Govt to consider wider screening process for job roles involving contact with children: Goh Pei Ming

Published Sep 08, 2026, 05:17 PM

Updated Sep 08, 2026, 05:17 PM

The Government is considering expanding criminal record screening for job roles with sustained contact with children, including in unregulated sectors, to prioritise child safety.

Suggestions include certificate-based systems or SingPass consent-based vetting.

Any screening framework would be seen as an additional protective measure, not a foolproof solution.

SINGAPORE - The Government is considering an expansion on criminal record screening of prospective employees applying for roles involving sustained contact with children and young persons, including in non-regulated sectors.

This could include certificate-based systems, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming.

This comes after two young children were sexually abused by a self-styled “religious influencer” who conducted religious classes at a mosque without permission.

The 37-year-old man was on Aug 17 sentenced to 27 years and 10 months’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to three charges of rape and two charges of outrage of modesty.

The man was never engaged by any mosques as a staff member or volunteer, and had not been accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme.

Speaking in Parliament on Sept 8, Goh said the Government will consider if such suggestions are practical, and whether employers such as small and medium businesses can handle the additional screening requirements.

“However when it comes to these things, the safety of our children will have to take priority,” Goh said, adding that more details will be shared when ready.

Responding to Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah (Jalan Besar GRC) on why the Government has taken a while to review the screening framework, Goh said the process involves several levels of considerations across different issues, which all need to be weighed carefully.

Said Goh: “One fundamental question is how much the Government should step in to intervene in unregulated sectors. Should screening be mandatory or voluntary? If we were to mandate it, how can we feasibly implement it across a diverse set of sectors and industries, especially many of those being unregulated?”

Goh mentioned freelance workers as an example of those in unregulated sectors.

He added that implementing a framework could also place the compliance burden and operational constraints onto employers and companies, which will need to be managed.

During supplementary question time, Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) suggested introducing a consent-based, pre-employment and self-voluntary vetting mechanism through the use of SingPass.

Giam said that under his proposed framework, the prospective employee could authorise an organisation or parent to verify their clearance status, which is a verified assurance from official records. This would allow the prospective employee’s records to be kept private from the public.

Goh said this could be a possible way for the Government to consider implementing any screening framework.

He added he was aware the eventual screening framework would not be a foolproof solution, pointing out that it was only an additional layer to allow the authorities and agencies to screen and mitigate against risks.

He added that any implementation of a screening framework would first be preceded by consultations with relevant stakeholders from different sectors.

Said Goh: “A successful implementation is one whereby our children are protected.”

Crimes against children/minors

发布于 2026 年 9 月 8 日下午 5:17

更新于2026年9月8日下午5:17

政府正在考虑扩大对与儿童持续接触的工作岗位（包括非监管行业）的犯罪记录筛查范围，以优先保障儿童安全。

建议包括基于证书的系统或基于 SingPass 同意的审核。

任何筛查机制都应被视为一种额外的保护措施，而不是万无一失的解决方案。

新加坡——政府正在考虑扩大对申请与儿童和青少年持续接触的职位（包括非监管行业）的求职者的犯罪记录审查范围。

内政部高级政务部长吴佩铭表示，这可能包括基于证书的系统。

此前，一名自称“宗教影响者”的人未经许可在清真寺举办宗教课程，并对两名幼童进行了性虐待。

8月17日，这名37岁的男子承认犯有三项强奸罪和两项猥亵罪，被判处27年10个月监禁和24下鞭刑。

该男子从未受雇于任何清真寺担任工作人员或志愿者，也没有获得 Asatizah 认可计划的认证。

吴作栋在9月8日于国会发言时表示，政府将考虑这些建议是否可行，以及中小企业等雇主是否能够应对额外的筛查要求。

“然而，在这些事情上，我们孩子的安全必须放在首位，”吴先生说，并补充说，准备就绪后会分享更多细节。

针对惹兰勿刹集选区议员 Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah 提出的政府为何花了这么长时间审查筛选框架的问题，吴作栋表示，这一过程涉及多个层面的考量，涉及不同问题，所有这些都需要仔细权衡。

吴先生说：“一个根本问题是，政府应该在多大程度上干预不受监管的行业。筛查应该是强制性的还是自愿的？如果我们强制执行，我们如何才能在众多行业和领域，特别是许多不受监管的行业和领域中切实可行地实施呢？”

Goh 以自由职业者为例，说明了不受监管行业的从业人员。

他还补充说，实施框架也可能将合规负担和运营限制转移到雇主和公司身上，这些都需要加以管理。

在补充质询时间，工人党议员严燕松（阿裕尼集选区）建议通过 SingPass 引入基于同意的入职前自愿审查机制。

Giam表示，根据他提出的方案，准员工可以授权机构或父母核实其安全许可状态，该状态需经官方记录验证。这样一来，准员工的记录就能对公众保密。

吴先生表示，这可能是政府考虑实施任何筛查框架的一种可能方式。

他还补充说，他意识到最终的筛查框架不会是一个万无一失的解决方案，并指出这只是一个额外的环节，以便当局和机构能够筛查和减轻风险。

他还补充说，任何筛查框架的实施都将首先与不同部门的相关利益攸关方进行磋商。

吴先生说：“成功的实施就是保护我们的孩子。”

侵害儿童/未成年人的犯罪