Andre Low urges overhaul of fire safety standards; government stresses balance and vigilance

On 12 January 2026, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Andre Low of the Workers’ Party delivered an adjournment motion in Parliament urging significant reforms in Singapore’s fire safety regulations. Citing fatal fires in recent years and emerging hazards, Low called for a comprehensive response that considers infrastructure upgrades, regulatory tightening, and equity in fire protection standards.

In his speech titled “Fire safety in our homes,” Low referenced several international fire tragedies—including Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong and Grenfell Tower in London—as reminders that modern cities are not immune to catastrophic fire events. He argued that while Singapore maintains high fire safety standards, complacency and design legacy issues pose continued risks.

Low highlighted three areas of concern: barriers to emergency exit (egress), lithium-ion battery fires from active mobility devices (AMDs), and disparities in fire safety standards between newer and older Housing Development Board (HDB) flats.

Locked gates and exit barriers

Low pointed to an anomaly in Singapore’s Fire Code which exempts residential units from rules requiring exit doors to be openable without keys or tools. He noted that while newer Build-To-Order (BTO) flats are equipped with safer mild-steel gates and thumb-turn locks, many older flats retain wrought iron gates with double-cylinder locks, which require keys to open from both sides.

He cited the tragic August 2025 fire at Block 106 Jalan Bukit Merah, where a couple died despite neighbours’ attempts to reach them through their locked gate.

Low proposed four key measures:

1. Making thumb-turn gates a fully subsidised 'essential improvement' under the Home Improvement Programme (HIP).

2. Disallowing the pre-installation of double-cylinder gates in new flats.

3. Phasing out legacy gates in older estates.

4. Incorporating risks from keyed grilles and padlocks into public fire education.

Battery fires and infrastructure gaps

On the topic of AMD-related fires, Low noted a 21.8% increase in such incidents in 2024 and a surge in personal mobility aid fires. He highlighted the limitations of enforcing battery compliance, noting that cheap, non-compliant devices remain easily accessible via e-commerce platforms.

Arguing that current approaches misframe the issue as a compliance problem rather than an infrastructure one, Low proposed the introduction of outdoor battery-swapping systems, public charging hubs with safety features, and mandatory battery inspections.

Eventually, he suggested, charging AMDs indoors should be banned to eliminate the safety hazard.

Fire safety equity across flat generations

Low also raised concerns about fire safety inequity, particularly in older point blocks that often have a single staircase and lack modern fire suppression systems. Referring to the July 2025 fire at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8, he described how residents had to flee upwards due to smoke-blocked exits and a malfunctioning dry riser.

He called for:

• Using fire escape viability as a factor in selecting estates for redevelopment under VERS.

• Expanding the free installation of Home Fire Alarm Devices (HFADs) in older estates.

• Systematic installation of sprinklers in common areas.

• More rigorous inspection regimes for firefighting infrastructure, with transparent compliance reporting.

• Enhanced resources for Town Councils to maintain fire safety systems.

Ministerial response

Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Minister of State Goh Pei Ming acknowledged the importance of the issue and broadly supported the principle of vigilance in fire safety.

Goh clarified that the residential fire situation in Singapore remains stable, with the fire fatality rate among the lowest globally. He noted that 2025 saw six fatalities in total, correcting Low’s reference to eight deaths by August. The top causes of fires remained unattended cooking, electrical faults, and open flames—all tied to human behaviour.

Addressing infrastructure concerns, Goh reaffirmed the robustness of Singapore’s Fire Code and the effectiveness of fire compartmentalisation design. He explained that while newer buildings adopt updated codes, retrofitting older buildings is often impractical due to cost and structural constraints.

He defended the flexibility given to residents in choosing door lock types, noting that security concerns must also be balanced. Goh added that residents are typically familiar with their unit layouts, which aids emergency egress.

Regarding AMDs, Goh confirmed the government’s concern over battery fires and shared that devices not complying with safety standards were implicated in over 70% of AMD-related fire incidents between 2022 and 2025. He highlighted recent legislative efforts, such as the introduction of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, which would criminalise possession of non-certified e-scooters.

He also cited ongoing community education efforts by the Active Mobility Fire Safety Taskforce and SCDF’s continued upgrading of firefighting tools, including drones and early detection systems. As of June 2025, about 200,000 HDB flats had installed HFADs with the help of subsidised schemes.

Goh concluded by emphasising that fire safety remains a shared responsibility between government agencies and residents. While infrastructure and enforcement are important, he reiterated that public awareness and individual vigilance are essential in preventing fires.