This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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The probe into last December’s riots in Singapore, the worst in 40 years, today cited alcohol as the “major contributory factor” that triggered the unrest. The riot on the night of December 8 in Singapore’s Little India precinct was sparked by the death of an Indian national in a bus accident and saw violent reaction from a crowd of some 400 migrant workers from South Asia. It left 54 police and defence officers injured and 23 emergency vehicles damaged.
Citing alcoholism as one of the causes of the riot, the Committee of Inquiry (COI) recommended strict enforcement of rules against public drunkenness and called for alcohol restrictions in hotspots where large crowds typically indulge in heavy drinking, and therefore which are more susceptible to trigger events that could spark a breakdown of public order according to the Press Trust of India. The report by the COI said, “Nearly every foreign worker who the COI spoke to testified emphatically that they were happy with their jobs and living quarters in Singapore and condemned the riot.”
The report also revealed lapses in the police reactions which mean that the authority needs to be transferred to on the sight officers and the police department needs delayering. “A well-trained and adequately resourced police force will help Singapore maintain the safety and stability which we all enjoy today,” it said. The government is expected to respond to the report’s recommendations in the Parliament next week.
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