We refer to the commentary “When someone has a mental health crisis, arrest is not the answer”, by Anthea Ong, Cassandra Chiu and Rayner Tan (March 27).

There may be some misunderstanding on the nature and scope of the proposed amendments. Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act, which has been in place since 2008, the police already have the power to apprehend a person who is suspected to have a mental health condition, and poses a danger to himself or others.

The police will then take him to a medical practitioner for treatment. This is as opposed to arrest under the Penal Code, where the police would have to take the person to a police lock-up.

If a person who has a mental health condition has neither exhibited violent tendencies, nor is shown to be a potential threat to himself or others, the police would not get involved.

This does not change with the proposed amendments. 

The amendments allow the police to intervene in a more timely manner, when the danger is there, even though it may not be immediately clear that the danger is imminent or when the person may turn violent.

The majority of persons with mental health conditions do not show any propensity for violence, but some may turn violent, or pose a danger to themselves or others.

There have been cases, in the past, when the police had to be able to apprehend such persons for the safety of the public around them, and the persons themselves, and send them to the Institute of Mental Health for treatment.

As for the writers’ suggestion of “mental health ambulances”, there aren’t enough trained professionals for regular ambulances, particularly in the context of our ageing population.

It will be difficult to find the manpower and resources for mental health ambulances, in addition to coping with the need for regular ambulances. We have explained the manpower issues in Parliament several times. The suggested approach will also not deal with the risk that such persons may harm themselves, or harm others around them, if the police do not act quickly.   

Alvin Moh
Senior Director, Joint Operations Group
Ministry of Home Affairs