SINGAPORE: They have them in other developed countries, so why not in Singapore, officials and residents are currently asking. The spark of debate comes as Singaporeans were shocked after a man was arrested for having underage sex in the country. Ironically, the 25-year-old man had been on a British list of sex offenders, but when he returned to Singapore, he was free of oversight, as the country has no such listing of sexual offenders. Jonathan Wong, the former government scholarship holder, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his criminal activity. But for LeeAnne Wang, her children are more important than to allow the country to maintain the current status quo. “If we have children and have been seeing what is happening in this country, we need action,” the housewife told Bikyamasr.com. “The government should implement something so we know who is with our children at school and at other events. Right now, I am worried to let my children be with people I don't know.” Member of Parliament Alvin Yeo, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, agreed with Wang, saying it is time to consider having a sex offender registry. “Given the increasing number of incidences, it is right to give this serious consideration to screen people for certain things. For example, to ensure the offender is not working closely with children or they don't live too close to the victim,” he said. Police told Bikyamasr.com that they currently do not keep records of sex offenders. The police added that such a registry as being proposed may not have any deterrent to such crimes. But mothers and fathers like Wang say it's not about being a deterrent. “We want to be secure with where our children are, so the registry would at least warn us of who they are with, if they are safe or not,” she added. For now, the debate is ongoing, but the vast majority of Singapore residents seem to believe a sex offender registry would be a good idea for the island nation.
