by MP for Aljunied GRC, Sylvia Lim
I will touch on the police, auxiliary police and private security industry in turn.
First, the police. In 2008, the Ministry embarked on a Human Factors study which showed that certain areas of police work were especially taxed. MHA has been assuring us that they are expanding. The latest Parliamentary answer on 17 February says it has added 2,000 officers since 2008, and will be adding another 1,400 this year.
We all know that the demands on SPF have also increased. We need new Neighbourhood Police Centres, specialists to investigate casino crime, better security for public transport and so on. The New Generation Front-line Policing Model just announced was explained to require more resources.
So the questions remain: is it a case of back to square one, despite the additional officers? How many of the additional officers are NS men rather than regulars, which will affect their deployment responsibilities?
Secondly, the auxiliary police. Could Ministry confirm how many officers are serving in the auxiliary police forces collectively, and whether there are plans to expand the APFs? It was reported online that our auxiliary police were aggressively recruiting in Malaysia. Does the government stipulate the minimum criteria for recruitment? Since these auxiliary police will carry firearms and have police powers, are they also subject to psychological testing as with the regular police?
Finally, the unarmed private security industry. There appears to be a tremendous shortage of security personnel, judging from the job vacancies in the newspapers and feedback from security business owners. Though there may be nearly 30,000 holding security officer licences (Hansard, 5 Feb 2009), how many are still actively working in the industry? A previous Parliamentary answer (Hansard, 15 Sep 2010) cited that 71% were active, based on employer notifications.
It seems quite normal for CDCs to refer job-seekers to go for security training. I know of specific instances where some of those referred are not in good health, but I understand that they need to work. On the other hand, I have come across some able-bodied persons who were not able to get the clearance to work in this industry due to past criminal records.
I completely agree with the need for police screening of potential security officers. I am also aware that some people with old criminal records were cleared to work in the industry, which is a good thing for rehabilitation. Could Ministry clarify its stance towards the past criminal records for those wishing to work as unarmed guards? Are there guidelines about the types of offences which would disqualify applicants, or how old the records need to be before they can be cleared to work in this industry?
Lastly, regarding employment conditions, could Ministry clarify which provisions of the Employment Act have private security employers been exempted from, and whether the situation is expected to be permanent.