A significant amount of concerns has been raised by Singaporeans who questioned the ruling party’s extent of power following news of social distancing enforcement officers given the green light to enter homes even without a warrant in order to make sure that Covid-19 safety measures are being met.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Monday (Aug 2) issued a clarification that Covid-19 safe-distancing enforcement officers are allowed to enter and inspect residences without a warrant to make ensure that the safety measures are being kept.
After a news article on this matter was shared on the online news forum Reddit, Singaporeans had a lot to say about the matter, with many raising concerns over what they see as unchecked power. The news article by Channel News Asia has been taken down.
“The PAP government has a proven track record of abusing its powers. From illegal detention in our early days to even stifling Ong Teng Cheong when he was elected President,” wrote one, while another said, “This makes me wonder how much uncheck(ed) power has been granted under the fine print of legislative text. This is kind of scary.”
Another said, “(I) can stand with the government most of the time, but this really crosses the line already.”
Many also expressed their concerns over the potential safety risk of not being sure if an officer’s credentials are real or if someone is merely impersonating an officer.
/TISG