S
Sagat
Guest
Why S'pore must 'robustly' defend its courts, police force
These institutions would lose 'moral authority' otherwise: DPM
by S Ramesh
05:55 AM Aug 04, 2010
<script type="text/javascript"> var fontIndex = 2; var fontSize = new Array('0.63em', '0.69em', '0.75em', '0.88em', '1em', '1.13em'); </script> SINGAPORE - The Republic must "robustly" defend against attacks on the integrity of its courts and police force - otherwise, these institutions would lose "moral authority" and Singaporeans would be poorer for it, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng reiterated yesterday.
Speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs' National Day observance ceremony, Mr Wong said: "We must robustly defend the integrity of our institutions of justice and law enforcement when anyone maliciously attacks and undermines the public confidence and trust which have been earned over the years."
Mr Wong, who is also the Home Affairs Minister, cautioned: "If we do not do so and allow vicious falsehoods to perversely masquerade itself as the truth, we will eventually lose our moral authority and with it, our effectiveness to achieve our mission to keep Singapore safe and secure."
Last month, British author Alan Shadrake was charged for contempt of court after he allegedly scandalised the judiciary in his recently-published book Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock. The writer is also under investigation for criminal defamation.
The author subsequently rejected the Attorney-General's Chambers' offer to drop the charge in return for an apology. The case has been adjourned. Without making any reference to the case, Mr Wong alluded to a 2008 Housing and Development Board sample household survey - involving 8,000 respondents - in which the police force had the highest score of 7.6 out of 10 points for public confidence and trust.
This was followed closely by the judiciary which scored 7.5 points.
The "support of the Singaporean public" meant that the authorities "are able to have tough laws against serious crime" here, said Mr Wong.
"But the deterrence resides not just in these laws but in the fact that we have effective, impartial and professional enforcement of the law, which applies to everyone regardless of status, ethnicity or nationality," said Mr Wong, who added that enforcement was "only one part of the long-term solution for low crime". It has to go hand-in-hand with rehabilitation. In that regard, Singapore has "one of the lowest re-offending rates in the world", Mr Wong pointed out.
