SINGAPORE – The Government is considering an expansion on criminal record screening of prospective employees applying for roles involving sustained contact with children and young persons, including in non-regulated sectors.
This could include certificate-based systems, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming.
This comes after two young children were sexually abused by a self-styled “religious influencer” who conducted religious classes at a mosque without permission.
The 37-year-old man was on Aug 17 sentenced to 27 years and 10 months’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to three charges of rape and two charges of outrage of modesty.
The man was never engaged by any mosques as a staff member or volunteer, and had not been accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme.
Speaking in Parliament on Sept 8, Goh said the Government will consider if such suggestions are practical, and whether employers such as small and medium businesses can handle the additional screening requirements.
“However when it comes to these things, the safety of our children will have to take priority,” Goh said, adding that more details will be shared when ready.
Responding to Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah (Jalan Besar GRC) on why the Government has taken a while to review the screening framework, Goh said the process involves several levels of considerations across different issues, which all need to be weighed carefully.
Said Goh: “One fundamental question is how much the Government should step in to intervene in unregulated sectors. Should screening be mandatory or voluntary? If we were to mandate it, how can we feasibly implement it across a diverse set of sectors and industries, especially many of those being unregulated?”
Goh mentioned freelance workers as an example of those in unregulated sectors.
He added that implementing a framework could also place the compliance burden and operational constraints onto employers and companies, which will need to be managed.
During supplementary question time, Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) suggested introducing a consent-based, pre-employment and self-voluntary vetting mechanism through the use of SingPass.
Giam said that under his proposed framework, the prospective employee could authorise an organisation or parent to verify their clearance status, which is a verified assurance from official records. This would allow the prospective employee’s records to be kept private from the public.
Goh said this could be a possible way for the Government to consider implementing any screening framework.
He added he was aware the eventual screening framework would not be a foolproof solution, pointing out that it was only an additional layer to allow the authorities and agencies to screen and mitigate against risks.
He added that any implementation of a screening framework would first be preceded by consultations with relevant stakeholders from different sectors.
Said Goh: “A successful implementation is one whereby our children are protected.”