It is not true that Auxiliary Police Officers (“APOs”) have the same powers as
police officers. There are key differences, namely that (i) APOs do not have
the powers of investigation of a police officer under Part IV of the Criminal
Procedure Code 2010; and (ii) the power of arrest of APOs is subject to
conditions that are not applicable to police officers.
It is also not true that the Singapore Government employs APOs, whether
local or foreign. Instead, all APOs are employed by Auxiliary Police Forces
(“APFs”), which are not part of the Singapore Government.
There are measures in place that collectively prevent abuse of power by APFs
and APOs, and ensure that they serve Singapore’s legitimate security needs.
The security services that APFs are permitted to provide are carefully
circumscribed by the Singapore Police Force. All APOs are also legally
obliged to comply with the laws of Singapore, including the Constitution and
those relating to fundamental liberties, in the discharge of their duties.
The salaries of APOs are independently determined by their respective
employers, the APFs, and not the Government. APOs do not belong to any
union, fall under any tripartite alliance, or similar organisation, which the
Government is part of, and which has an influence on their salaries.
Finally, as at end-January 2025, Singaporeans continue to make up the
majority of APOs employed. The proportion of APOs from the new foreign
sources (i.e., China, India, Myanmar, Philippines, and Sri Lanka) remains
very low, at around 3%.

For the correct facts, visit: https://www.factually.gov.sg/corrections-and-
clarifications/210325

Josephine Teo Says It’s OK for Foreigners to Police Singaporeans

Today in Parliament Josephine Teo, Shanmugam’s sidekick at MHA, announced that more foreigners would be hired to fill APO roles. Currently Malaysians and Taiwanese can be recruited but this would now be expanded to recruit individuals from China, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Philippines. These countries, with the possible exception of India, Malaysia and Taiwan are not known for their rule of law and due process.

While APOs may be supposed to be employed mainly in security roles for Temasek owned CISCO guarding key installations they have all the powers of regular police officers including those of arrest and detention. They are licensed to carry firearms.

As effectively foreign mercenaries their first loyalty can be expected to be to their employer, the PAP Government, rather than to Singapore. This means they may be more likely to participate in actions designed to keep the government in power, even if it has broken the Constitution and is determined to use force and suspend liberties to keep itself in power.

Additionally foreign policemen may be a serious security risk. They are more likely to be infiltrated or owe allegiance to the security services of a foreign power such as China and provide them with intelligence which they are able to obtain due to access to confidential databases including private information on Singaporeans.

Josephine Teo says their employment is necessary because of a shortage of Singaporeans willing to do the job. But is this really true or is it just because the government doesn’t want to pay enough to make the job attractive to Singaporeans. Another unspoken reason is that the Government prefers employing foreign mercenaries to watch over Singaporeans and entrench themselves in power just as Gurkhas not Singaporeans are employed to guard Ministers and political detainees.

The PAP like to talk big about patriotism but their actions reveal that they distrust Singaporeans and prefer to cater to a monied global elite, particularly when this elite is prepared to pay stratospheric prices for the GCBs that so many Ministers cannily bought when they were cheap. They talk about the need for Singaporeans to go without and safeguard the reserves for future generations when they know full well that most of these future generations won’t be descendants of Singaporeans alive today.

It’s time to take back your rights as a citizen of a free country. Take back what belongs to you in the coming GE or lose it forever.

Published by kjeyaretnam

I'm a Singaporean economist who became an opposition activist. I blog to provide an alternative to the porkies that the Pinkies tell. It just so happens that my alternative is the truth. That's why I've never been sued in any civil or criminal court no matter how hard hitting my criticism. I'm quoted and interviewed and asked to speak across the world but largely censored in Singapore in an effort to silence my political opinions. The left hate me because they think I split their vote and because I eschew their outmoded economic models. Models that don't work. The Right and the Conservatives hate me because I'm a liberal. I'm not sure what the middle think of me. I don't think there are more than a handful of people in the middle, here in Singapore. I'm a Singaporean born and bred, dual heritage, my parents Singaporean established here before the State of Singapore was created. I'm not Eurasian. I read economics at Cambridge and could be broadly described as from the Keynesian school but I believe in interventions. I was formerly a successful hedge fund manager. After economics and politics my greatest interests are history, film and Makan. I run but I run so I can eat like a Singaporean. View all posts by kjeyaretnam