.
They
are part of a 2,000-strong Gurkha contingent which plays a crucial
role in safeguarding sensitive areas, including the Istana (the
president's official residence), embassies, airports and strategic
industries;
* A few days ago, another blunder left a hole in Changi
Airport’s high-security image. A retiree, who had mistakenly taken
his son's passport, was allowed to enter the restricted passenger's
area after getting past the check-in counter and the police
stationed outside the departure lounge.
At
the immigration counter, Ang Heng Soon repeatedly failed to scan
his fingerprint at the machine. He was directed to an officer, who
– unbelievably – waved him on.
Upon
reaching Ho Chi Minh City airport, he headed directly to
immigration authorities, who put him on the same plane back to
Singapore.
“I
am totally appalled and flabbergasted at this slip-up at the
airport checkpoint,” said Wong, who promised to take action against
the staff responsible.
All
these indicate to Singaporeans that not all is right with the
no-nonsense Home Affairs Ministry, the frontline body that
overlooks security, including the war on terrorism.
The
public has called for the minister to be held accountable for his
“complacency”, which has been rejected by the Prime Minister. Some
wanted him dismissed, while other said his salary should be docked
as punishment.
“The
Home Minister is losing control of his internal and external
security team in Singapore,” writer Koh Poh Chin said. “This is a
wake-up call. Our leaders should take a step back and see what has
gone wrong.”
A
leader who passes the blame to his subordinates when things go
wrong cannot serve the country, he added.
People
expect security procedures to be tightened, but not everyone is
certain that Wong is the right person to inspire a real shake-up.
To be fair, the police are facing a new dimension in an
ever-expanding island-state.
Since
September 11, it has had to meet the threat of a terror war in an
overcrowded island whose residential population is continuing to
grow by leaps and bounds. A million foreigners are now working
here.
To
be sure the force has increased, but so have the tasks it has to
keep Singapore safe. They have also become more demanding, ranging
from computer scams to complex white-collar crimes.
Twelve
years ago the ratio of police to population was 350 to every
100,000 people. In 2006, it had fallen to 205 to
100,000.
There
are also fewer policemen on street beat.
Peter
J. Arnold wrote: “I wonder what has happened to our policemen who
seem to have become invisible.” He said that a visible police
presence was a proven deterrent to crime.
More
worrying to the public is that, for some time now, the police have
been refusing to take action in assault cases unless there are
severe injuries.
The
victims are instead told to seek justice at the court.
When
design executive Kong Lai Meng landed in hospital after being
attacked, she was told by the police to file a magistrate’s
complaint at the Subordinate Courts.
“So
anyone can just hit someone and not be arrested? I want to see some
justice done,” the 35-year-old angrily said.
“What
kind of message are the police sending to people such as the
individual who assaulted me?” she asked.
Hers
is just one of several cases, and it is clearly worrying
Singaporeans who look upon the police for protection against public
assaults.
Apparently
to lessen police workload, the government has passed laws to allow
soldiers to conduct civilian security operations. They are deployed
to help provide security at major events and will have the power to
search, detain and use force against suspicious people.
Despite
the recent downturn, the police here remain a credible
force.
Research
firm Political and Economic Risk Consultancy ranked Singapore, the
United States and Hong Kong as the top three of 12 countries on the
quality of their police and judicial systems.
It
is a reputation that the 38,000-strong force here, following recent
developments, will have to fight hard to retain.
i think the 2 escape and father-son-passport cases showed the
authorities were complacent rather than short-handed.
