Stiffer penalties proposed for those trespassing on state land

New laws may give SLA officers power to enter land without warrant, issue fines

- Isabelle Liew

People who trespass or carry out unauthorised activities on state land will face stiffer penalties under proposed changes to the law.

The State Lands Protection Bill, introduced in Parliament on Monday, proposes raising the maximum fine to 50,000, from the current 5,000. The jail term of up to six months remains unchanged.

If passed, the new laws will replace the existing State Lands Encroachments Act SLEA), which was last reviewed in 1974.

In a statement, the Singapore Land Authority SLA) said: Since then, the types of encroachments and misuse of state land have evolved, rendering many of the SLEA’s provisions outdated and ineffective.”

The amendments in the Bill will ensure that state land is better protected from damage and improper use that can impede development, create public safety issues, and affect public enjoyment of our scarce land resources”, it added.

Offenders who continue to break the law even after conviction will face a fine of up to 500 per day.