The Government has sent out the strongest signal yet that it may pass a law enabling it to prosecute Singaporeans who have sex with minors overseas.

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday: 'We are signalling that this is behaviour which is intolerable, which is incompatible with being a Singaporean both locally as well as overseas. We are stepping up ways and means to identify and ultimately to prosecute and stop such behaviour.'

The law could have a big impact on the sex tourism industry on Batam, where prostitutes as young as 14 service a largely Singaporean clientele. In May this year, the Home Affairs Ministry said it will decide by the end of the year if such a law should be passed.

Dr Balakrishnan was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Asian Regional Conference, where close to 460 delegates from 38 countries met to discuss child protection issues.

During his opening speech, he said that Asean nations have recently reviewed their positions on tourism to make children's interests a top priority. And the only effective way to stop kids from being exploited is not only to enforce strict domestic laws but also to collaborate with other countries to deal with the problem.

For a start, the 10 Asean countries are working on a Traveller's Code to promote responsible tourism, including putting a stop to the trafficking and exploitation of children. A check with the Asean Secretariat showed that all 10 countries will have a common campaign message, likely to be in the form of posters and stickers.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports said last month that it is committed to taking part in the regional campaign.

Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Kishore Mahbubani urged countries to get their economic and political systems right if they are serious about improving children's welfare.

In his keynote speech, he recounted a cautionary tale about a non-government organisation that succeeded in shutting down a Bangladeshi factory using child labour. When they returned the next year, some of the children had become prostitutes.

'Unless you find a realistic long-term solution to things like child labour, efforts to help them may become worse for them. That's why I believe economic development is the critical answer to improving children's welfare,' he said.