SINGAPORE — Singapore’s reputation as one of the world’s safest countries has long rested on its tough stance against crime — and the government now wants to go even further.

Under proposed changes to the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, scammers and their accomplices could face caning, while offenders who fatally abuse vulnerable victims could be jailed for life.

According to The Straits Times, the new measures reflect the Home Affairs Ministry’s bid to strengthen deterrence amid rising scams and disturbing abuse cases that have shocked the public.

If passed, the Bill will make caning mandatory for scammers, syndicate members and recruiters, with penalties ranging from six to 24 strokes depending on the gravity of the offence. Scam mules — those who sell their Singpass credentials or bank accounts — could also face up to 12 strokes at the court’s discretion.

The move follows staggering scam losses of S$3.4 billion (RM11.1 billion) since 2019, with some victims even taking their own lives.

Criminal lawyer Josephus Tan said caning has proven to be an effective deterrent, pointing to how loan shark harassment cases plummeted after mandatory caning was introduced in 2010.

“Some people think that (caning is) very harsh. Actually, it’s not. We have done this before, and it was proven very successful in tackling prevalent crimes on a wide scale,” he told The Straits Times.