SINGAPORE — Flick knives and knuckledusters will be added to the list of six regulated weapons in the first half of 2025 to safeguard public safety following several knife attacks in 2024.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) currently regulates the sale of daggers, swords, spears, spearheads, bayonets, and dangerous bows and arrows through the Arms and Explosives Act.
On Jan 7, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said in Parliament that this list will be expanded to include flick knives and knuckledusters when the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act is operationalised in the first half of 2025.
Sun was responding to questions from Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) and Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) on incidents relating to knife crimes and what the authorities were doing to protect Singaporeans.
Their questions come after a priest was attacked at St Joseph's Church on Nov 9, 2024.
Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37, allegedly approached Reverend Christopher Lee while the Catholic priest was giving communion and stabbed him in the mouth.
Basnayake was charged with using a dangerous weapon to voluntarily cause grievous hurt to Father Lee.
According to court documents, the priest suffered an 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper left lip and a 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth.
Sun said that as at November 2024, there were 129 cases of murder, attempted murder, robbery, rioting and serious hurt involving knives that year.
She said none of these crimes occurred at a place of worship, except for the knife attack at St Joseph's Church.
She said the 2024 figure was comparable to the number of cases between 2021 and 2023, which saw an average of 133 cases annually.
In 2022, MHA said there were around 150 cases of knife-related crime annually between 2017 and 2021, which meant there was an incident about every two days.
The Straits Times reported in December 2024 that the number of murder reports was at its highest in five years, with 10 cases reported that year.
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, there were four murders in 2023, seven each in 2022 and 2021, and eight in 2020.
Sun said MHA does not track whether offenders had mental health issues.
She added that police officers are trained and equipped to deal with crimes involving knives.
"While the incidence of crimes involving knives is low, it is important, nevertheless, that we all know how to respond when such attacks occur. The November 2024 incident at St Joseph's Church is a case in point," she said.
On Nov 10, Richard Tan Chai Boon and Damien Liew Khee Rui were given the Public Spiritedness Award for their bravery in disarming and helping to detain Basnayake until the police arrived at the scene.
Sun said MHA has been engaging the public through the SGSecure movement, which includes the sharing of advisories and the importance of learning emergency preparedness skills like first aid.
She added: "Together, these measures help ensure a high level of public safety, security awareness and contingency readiness in our society."
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
