Politics

Replica weapons excluded from new arms control law


A new law to regulate guns, explosives and weapons in Singapore will not apply to replica weapons because they pose too little risk to warrant tight regulation, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan yesterday.

Nerf guns, which can be bought off the shelf for recreational purposes and are unlikely to cause injury if used properly, are also excluded from the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Bill, which was passed in Parliament.

But ornamental weapons such as daggers and swords will be considered for class licensing. This is a “light touch” approach which will apply only to lower-risk activities such as air gun shooting in schools, as such licensing is considered less stringent than individual licensing.

Previously, the Arms and Explosives Act – which has been replaced by the new law – required all persons conducting activities related to guns, explosives and weapons to be either individually licensed or to be exempted, which means they will fall outside the Act.

Thanking members of the House for their support, Mr Tan said: “The Bill is a crucial piece of legislation that will go a long way to continue to ensure safe, secure and responsible GEW (guns, explosives and weapons) handling in Singapore.”

The Bill was aimed at further tightening controls for guns, explosives and weapons, and strengthening penalties for high-risk items such as automatic weapons.

Other than guarding against extremist attacks where such items could be used, the Bill was also meant to deal with advancements such as 3D printing of guns or gun parts with designs taken from the Internet, as well as the threat of armed drones.

The unauthorised possession of a digital blueprint for a gun or gun part has been criminalised under the Bill. Maximum fines for gun and explosive offences have been raised to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for entities, up from $10,000.

A total of 11 MPs spoke during the debate on the Bill yesterday, raising concerns that ranged from how licence applicants are assessed to whether innovation in 3D printing would be stifled.

Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) asked if replica and imitation weapons are covered under the Bill, and Mr Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) asked if the possession of digital blueprints for gun replicas would be criminalised.

In his round-up speech, Mr Tan said an exhaustive list of weapons regulated is spelt out in the Bill, which includes axes, throwing stars and bayonets. Replica weapons are not regulated as they are unlikely to be effective in causing injuries or death.

But the use of an imitation weapon to threaten or cause fear of injury or death to others would likely be an offence under other Acts such as the Penal Code, he said.

The unauthorised possession of digital blueprints is limited to guns and major gun parts as these are assessed to pose the highest risk, necessitating strong controls, he said, adding that there is no need to control the possession of blueprints for weapons like swords and knuckledusters at the moment as they are less dangerous.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) said that some in the 3D printing community have pointed out that 3D-printed guns are unlikely to function as they cannot withstand the pressure of firing a bullet.

She said that regulation of 3D printing should be done cautiously, otherwise a “chilling effect” might be produced on the use of such innovative technologies.

Mr Tan replied that the threat of 3D-printed guns and gun parts is real. “This point was echoed by other members as well. There have been genuine cases and online videos demonstrating the use of 3D-printed guns or gun parts, especially metallic ones.”

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) asked how a licensing officer assesses information submitted in applications, especially from foreigners, such as those who need short-term licences for trade fairs.

Mr Tan said the police licensing officer will request relevant documents from foreign applicants to show that they have been authorised by their countries to handle guns, explosives and weapons.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) asked for more clarity on the situations where the Home Affairs Minister could exercise his new power to issue security directions.

Under the new Bill, the minister can issue such directions when a situation requires a more expedient response than modifying licensing conditions allows, such as if there is imminent threat to life or property.

Mr Tan said a possible scenario is when there is an ongoing or suspected terrorist incident. “In such a scenario, issuing a security direction would be critical to mitigate the threat first,” he said.





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