ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly

During April-June 2008, the Parliament of Singapore held two Sittings and passed the following two Bills:

During this period, the Singapore Parliament welcomed Members of Parliament and officials from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Bhutan, Maldives, Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Bahrain. The visiting delegates held meetings with their Singapore counterparts and officials on various regional issues and exchanges of Parliamentary information.

In May, Parliament welcomed the visit of the Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and Speaker of the West Bengal State Legislature (India), Hon. Hashim Abdul Halim, and CPA Secretary-General, Dr William Shija.

Chairman of the Kingdom of Bahrain Shura Council, H.E. Ali Bin Saleh, led a delegation of Members of the Shura Council on a visit to the Parliament of Singapore from 2-5 June 2008. The Bahrainian visit began with a call on Speaker Mr Abdullah Tarmugi as well as meetings with Singapore Members of Parliament and officials from local agencies for discussions on issues of mutual interest.

The Singapore Parliament also sent delegations and officials to participate in the following overseas conference:

The Parliament of Singapore hosted the 5th Meeting of the AIPA Fact-Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) to Combat the Drug Menace from 22-25 June 2008. 26 parliamentarians and representatives from eight AIPA Member and Special Observer countries attended the two-day Meeting which aimed to study means of controlling the spread of precursor chemicals used in illegal production and encouraging alternative development measures to replace illicit drug crops.

In his opening speech to the Meeting on 23 June, AIPA President and Speaker of Singapore Parliament Mr Abdullah Tarmugi traced efforts made by ASEAN to combat the drug menace and noted that ASEAN was already at the halfway mark to its vision of a Drug Free ASEAN 2015.

Group Shot

Speaker Abdullah noted the important role played by AIFOCOM since its inception in 2001 in contributing to regional efforts against the drug scourge and urged it to continue seeking creative solutions to the drug threat facing the region through enhanced interaction and cooperation with other ASEAN bodies. He also noted the recent increases in opium poppy cultivation and the emergence of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) in the region and urged ASEAN countries to continue to stand united and respond resolutely to suppress and eradicate these emerging threats.

In his Keynote Address, Singapore Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee outlined Singapore’s concerted anti-drug strategy that consists of a multi-pronged approach targeted at reducing both drug supply and demand, including the implementation of international regulations to curb the movement of listed precursor chemicals. Assoc Prof Ho noted that while these regulations had made an impact in hindering the production of ATS, they were not completely sufficient as diversion methods had also evolved. To mitigate the situation, he urged ASEAN Member Countries to develop and strengthen their laws and monitoring mechanisms for precursor chemicals and to enhance communication between the relevant agencies and industry players so that the private sector may partner agencies in monitoring the movement of precursor chemicals.

Chairman of 5th AIFOCOM, Dr Teo Ho Pin, handing over the Report of the Meeting to AIPA President and Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Mr Abdullah Tarmugi

Turning to alternative development, Assoc Prof Ho reminded delegates of the continued threat from plant-based drugs such as cannabis and opiates and highlighted the importance of sustaining alternative development projects to prevent farmers from returning to the cultivation of illicit drug crops. He cited Thailand’s Doi Tung Development Project as an important example of cultivating strategic partnerships with the private sector and civil society in order to support socio-economic development in areas where illicit drugs are produced.

Following the Opening Ceremony, AIFOCOM delegates met over the next two days to hear progress reports from the various national delegations on the efforts taken to combat the drug menace in their respective countries as well as a presentation by representatives from the ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) on the ‘Strategies and Key Milestones in the Drug Free ASEAN 2015 Roadmap’.

At the end of its deliberations, the Meeting adopted a Resolution on the Control of Synthetic Drug and Illicit Drug Crop Production. Among other things, the resolution urges ASEAN governments to put in place tighter frameworks and procedures and to enhance inter-agency cooperation and partnership with industry players to curb and discourage the diversion of precursor chemicals. The resolution also calls upon ASEAN governments to ensure that alternative development programmes are sustainable in the long-run and to strengthen partnerships with the private sector and civil society to support socio-economic development in areas where illicit drug crops are produced.

The 5th Meeting of the AIFOCOM was chaired by Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP, Singapore. The resolution passed by the Meeting will be tabled at the upcoming AIPA General Assembly to be held in Singapore from 19-24 August 2008.

Delegates to the 5th Meeting of the AIFOCOM became the first group of official visitors at the brand new Parliament Visitor Centre – ParlConnect – located at the Singapore Parliament House.

Opened in May 2008, ParlConnect serves as the new one-stop visitor centre to the increasing number of students and visitors participating in the educational and tour programmes organised by the Parliament Secretariat’s Education & Publicity Department.  Conveniently located at the Public Entrance to Parliament House, ParlConnect contains interactive exhibits and multimedia displays aimed at helping visitors gain an in-depth understanding of the history, people and procedures of the Singapore Parliament.

Delegates were treated to a multi-sensory experience as they toured the various panels containing rare photographs and documents and listened in to landmark debates that shaped the history of modern Singapore via the use of touch panels.

About 18,000 visitors take part in the educational and tour programmes organised by the Singapore Parliament Secretariat each year. Visitors are offered various programmes including guided tours of the House and the Chamber on both Sitting and non-Sitting days. In addition, student visitors are also offered a special programme where they assume the roles of the Speaker, Minister and MPs and debate mock bills, gaining rich experience into the working of Singapore’s parliamentary democracy.

ParlConnect is open to all visitors from Monday – Friday from 9 am – 5 pm. Admission is free.