DPM WONG RESPONDS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SINGAPORE 000585

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CHANGED PARA 1 CLASS MARKINGS)

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2017
TAGS: ETTC SNAR KTFN KCRM PREL PTER ECON SN
SUBJECT: DPM WONG RESPONDS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION
CONCERNS

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Classified By: Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold;
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home
Affairs WONG Kan Seng told the Ambassador on March 23 that he
planned to discuss recent law enforcement cooperation
developments during his upcoming visit to Washington. He
acknowledged that much effort was required to conclude a
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT),and asserted that the
GOS was providing us with requested financial information to
the full extent allowed under Singapore law. He offered to
look into our outstanding drug-related forfeiture requests.
On counterterrorism, the GOS was working closely within its
Muslim Malay community to nurture allies. DPM Wong expressed
confidence that Singapore would comply with core anti-money
laundering and terrorist finance requirements during the
Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) peer review later this
year. He expressed concern that, while Singapore's new
casino regulations incorporated many international best
practices, the GOS had virtually no hands-on experience with
the gaming sector. He expected Parliament to enact revisions
to Singapore's Penal Code by the end of this year. End
summary.

Upcoming Visit to the United States
--------------


2. (SBU) DPM Wong said he wanted to exchange information on
recent law enforcement cooperation developments during his
visit to Washington in the latter part of April. In
particular, he hoped to discuss with Secretary Chertoff areas
for cooperation under the pending Science and Technology
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). He said he also planned to
meet with the New York City Police Department, noting that he
had implemented several changes in the Singapore Police Force
after his previous visit with the NYPD.

Developing Our Cooperation Further
--------------


3. (C) Ambassador Herbold expressed appreciation for
Singapore's law enforcement and intelligence cooperation in
several recent cases. She told DPM Wong that, while we
enjoyed excellent cooperation in some areas, and greatly
appreciated our close working relations with so many GOS
agencies, our relationship stood to benefit from enhanced
cooperation in other areas (as discussed below).

MLAT
--------------


4. (SBU) DPM Wong acknowledged that certain differences
divided the USG and GOS on concluding an MLAT. Both
governments needed to work to resolve outstanding issues even
though it would be difficult to do so. DPM Wong said that
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) played a key role in
determining Singapore's position on issues such as dual
criminality, the scope of crimes covered under a positive
list, and standards for limitations on assistance.

Financial Information Sharing
--------------


5. (C) DPM Wong asserted that GOS agencies were doing all
they could in accordance with Singapore law to provide our
law enforcement agencies requested financial information. He
noted that all jurisdictions, including the United States,
were subject to legal limitations of one kind or another.
Beyond this type of cooperation, the GOS and the USG could
also resort to intelligence channels to acquire information.
He offered to have his staff investigate any pending
investigation requests that were of concern.

Drug Forfeiture Requests
--------------


6. (C) DPM Wong claimed that resolving our outstanding
drug-related forfeiture requests was a "minor issue," but
that he would look into them; the Drug Designation Agreement
(DDA) provided a clear processing mechanism. We must not
lose sight of the "marvelous" relationship DEA and MHA's
Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) enjoy in terms of combating
transnational drug trafficking, he concluded, a sentiment
with which the Ambassador strongly concurred.

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DHS S&T Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
--------------


7. (C) DPM Wong lauded the soon-to-be-concluded Science and
Technology MOA with DHS -- likening it to another DDA but
broader in scope -- as a prime example of deepening
counterterrorism cooperation between our two countries. He
expressed his hope that the MOA would be signed before next
month's meeting with Secretary Chertoff in Washington.
Ambassador Herbold raised the need to move forward with the
non-binding agreement to exchange terrorist lookout
information under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6
(HSPD-6).

Intelligence Cooperation
--------------


8. (C) DPM Wong agreed with Ambassador Herbold about the
importance of our joint counterterrorism efforts, both
domestically and regionally. He explained that the GOS also
paid close attention to the psychological aspects of
terrorism by focusing on its most vulnerable communities. He
cited the accomplishments of rehabilitation organizations
within Singapore's Muslim Malay community that conducted
educational outreach and counseled family members of Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) detainees. Wong said the GOS needed community
leaders who would speak out against terrorism; the government
couldn't do that because officials were not experts on Islam
or Christianity, he concluded.

FATF Mutual Evaluation
--------------


9. (SBU) DPM Wong expressed confidence that Singapore would
comply with all FATF core requirements in time for its Mutual
Evaluation that commences in September. MHA was still
considering how to implement requirements for cash couriers
and was examining other jurisdictions' experiences closely.
In particular, Wong was concerned about the effect a
declaration system, which would require some kind of
screening of each person entering Singapore, might have on
border control efficiency.

Casinos
--------------


10. (C) DPM Wong explained that Singapore's new Casino
Control Act made clear the need to develop a declaration
system for casino-related cash couriers moving currency or
related instruments in excess of S$10,000 (US$15,300). He
noted that Singapore had conducted extensive research into
casino regulatory regimes, dispatching investigative teams to
Las Vegas, Macao, Australia and elsewhere, to ensure the
Casino Control Act incorporated international best practices.
"We're good on paper -- and other regulators, including in
the United States, have affirmed as much -- but we're
inexperienced when it comes to hands-on management of a
casino industry," he observed.

Penal Code Amendments and TIP Provisions
--------------


11. (SBU) DPM Wong assured Ambassador Herbold that the GOS
remained focused on issues relating to trafficking-in-persons
(TIP). He acknowledged that Singapore had experienced an
increase in the number of vice-related crimes in conjunction
with more liberal visa policies, but argued that few could be
defined as TIP-specific crimes; police raids, for example,
had resulted in the arrest of very few underage sex workers.
DPM Wong explained that the sheer size of Singapore's Penal
Code (over 500 sections) had required substantial resources
in order to produce the proposed amendments, including ones
that would address several TIP-related issues. MHA had
developed a set of amendments that it planned to present to
Parliament in the next several weeks, with passage expected
before year-end.

Passport Misuse
--------------


12. (SBU) DPM Wong said that MHA was assessing how to
strengthen its passport and border controls, which have
included the use of biometric passports since August 2006.

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He stressed that travel was not a right but a privilege, and
that the GOS was determined to punish any individuals who
conspired to compromise the integrity and reputation of
Singapore's passport.
HERBOLD