Written Reply to Parliament Question on Raising Maximum Penalty for Unattended Bags at MRT Stations by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the maximum penalty of $1,000 meted out for leaving a bag unattended in an MRT station is sufficient to deter such future incidents considering that the incident has caused major disruption to operations and affected thousands of commuters.

Answer:

1. The recent case of unattended bag at Hougang MRT station led to the temporary closure of the station. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, our security agencies had to deal with it, and it inconvenienced commuters. The subject involved in the case was found guilty of the offence of public nuisance and fined $1,000.

2. We are reviewing the need to enhance the penalties for such offences, to deter future occurrences.

3. Given the high level of terrorism threat, the Police will continue to take all security-related reports seriously. The public is advised to stay vigilant and to report suspicious activities to the Police.