Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Operational Date of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021

Question:

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is any delay in the operation date of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021; and (b) if so, what are the reasons.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   There is no delay in the operationalisation of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 (FICA). It will be progressively operationalised from this year.

2.   FICA was passed in Parliament on 4 October 2021. As with all new legislation, further work needs to be done to bring it into force. This includes drafting subsidiary legislation to set out processes, for example, the procedures governing the work of the Reviewing Tribunal, and how Directions would be issued and served. It also includes the appointment of experts to the Reviewing Tribunal and Advisory Body for the handling of appeals, as well as setting up the IT systems to receive reports from Politically Significant Persons.