From today, massage parlours with CaseTrust accreditation or which conduct their services in plain view will have their operating hours restricted from 7am to This is a further restriction from what was implemented last August, where police allowed massage parlours in Housing Board estates to operate only from 6am to 11pm. Only CaseTrust-accredited parlours in designated areas such as Orchard Road or Changi Airport, or those which do not require a massage establishment licence - like fish spas or nail salons - can continue to operate round the clock.
The tighter restrictions are the latest provisions under the new Massage Establishments Act, which was passed in November last year to crack down on vice activities and goes into force today. The new laws come as police detected 40 per cent more unlicensed massage establishments between and There were nearly such operators found in , with 40 per cent engaging in vice-related offences.
In contrast, less than 3 per cent of licensed establishments were found to have vice-related infringements. In contrast to the above, less than 3 per cent of licensed establishments were found to have vice-related infringements. Repeat offenders could have their penalties doubled or more: Landlords must now also take reasonable steps to get such errant tenants to hand over the premises within a month, or face the same penalties.
Should unlicensed operators continue to run their business after they have been charged, the police have warned that they can "use reasonable force" to have the premises vacated and physically secured. These new conditions apply to existing licencees only when they renew their licences, unless they are in Housing Board estates, in which case these go into effect immediately. A licence may also be immediately suspended when a licencee or relevant person is charged with serious offences such as human trafficking or organised crime.
There will be some leeway, however. Some activities, like those in fish spas or manicure services, no longer require a licence, while other massage activities will be exempt from some rules if, for example, they are provided at hospitals or traditional Chinese medicine clinics. In addition, operators that require a licence and maintain a good track record could receive licences with validity periods longer than the standard one-year period. We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused.
