Prostitution—related activities not prevalent in heartlands: Masagos

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, has given his assurance that prostitution—related activities are not prevalent in the heartlands.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Mr Masagos said that of the 2,159 prostitution—related arrests of women in the first six months of 2012, only five (0.23 per cent) of arrests, were made in the heartlands.

This was in response to a question by MP for Holland—Bukit Timah GRC, Christopher de Souza.

Mr Masagos added that the number of arrests during the first—half of 2012 was about seven per cent lower than the 2,321 arrests made during the same period in 2011.

He also said police made 115 arrests for people abetting in prostitution—related acts. This is about double the number compared to the same period in 2011.

—CNA/ac