The MHA Story
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was set up in 1959 when Singapore attained self-government. When Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, internal affairs became a federal responsibility.
Singapore’s Independence on 9 August 1965 saw the formation of the Ministry of Interior and Defence (MID), whose responsibilities included overseeing the Police Force and Immigration Department.
On 11 August 1970, MID was split into separate Ministries – MHA and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), with the former tasked to deal with matters relating to public safety, civil defence and immigration.
Through the years, MHA has played an essential role in Singapore’s nation building journey by ensuring a safe and secure home for Singaporeans. Today, MHA, which is also known as the Home Team, consists of the Ministry Headquarters and 10 agencies,
including seven departments and three statutory boards1. While the various agencies have their own heritage and distinct responsibilities, some of which pre-date the Ministry’s formation in 1959, all share the same mission of keeping
Singapore safe and secure.
The Home Team is constantly transforming to prepare itself to meet evolving challenges, and strengthening partnerships with the community to keep Singapore safe and secure.
1 The seven departments are Singapore Police Force (SPF), Internal Security Department (ISD), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Singapore Prison Service (SPS), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), and Home
Team Academy (HTA); while the three statutory boards are the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA), and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG).
