Remember all these the next time you vote

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Switch to backup system failed during Singtel outage on Oct 8: Janil Puthucheary​

Calls to emergency services and healthcare institutions, as well as as banks and businesses, were disrupted in the Oct 8 landline outage. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Anjali Raguraman
Correspondent

Nov 11, 2024

SINGAPORE – A backup system did not kick in as planned when an unprecedented Singtel outage occurred on Oct 8, causing intermittent service disruption that lasted several hours, said Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary on Nov 11.
On Oct 8, calls to emergency services and healthcare institutions, as well as as banks and businesses, were disrupted in the landline outage. The disruption lasted more than three hours before services progressively resumed in the evening.
According to preliminary findings, a network component in one of the two systems supporting Singtel’s fixed line voice service experienced a technical issue, said Dr Janil, who was responding to several questions raised by MPs in Parliament.
“The two systems, located in separate telephone exchanges, are designed to immediately take over the full load of the other when one system malfunctions,” he said.
“However, in this instance, the failover did not happen seamlessly, which caused the intermittent service disruption.”
All services were progressively restored over a four-hour time period from the start of the incident, he said, adding that half of all calls made could still be connected.
He said there is no evidence to suggest that the incident was related to sabotage or cyber-attack.

“IMDA takes a serious view of this incident and is investigating the cause of this disruption and whether Singtel’s incident response was adequate,” said Dr Janil, adding that investigations are continuing.
Singtel is held to a “high level of reliability” in the Government’s regulatory framework, he said, and noted that IMDA will not hesitate to take strong action under the Telecommunications Act, including imposing financial penalties should any lapses be identified.
Singtel previously said the disruption was an “isolated incident”.

Five MPs had asked about what could have caused the Oct 8 landline disruption, how such an incident could be prevented in future, and whether any action will be taken against Singtel.
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong), Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) and Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) had asked the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) what the root causes of the disruption were, and whether operational continuity plans are adequate for instances where a telco supports essential hotlines.
Dr Tan also asked the Ministry of Home Affairs whether critical landline hotlines such as 995 and 999 can be protected in the event of a single telco failure. Singtel is currently the only service provider for both hotlines.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling weighed in, saying that the SCDF and police are working with IMDA to consider additional resiliency measures for their hotlines, including considering the “feasibility of telco diversity for our emergency hotlines”.
Ms Sun added there was no public feedback about the SCDF or the police failing to respond to any urgent or life-threatening incident as a result of the disruption.

In a supplementary question, Progress Singapore Party Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa asked how many people used the alternative SMS numbers to contact the emergency services, and about the public’s awareness of these alternatives.
During the outage, the SCDF and police had urged members of the public to use SMS – 70995 for SCDF and 70999 for the police – to contact them instead.
Ms Sun said she did not have the specific numbers, noting that the SMS numbers “are not new”. But following the outage, the ministry will be “even more enthusiastic” about putting out the numbers, she said.

 

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Ah neh has $93 million worth of DBS shares while the Sinkies suffer from ATM and internet banking outages because of his mismanagement.

DBS CEO Piyush Gupta sells $12.6 million worth of shares as DBS hits all-time high​

The transactions reduced DBS CEO Piyush Gupta's current holdings to 1.9 million shares from 2.2 million shares before. PHOTO: ST FILE
Benjamin Cher

Nov 11, 2024


SINGAPORE - Outgoing DBS chief executive officer Piyush Gupta sold lots of his DBS shares on Nov 7 and 8, amid a bank rally that sent DBS shares past the $40 mark.
In a bourse filing on Nov 11, the bank disclosed that he sold 300,000 shares over those two days – 100,000 shares at $41.7513 a share on Nov 7, and 200,000 shares at $42.2023 a share the following day.
The two transactions netted Gupta $12.6 million, and reduced his current holdings to 1.9 million DBS shares from 2.2 million shares before.
His transactions come as Singapore banking stocks rallied after consensus-beating performances for the third quarter of 2024. DBS, UOB and OCBC shares continued to rally on Nov 11, hitting new all-time highs at the close of trading.
DBS closed up 0.8 per cent or $0.35 to $42.75, OCBC closed up 1.6 per cent or $0.26 to $16.32, while UOB was the top gainer on the Straits Times Index, up 2.7 per cent or $0.96 to $36.65. THE BUSINESS TIMES

 

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Stupid policy by the Singapore Police Force:

- if they think that the key is to practise safe riding habits.
How many motorcyclists ride dangerous, split lines, weave in and out of traffic, and do not observe traffic rules?

- if they say defensive riding courses for motorcyclists are available.
Would foreign (Malaysian) motorcyclists sign up for the course?

- if they think talks and activities organised by the TP are effective.
- What percentage of the motorcyclist population attended the courses?
- Are there any foreign (Malaysian) motorcyclists who attended?

Forum: Road safety a shared responsibility​

Nov 11, 2024

We refer to the letter by Mr Ong Kim Bock, “Regulate lane splitting by motorcyclists” (Oct 30). We share his concern on road safety for motorcyclists, and note his suggestion to regulate lane splitting or lane filtering, as it is known in some jurisdictions.
However, making lane filtering an offence may not be a practical solution and would be challenging to enforce. Instead, we believe that key for the safety of motorcyclists is to practise safe riding habits, including defensive riding, and to avoid weaving in and out of traffic.
Defensive riding courses for motorcyclists are available at all driving centres in Singapore. The Traffic Police (TP) also incorporates defensive riding knowledge and tips in road safety advisories, as well as in our engagements with motorcyclists.
This year’s Singapore Ride Safe campaign is just one of our engagements with the motorcyclist community. TP organised a series of talks and activities for motorcyclists in collaboration with our partners. They covered important topics such as how to conduct proper pre-ride checks and the importance of wearing appropriate riding gear to prevent serious injuries.
In addition, all motorists should be fully aware of the road situation around them, check their blind spots, and signal their intent before changing lanes or turning.
Road safety is a shared responsibility, and all road users must abide by the traffic rules to keep our roads safe for everyone.

Patrick Pang
Deputy Superintendent of Police
Covering Assistant Director (Media Relations Division)
Public Affairs Department, Singapore Police Force

 

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CapitaLand warns of China losses as Singapore property investor cuts exposure​

CapitaLand's current exposure to China is 27 per cent of its $113 billion in funds. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Nov 22, 2024

SINGAPORE – CapitaLand Investment, one of Asia’s largest property investment managers, warned of potential losses as it seeks to extricate itself from China’s real estate crisis.

The Singapore-listed firm wants to reduce its exposure in the world’s second-largest economy to 10-20 per cent of its expected $200 billion in funds under management by 2028, it said in an investor day presentation on Nov 22.

In doing so, the company may incur “potential fair value or divestment losses” that impact near-medium term non-operating earnings, it added.

Its current exposure to China is 27 per cent of its $113 billion in funds.

The listed investment arm of CapitaLand Group, which is owned by Singapore state investor Temasek, has long been a major investor in China, but a years-long property downturn there has made these bets, spanning from office space to malls, turn sour.

These struggles have hit the company’s stock, which is down almost 12 per cent in 2024 compared with a 16 per cent gain in the Straits Times Index.

Selling its property in China has been difficult, with the bulk of the $4.6 billion divestments in 2024 up to early November coming from Singapore and other countries like Japan.

CapitaLand Investment is seeking to more than double its operating earnings to more than $1 billion by 2028-2030, and could do new real estate investment trust listings in Australia, China and India, it said in the presentation.

So far, it has sought to increase its exposure elsewhere, including most recently announcing it will buy out SC Capital Partners Group, a Japan-focused property investor.

CapitaLand Investment’s management said in an analyst call earlier in November that it hopes to divest about $1 billion in China in 2024, according to a Citigroup Nov 6 note, which added that it estimates the company has just sold about $300 million so far.

Citigroup also said that the Singapore firm is aiming to divest about $3.5 billion Chinese assets on its balance sheet over three years, although it will stop giving divestment targets in 2025. BLOOMBERG

 

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Forum: SGH can improve response time for online bookings​

Nov 18, 2024

In the interest of useful feedback, I would like to share a recent personal experience of making an appointment at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with a specific doctor in mind.

I decided to go for an online booking by e-mail with SGH, as this was possible on its website.

After providing all the necessary information and receiving an e-mail confirmation of my request, I waited for a response.

After four days, I decided to telephone the SGH hotline for appointments. A polite woman at the other end attended to me and within a few minutes, I got a verbal confirmation of a date and time of appointment with my desired doctor.

I find it unacceptable that SGH has a dedicated digital link for making appointments but it is unable to respond speedily within a reasonable timeframe.

I consider a maximum of two working days or 48 hours to be reasonable to reply to a patient. SGH should review its standard operating procedures to remedy this shortcoming. Otherwise, more people like me will only call the SGH hotline.

Raymond Koh Bock Swi

 

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Forum: Fixed rent system for hawker stalls would remove focus on bid prices​

Nov 22, 2024

I appreciate the latest efforts by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to deter high bids for hawker stalls by introducing safeguards against aggressive bidding practices (New measure by NEA to deter high bids for hawker stalls, Nov 4).

While this policy change is a step in the right direction, it feels more like placing a plaster on a wound rather than addressing the root cause of the problem.

The issue with the current bidding system lies in its focus on monetary bids, which prioritises financial capability over the true purpose of hawker centres: serving affordable, high-quality food to the community.


Even with safeguards, potential hawkers who offer unique, quality dishes but lack the financial means to place competitive bids may still be excluded from the system.

Take, for example, Dunman Food Centre, where it was recently reported that a rental bid for a hawker stall was nearly $7,000. This is an extraordinary figure compared with the median hawker rent in Singapore, which is $1,250.

Such exorbitant rents are unsustainable for many hawkers and often translate to higher food prices for consumers. While NEA’s new measures aim to prevent outliers like this, the underlying flaws in the system remain.

A year ago, I wrote to the Forum urging the authorities to rethink the bidding system. My suggestion then, which remains relevant today, was to replace the current system with a fixed rent system that considers food quality and the centre’s overall food mix.


This approach would ensure a balanced variety of offerings and maintain the cultural and culinary vibrancy of hawker centres, while keeping stalls accessible to promising hawkers with limited financial resources.

The bidding system, even with adjustments, may still inadvertently foster a climate of high rents and unsustainable business models. A fixed rent system, coupled with assessments based on food quality and diversity, would align better with the original intent of hawker centres and give the community affordable and diverse food options.


It is time for a comprehensive review of the hawker stall allocation system. By moving away from a financially driven model, we can better preserve the unique cultural and social role of hawker centres in Singapore.

Martin Lee Ming Han

 

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Govt doing its best to help with cost of living, while opposition tries to exploit issue: PM Wong​

Though inflation has moderated in recent months, price levels remain higher than before, impacting people’s sense of well-being, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Nov 24.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Goh Yan Han
Nov 25, 2024

SINGAPORE - The PAP Government is doing its best to shield citizens from the worst effects of global inflation, even as opposition parties in Singapore have tried to exploit cost-of-living concerns to turn sentiments against the ruling party, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

While he acknowledged Singaporeans’ worries about the cost of living, he noted that it is not an issue unique to Singapore, as countries everywhere are facing similar pressures due to the recent spike in global inflation.

Though inflation in most places, including Singapore, has moderated in recent months, price levels remain higher than before, impacting people’s sense of well-being, he said in his speech at the PAP’s biennial party conference on Nov 24.


About 3,000 party cadres, activists and guests – including from the labour movement – were gathered at the Singapore Expo, where cadre members had voted in the morning for the party’s next core group of leaders.

PM Wong, who is currently PAP’s deputy secretary-general, noted how frustration with the rising cost of living overshadowed other matters and contributed to strong anti-incumbency feelings in countries that held elections in 2024. Every governing party in a developed country that held elections in 2024 lost vote share, and a number lost the mandate to govern altogether, he noted.

“We feel the pressure in Singapore too. Opposition parties have tried to exploit this issue to turn sentiments against the PAP, even though they themselves do not have good solutions,” he said.


“We hope Singaporeans understand that these are global inflation trends. They impact all countries.”


The Government has rolled out major packages over the last few years, with more help on the way in the coming months, such as another tranche of CDC vouchers in January 2025, said PM Wong.


The Assurance Package that was first announced in Budget 2020 was enhanced by PM Wong at subsequent Budgets, with a total of over $10 billion earmarked so far to cushion the impact of cost-of-living increases.


“I am now preparing for Budget 2025, because I’m still the Finance Minister, remember. I will see how we can continue to provide additional support in the Budget,” he added.

On top of the national measures, the party branches in the constituencies have also rolled out their local schemes and programmes.

“As a government and a party, we are doing all we can… to help Singaporeans cope with the higher cost of living,” said PM Wong.

Other domestic challenges that Singapore has faced included the Covid-19 pandemic that was a baptism of fire for him and his team, he added.

“We are tackling the next challenge of our generation – to renew our social compact, refresh our Singapore Dream, and to give every Singaporean the assurance and hope that tomorrow will be better than today,” he said.

PM Wong said the PAP has stood for a fair and just society for all from its beginning, and built a system in Singapore that is clean and honest and that operates on the basis of merit.

The system also works because of the strong tripartite partnership among unions, employers and the Government forged over many decades, he added, citing the symbiotic ties between the PAP and NTUC.

“The PAP-NTUC link is strong and vital. We share your conviction that every worker matters, and we will continue to advance the well-being of all workers in Singapore,” said PM Wong.

While the core values and fundamentals will never change, Singapore has to adapt to new circumstances, and the evolving needs of society – which is why the 4G team embarked on the Forward Singapore exercise, he added.

Since then, big moves made in the past year include Age Well SG, the Majulah Package, enhancements to SkillsFuture and changes to the housing and education systems, he noted.

“We have a full agenda under Forward Singapore. The changes and transformations we seek are just beginning, and they will unfold over several years,” said PM Wong. “This is what I am most passionate about. Working together, hand in hand, we can chart a new course and build a better Singapore.”

 

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Misunderstanding of internal govt circular led to unmasking of NRIC numbers on Bizfile: Acra​

Acra rolled out its new Bizfile portal on Dec 9. It allowed the public to access full NRIC numbers via a search for free, sparking concerns about data privacy.PHOTO: ACRA

Lee Li Ying
Dec 19, 2024

SINGAPORE – A misunderstanding of an internal government circular and lack of coordination between government staff had led to the disclosure of full NRIC numbers on a new business portal, said the chief executive of Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra).

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) had in July issued a circular to government agencies telling them to stop using masked NRIC numbers in new business processes and services as part of a broader policy shift to gradually move away from using NRIC numbers as a method of authentication.

In a press conference on Dec 19, Acra chief executive Chia-Tern Huey Min said staff from her agency had “interpreted the requirements to cease the use of masked NRIC numbers as needing to unmask the numbers in our new Bizfile portal”.


“Acra sought to clarify with MDDI what were the scope and implementation timeline of this new requirement. But communications between the two agencies were not sufficiently clear, leading to Acra’s mistaken thinking,” said Mrs Chia-Tern.

Acra rolled out its new Bizfile portal on Dec 9. It allowed the public to access full NRIC numbers via a search for free, sparking concerns about data privacy.


Mrs Chia-Tern apologised for the lapse, which she said had caused anxiety and confusion among the public.

“As the owner of the Bizfile portal, Acra should have been more mindful that many Singaporeans have long treated their NRIC numbers as private and confidential information, and would not want to have their full NRIC numbers searchable on the new portal,” she said.

“We should also have taken more deliberate care to ensure that such information, deemed sensitive by many, is provided only when needed. Acra will learn from this lesson and tighten our systems and processes,” she added.

Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said the miscommunication took place despite attempts to coordinate and seek clarification. “We are very sorry,” she added.

Acknowledging the confusion caused by the Government’s statement that it is moving away from masked NRIC numbers, she clarified multiple times during the two-hour press conference that this new approach does not mean automatically unmasking and using a person’s full NRIC number in all circumstances.

The Government is not asking for all NRIC numbers to suddenly be revealed, Mrs Teo said.

She noted that the Government uses full NRIC numbers to facilitate services such as disbursements of grants and subsidies to different individuals with the same name, for example.

The private sector will be consulted to get feedback on what scenarios may require the use of unmasked NRIC numbers, among other issues, Mrs Teo added.


Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah said the Government is reviewing the incident to identify areas where communication and coordination between agencies can be improved.

“It is still premature at this stage to say if anything is going to happen to particular staff in question... This is an instance of a misunderstanding. One has to ascertain exactly how that came about, and have a look at the full facts before deciding on what, if anything needs to be done,” she said.

Mrs Chia-Tern also explained Acra’s role as the national business registry, which has to maintain transparency in Singapore’s business environment.

To do so, it has to establish and administer a repository of information relating to business entities and the people behind the entities, and provide access to this information.

The Bizfile portal allows the public to search for the name and unique entity number (UEN) of companies, as well as company directors and shareholders.

This information enables companies or individuals to carry out checks before they decide to do business with another party.

For example, a company considering appointing an individual as a board director can check the Bizfile portal for the individual’s associations with other companies.

“This helps the company in a few ways – it can reveal potential conflicts of interest, past bankruptcies involving the individual, the performance of companies the individual is associated with, and whether the individual is holding an excessive number of directorships. These insights are crucial for the company to obtain but may not be appropriate to inquire directly from the individual,” said Mrs Chia-Tern.

 

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‘Have to get a pail each time it rains’: Serangoon HDB residents with leaking ceilings​

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Roof repair works by the town council have not fixed the issue, which has become worse amid the recent rainy weather.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

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The Serangoon Avenue 4 block was built in 1985, and some residents say the roof started leaking years ago.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

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Town councils are responsible for the maintenance of common property in HDB estates, including rooftops of public housing blocks.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
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Isabelle Liew
Nov 28, 2024

SINGAPORE – For more than 1½ years, Ms Eden Tan has had to reach for a pail each time it rains because water would start dripping from the ceiling of her Serangoon Housing Board flat.

Shortly after Ms Tan moved into the four-room flat on the top floor in 2022, she noticed that the ceiling would leak when it pours.

Roof repair works by the town council have not fixed the issue, which has become worse amid the recent rainy weather. It has caused mould to grow inside one of the bedrooms, and parts of the plaster on the ceiling to crumble off.

“I always have a pail in the affected room to catch the murky water, but it gets full in a few hours. This entire ordeal has been very distressing for my family and we are desperate for it to be fixed,” said the 36-year-old housewife.

Ms Tan, who lives in the flat with her husband, five-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, is one of at least four households in the same block that have had to live with leaky ceilings.

She told The Straits Times she is worried that the leaks could potentially be dangerous if water drips onto electronics at home.

Her husband sleeps in the affected room – which used to be their son’s bedroom – and his eczema has worsened because of the mould and flaking plaster, she said.


Their son now sleeps with Ms Tan in the master bedroom, which is unaffected.

The Serangoon Avenue 4 block was built in 1985, and some residents say the roof started leaking years ago. They would report the issue to the town council, but the issue would persist despite repeated repairs on the roof.

Town councils are responsible for the maintenance of common property in HDB estates, including rooftops of public housing blocks.

Another resident, a part-time tutor who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan, said her ceiling has leaked for most of the 20 years she has lived in the block.

When ST visited the unit on Nov 25, several patches of water damage and mould could be seen on the ceiling of her three-room flat.

“I have to take out a pail every time it rains, but I’m used to it already,” said Madam Tan, 58.

Several patches of water damage and mould could be seen on the ceiling in Madam Tan’s three-room flat.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Retired factory worker Lim Noy, 70, who has lived in the block for more than 30 years, said the water seepage issue cropped up in the last decade and would worsen during rainy periods.

She added that her 70-year-old husband had patched up the water damage in their ceiling about four times over the last three years.

Madam Lim Noy, 70, said her 70-year-old husband patched up the water damage in their ceiling by himself.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Another resident, Ms Joe Auyong, 47, said she has gone through three sofas in five years as a result of the dripping water. She has been placing waterproof covers over her furniture.

“I thought about moving out, but housing prices have been getting steeper,” said the retired designer. She added that the mould has affected the health of her parents, who are in their 70s.

Asked about the issue, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council said it has been working to resolve the leaks “within the shortest possible time”.

It said that it faced challenges in identifying the source of water seepage, as there can be multiple ingress points, and water can travel along various paths within walls before becoming visible.

“Thus, in some cases of seepage, it may take several repair attempts before the problem is rectified,” it added.

The town council said it is also working to expedite reroofing works in all its divisions, including in the affected block.

Ms Tan said that even if the external roof is repaired, the family has to fork out the cost of repairing their ceiling as they do not have insurance coverage on that.

“My husband is the sole breadwinner and we paid for this house with all our cash. We don’t have the money to fix this,” she added.

 

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Forum: Time to fix leaking ceiling problem for good​

Dec 02, 2024

The article “‘Have to get a pail each time it rains’: Serangoon HDB residents with leaking ceilings” (Nov 28) hit a raw nerve when I read it.

I, too, am a resident of Serangoon Avenue 4 and I can understand how those living in HDB flats on the same street are suffering because of leaking ceilings.

Ever since we moved in in 2000, my family and I have had to deal with a leaking ceiling in our flat. There is not one but multiple leaks. Over the years, we have informed the town council on multiple occasions about these leaks.

Despite its best efforts to fix the problem several times, the repairs have not been effective. Leaks still occur when there is a heavy downpour. This causes much distress for my family. Living on the top floor, we constantly fear that the roof might one day collapse.

It is extremely frustrating when we continue to see leaks in our flat, especially after we have been told by the town council that repair works have been carried out.

We hope the authorities will look more closely at resolving this matter.

Ryan Joshua Mahindapala

 

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Forum: Make it easier for those who win cases at Small Claims Tribunals to get their money​

Jan 27, 2025

The Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) were established to provide ordinary citizens with a simple, inexpensive way to resolve disputes without lawyers. However, when defendants don’t pay up, the convoluted enforcement process completely undermines this purpose.

Recently, I won a case at the SCT against a company that provided fraudulent services. Despite a clear order, the company refused to pay the judgment sum. This is where the supposedly simple system breaks down.

To enforce the SCT order, claimants must navigate complex district court procedures. One must file an originating application, ex parte summons and various affidavits – terms most laypeople would not understand.

When I was at the State Courts filing these documents, the secretary told me people often need to make multiple trips to get everything correct.

The process involves multiple court systems, confusing filing procedures, and documents that must be sworn before commissioners of oaths. What started as a straightforward SCT claim became a maze of legal procedures, practically requiring a lawyer’s expertise.

This creates a troubling situation. Many successful SCT claimants may give up on enforcement because the process is too daunting, or they have to incur legal costs that could exceed their claim amount. This effectively rewards defendants who refuse to pay SCT orders, knowing that enforcement is beyond most people’s capabilities.

If you win an SCT case against someone who refuses to pay, should you need a law degree or a lawyer to enforce a judgment from a court specifically designed to help ordinary citizens?


While the system works well up to the judgment stage, the enforcement process needs urgent reform to maintain the SCT’s purpose of providing accessible justice.

A simplified, user-friendly enforcement process would ensure that SCT judgments actually result in justice being served.

Solomon Poon Ke Foong

 

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Forum: New options for booking ride-hailing services do not serve parents well​

Dec 09, 2024

I refer to the article “Ride-hailing passengers can now request child seats, extra boot space for wheelchairs” (Dec 4).

As my wife and I are safety-conscious, we take pains to install car seats for our children (a two-year-old and a three-month-old) as much as possible in taxis and private-hire vehicles (PHVs).

This normally takes about five to 10 minutes before each trip, but we have decided to do this even at the risk of being charged the waiting time.

I do not intend to use any of the so-called new services because they do not serve parents at all. There are numerous reasons.

First, they are all more expensive. It beggars belief that the ride-hailing options have chosen to charge more for providing a booster seat for a child. Only toddlers and older children are catered for and infants are not. For a simple 10km ride, one can expect to pay $2 more.

Second, they are not always available. One has to endure longer booking times.

We have sought to travel with our own car seats because the booking time is a big issue.


Third, safety. Research has shown that rear-facing seats are far safer for toddlers. A simple booster seat is not the way to go.

The law is also complicated. Taxis are allowed to ferry children without a car seat but PHVs are not allowed to.

It is legally possible for a taxi to take six children. Yet there are no taxis with six seat belts. One wonders how this legal option can play out in reality.

PHV drivers have long complained about this imbalance. With more PHVs than taxis now, it is time to relook this.

Overall, since I became a parent, I have found the public transport experience for those with children disappointing.

I sympathise with those who argue that there should be a separate certificate of entitlement category for people with young children or family members with a disability.

Tan Yee Kiat

 

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Forum: Steps taken to resolve Bizfile issues and improve IT management​

Feb 27, 2025

We thank Mr Tan Swee Leng for the feedback in his letter “MOF should set up panel to find root cause of Acra’s portal glitches” (Feb 20).

We recognise the difficulties that users have faced due to the issues with Acra’s new Bizfile portal. Acra is working hard with its IT vendor to resolve them as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Acra has been providing direct assistance to users with urgent needs. We thank users for their patience and understanding.

The Ministry of Finance is also working with Acra and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to look into the root causes, identify learning points and determine the follow-up actions needed.

The lessons learnt from the review will be incorporated into broader plans to develop capabilities in the Government on the planning, design and management of IT projects, in partnership with the industry.

Chin Yi Zhuan
Director (Economic Programmes)
Ministry of Finance

 

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NRIC saga: Review finds key Acra, MDDI shortcomings; no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing​

A review panel investigated the disclosure of individuals’ full NRIC numbers on government business portal Bizfile.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG


Irene Tham
Mar 03, 2025

SINGAPORE – A review panel that investigated the disclosure of individuals’ full NRIC numbers on a government business portal has found no evidence of malicious intent or wilful wrongdoing.

But the panel, led by head of civil service Leo Yip, uncovered shortcomings by both the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) in the incident.

The six shortcomings included security lapses at Acra that contravened the Government’s internal data management rules, and lack of clear communication between Acra and MDDI that led to full NRIC numbers being published on Acra’s refreshed business portal Bizfile in December 2024.

“In this incident, the public service did not perform to the level we set for ourselves. We should have done better, and this review contains important lessons which we will apply,” said the panel in its report released on March 3.

“More importantly, the lessons that the panel had identified will be disseminated across the whole of the public service, so that agencies can take these on board and similar incidents do not recur.”

The report was submitted to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Feb 26. In a letter issued to the media, he said he agreed with the assessment of the shortcomings as well as the learning points identified.

“The report sets out key lessons for the public service. The Government will take these lessons to heart, improve its processes, and strive to do better moving forward,” he said.

On Dec 9, 2024, Acra refreshed its Bizfile portal with a search feature that allowed the full NRIC numbers of registered people on its database to be accessed for free. The feature was taken down on Dec 13 after public backlash.

The panel said in its report: “While the panel did not find any factual evidence of deliberate wrongdoing or wilful inaction by the MDDI and Acra officers involved in this incident, it found several shortcomings by both Acra and MDDI in this incident, which should have been avoided.”

MDDI should have been clearer in its policy communications, it said, particularly, in its July 2024 circular minute (CM) that went to all public agencies, requiring them to stop the use of NRIC numbers for authentication, and stop internal uses of masked NRIC numbers within the public sector.

This was to take place from Nov 1 that year, in line with a broader national policy intent to return NRIC numbers to their proper use as unique identifiers, by stopping the incorrect use of NRIC numbers for authentication.

The CM also informed agencies not to introduce any new uses of masked NRIC numbers, both internally and externally, with immediate effect.

“MDDI and Acra staff did not realise that Acra had misunderstood how the July 2024 CM applied to the new Bizfile portal,” according to the panel.

Acra’s refreshed Bizfile portal, which was meant to continue to display partial NRIC numbers alongside corresponding names in search results, was not considered a new use by MDDI. But Acra’s takeaway was different.

Also, the misinterpretation was not caught as two Acra staff involved in a follow-up MDDI briefing in mid-July did not disseminate the additional briefing materials to the project leads for the new Bizfile portal and Acra’s senior leadership.

The panel – which comprises the permanent secretaries of multiple ministries – found that Acra was the only agency that had misunderstood the July 2024 CM to the extent that it did.

The panel also found that Acra did not assess the proper balance between sharing full NRIC numbers and ensuring that they were not too readily accessible.

“This was a contravention of IM8, which Acra was required to comply with under the PSGA (Public Sector Governance Act),” said the panel in its report, titled “Report of the Review into the Public Disclosure of Full NRIC Numbers on Bizfile People Search”.

IM8 is a set of instructions which govern how public agencies collect, use and disclose citizens’ data. The public sector’s personal data protection standards in the PSGA and IM8 are aligned with the Personal Data Protection Act, but have been adapted to the public service context.

Alternative designs for Bizfile should have been considered, said the report. One way is to require users to narrow their search by keying in additional parameters like the unique entity number of the associated business entity.

As for MDDI, it should have given more attention to the implementation plan for new uses of partial NRIC numbers that were more complex, such as public registries, the panel said in its report.

“The panel would like to emphasise the importance of agencies regularly assessing data security and protection risks, taking into account user needs and public concerns,” according to the report.

“When there is a new policy direction, agencies should reassess the adequacy and appropriateness of their system design and make comprehensive assessments of different options to meet the policy objective.”

The panel affirmed the broad policy intent to stop the incorrect use of NRIC numbers for authentication and move away from the use of partial NRIC numbers. This will be carried out in phases starting with the public sector and involving public consultations. “Doing so would better protect our citizens,” according to the report.

“The Public Service Division, MDDI and Acra will separately follow up to review the actions and responsibilities of the relevant individual officers. This will be conducted in accordance with the applicable accountability and disciplinary frameworks and processes in the respective public agencies involved,” the panel said.

The panel also acknowledged that the issue could have been better managed after public concerns surfaced. Acra should have disabled the people search function sooner, and the response to the public should have been better coordinated and clearer.

“In hindsight, the Government should have made clear to the public at the outset that moving away from the use of partial NRIC numbers did not automatically mean using full NRIC numbers in every case, or disclosing them on a large scale,” the panel said.

On Feb 25, the panel submitted its report to Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who is also Minister-in-charge of Public Sector Data Governance and oversees the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group. SM Teo, in turn, submitted the report to PM Wong the next day.

SM Teo will deliver a ministerial statement on the report in Parliament on March 6, said the Prime Minister’s Office.

Apologising for its oversight, MDDI said in a statement on March 3: “In this incident, the public service did not perform to the level we set for ourselves.”

The ministry is preventing similar incidents by providing more guidance to government agencies on how the policy on NRIC numbers should be applied. It has identified almost 800 existing uses of partial NRIC numbers in public-facing systems, including tenancy documents. It will also step up public education on the incorrect use of NRIC numbers.

Acra, in a joint response on March 3 with the Ministry of Finance, also apologised for the incident and said it is taking steps to address the shortcomings.

These efforts include conducting more regular risk reviews before, during and after major tech system changes. Acra also said it will strengthen its vendor oversight and launch user tests prior to new system launches.

MDDI and Acra said appropriate actions are being taken with the officers and leaders involved, including performance assessments with financial consequences and additional training.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Human error caused announcement on private-hire cars to be prematurely released: Amy Khor​

A new policy about private-hire car ownership was mistakenly released before the planned announcement in March.PHOTO: ST FILE

Vanessa Paige Chelvan
Mar 03, 2025, 09:32 PM

SINGAPORE – Human error by a team at the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA’s) information technology vendor NCS resulted in information on a new policy about private-hire car ownership being revealed weeks earlier than planned.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor told Parliament on March 3 that NCS had made “a deployment error”.

This caused information on a new three-year lock-in period before a private-hire car (PHC) can be sold to be revealed to some users of LTA’s IT system, before a planned announcement in March during the debate on the Transport Ministry’s budget in Parliament.

NCS had told The Straits Times that the information was mistakenly released on Feb 16.

Dr Khor said the lines of code that “controlled when this lock-in period message should be displayed and to which users” were not deployed. As a result, the information was released to users who were on the service to register transactions involving PHCs.

Dr Khor said this in response to questions from Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa, who had asked about the circumstances that led to the unintended early release of the information. Ms Poa had also asked whether an investigation will be carried out, and whether any steps will be taken to prevent a similar error.

To prevent a recurrence, Dr Khor said NCS has rolled out additional checks before and after deployments, and has also introduced a buddy system, in which a senior developer reviews the work done before any updates to the system are rolled out.

On Feb 19, LTA announced that companies will have to keep their PHCs meant for ride-hailing services for three years before they can convert these vehicles out of the scheme to be passenger cars, or transfer them to individuals.

When the agency and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) realised on Feb 18 that the information had been prematurely released, “we decided to make a public announcement on the policy change on Feb 19”, said Dr Khor.

“This was because there was an ongoing certificate of entitlement bidding exercise from Feb 17 to Feb 19, and we wanted to ensure fairness and transparency to all parties,” she added.

The agency also wanted bidders to have enough time to decide whether to adjust their bids before the bidding cycle closed at 4pm on Feb 19, Dr Khor said.

LTA said on Feb 19 that the imposition of the three-year lock-in period will ensure companies that acquire such vehicles will lease them predominantly to drivers providing ride-hailing services.

It will also prevent businesses from removing the cars from the private-hire market prematurely and selling them instead, which would affect the supply of cars providing point-to-point transport services on the market.

Before this, there were no restrictions on such conversions. Companies could convert their PHCs to passenger cars and sell them as used cars freely.

Noting that other MPs had also filed questions on the lock-in period for PHCs, Dr Khor said these will be addressed when MOT’s budget is debated in the coming days.

In Parliament on March 3, Dr Khor also responded to a separate question on electric vehicles (EVs).

Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng asked whether MOT will consider offering more rebates under the Electric Vehicle Early Adoption Incentive (EEAI) scheme. The scheme is meant to encourage the adoption of electric cars by narrowing the upfront cost gap between electric and internal combustion engine cars.

Mr Ng also asked whether the EEAI scheme will be extended till the end of 2026.

Dr Khor noted that the scheme would be reviewed later in 2025, “taking into consideration factors such as EV adoption rates and upfront cost difference across powertrains”. A powertrain is a system inside a vehicle that propels it forward.

Under the scheme, buyers of EVs get a 45 per cent rebate off the additional registration fee (ARF) for electric cars and taxis, capped at $15,000. ARF is a tax that is levied when a vehicle is registered here, and it is calculated based on a percentage of the vehicle’s open market value.

There is also a rebate of $25,000 for cars and $37,500 for taxis under the Vehicular Emissions Scheme. The maximum rebate covers cars and taxis with zero tailpipe emissions under Band A1 of the scheme, which includes most EV models.

The EEAI took effect in 2021. It was due to expire in December 2023, but was extended by two years until end-2025.

 

[True Believer]

Americans, including those who voted for Trump, are now protesting against his policies which are likely to drive the US into recession. Trump didn't lie his way into office. He said what he planned to do if he was successful, and he has done exactly what he claimed he would do. Remember that when you vote at the coming GE. Do we want another 5 years of being milked dry by this greedy govt?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

No separate COE category for private-hire cars: Amy Khor​

The authorities will instead continue to increase the COE quota for cars and commercial vehicles every quarter until the supply peaks from 2026.ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

Kok Yufeng
Mar 05, 2025

SINGAPORE – After more than a year of careful study and several debates in Parliament on the matter, the Government has ultimately decided not to carve out a separate Certificate of Entitlement (COE) category for private-hire cars owned by businesses.

“We have studied this carefully and decided not to proceed with such a move,” said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor during the debate on her ministry’s budget on March 5.

Instead, the authorities will continue to increase the COE quota for cars and commercial vehicles every quarter until the supply peaks from 2026, Dr Khor said.

This will be done by bringing forward COEs that are guaranteed to expire in future peak supply years to fill the present supply troughs.

An injection of 20,000 additional COEs over the next few years, enabled by evolving travel patterns and the roll-out of the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing system, will also boost supply, she added.

Dr Khor was responding to Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten), who asked whether the authorities would create a separate private-hire car COE category and introduce other measures to manage premiums.

While he gave credit to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for the steps it has taken so far, including the recent ban on selling private-hire cars to individuals for three years after registration, Mr Lim said the rising COE cost has been a source of great unhappiness for many young couples aspiring to buy a car.

The high premiums have also been blamed as a reason for the increased cost of living in Singapore, he added.

In January 2024, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said he did not rule out the idea of a separate COE category for private-hire cars, but the trade-offs would have to be studied carefully.

He said the proposal would be looked at as part of a review of the point-to-point transport industry, comprising the taxi and ride-hailing sectors, which the LTA embarked on in November 2023.

Giving an update on this on March 5, Dr Khor cited the same considerations that the Government had given before about why creating a separate COE category for private-hire cars would be difficult.

First, she noted that business-owned private-hire cars make up a relatively small proportion of successful car COE bids, with the bulk of the demand coming from local individuals.

At the Feb 19 tender, business-owned private-hire cars made up 6 per cent of successful bids for the Category A COE, which is for smaller, less powerful cars; and 8 per cent of successful bids for Category B, meant for larger, more powerful cars.

Second, creating a separate private-hire car category would require reducing the quota of existing COE categories to provide the quota needed for the new category, Dr Khor noted.

With demand for private-hire cars varying from quarter to quarter, she said it is difficult to accurately determine the amount of COEs that will need to be reallocated to meet the needs of point-to-point drivers and passengers.

“If we move too much quota away, Cat A and B COE prices will spike because of inadequate remaining quota. Conversely, if we move too little, COE prices for PHCs (private-hire cars) will be high, with drivers and commuters facing higher rental and fares,” she added.

“Therefore, the allocation between PHCs and private cars is best left to the market.”

The idea for a separate COE category for private-hire cars has been floated by industry observers for years now. Comparisons have been made with how taxi companies have not had to bid for COEs since 2012, with their certificates drawn from the quota of the Open COE category instead.

The proposal for a separate category gained more traction after COE premiums shot up in 2022 and 2023, peaking at $106,000 for Category A and $150,001 for Category B.

While some observers pointed to demand from car-leasing companies as a factor behind the soaring premiums, this has been refuted by the transport authorities.

According to LTA statistics, the number of private-hire vehicle registrations has been rising every year since 2021.

At the end of 2024, there were 90,383 private-hire cars on the roads here, making up 13 per cent of the total car population. These include vehicles that are used for ride-hailing, as well as rental and car-sharing services.

In comparison, there were 67,990 private-hire cars at the end of 2021. This was about 10.5 per cent of the overall car population then.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Ministers overseeing agencies involved in NRIC saga have to bear overall responsibility: SM Teo​

The review panel found lapses in the process and communication between the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and Ministry of Digital Development and Information.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE

Osmond Chia
Mar 06, 2025

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take the NRIC incident into account when evaluating the ministers in charge of the government agencies involved, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on March 6.

Highlighting the importance of accountability, he said the officers and senior management involved in missteps that led to the disclosure of full NRIC numbers on a government business portal could face a range of “appropriate measures”, from counselling to retraining and reductions in their performance grade and performance-based payments.

SM Teo told Parliament that the political office-holders overseeing the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) and Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) have to bear overall responsibility for the organisations under their charge.

Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo and Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah have publicly accepted this responsibility and apologised for the incident, he said in a ministerial statement on the matter.

“The Prime Minister will take into account this incident in his evaluation of the Ministers,” he added.

His statement comes after a review panel investigated the incident that took place on Dec 9, 2024, and found lapses in the process and communication between Acra and MDDI.

SM Teo told Parliament that trust in the public service is essential, and maintaining that trust is central to how the Government operates.

“When things go wrong, we are upfront with Singaporeans on where we have fallen short. We conduct thorough reviews and make improvements to our systems and processes to serve Singaporeans better while remaining fair to our officers,” he added.

“This recent incident, while regrettable, demonstrates the Government’s commitment to continuous improvement, to uphold the trust Singaporeans have placed in us.”

He said that while the review found there was no malicious or wilful wrongdoing by the officers involved, “there were inadequacies in their judgment and actions”.

On their part, the ministers have to bear overall responsibility, “regardless of whether they had specific or direct responsibility for the actions that led to the shortcomings that occurred”, he added.

In its report released on March 3, the review panel flagged six instances where the agencies could have done better, including clearer communication from MDDI.

The ministry was unclear in its policy communications issued to various agencies on the Government’s plans to end the use of NRIC numbers for authentication, leading to the confusion, which resulted in full NRIC numbers being disclosed on Acra’s Bizfile portal.


Officers involved in the shortcomings include those whose actions contributed directly to the shortcomings, as well as senior management who were responsible for providing oversight and guidance to the officers, said SM Teo in a ministerial statement on the review.

The review panel on Feb 25 submitted its report for review by SM Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Public Sector Data Governance. He accepted the findings and reported them to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the next day.

The permanent secretaries of the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (now under MDDI) were responsible for implementing the policy, while the Acra chief executive was responsible for the design and implementation of the new Bizfile portal, SM Teo added.

He clarified that the review was not a disciplinary process and that any disciplinary action levelled at the officers, if warranted, will need to be carried out by the respective public agencies involved.

SM Teo said the public service holds its officers to a high standard of conduct.

“Singaporeans deserve and expect this,” he said. “Given the range and complexity of public services, from time to time, mistakes will be made. If there is misconduct or malicious intent, we will deal with it severely and those involved will be punished.”

Where there was no malicious or wilful wrongdoing, due consideration should be given to whether the officers had acted in good faith in deciding on what action to take, SM Teo said.

He added that the incident offers valuable lessons for the wider public service that agencies must take on board, to avoid similar incidents from recurring.

“This Bizfile incident demonstrates that close coordination and careful attention to detail are required. Sometimes it is a single lapse, but at other times, it can be a confluence of factors that can lead to such incidents,” he said.

The review panel, led by head of civil service Leo Yip, said the shortcomings included security lapses at Acra that contravened the Government’s internal data management rules, and unclear communication between Acra and MDDI.

The panel was also critical of the agencies’ public communication and response to public concerns, which it said should have been better coordinated and clearer.

“In hindsight, the Government should have made clear to the public at the outset that moving away from the use of partial NRIC numbers did not automatically mean using full NRIC numbers in every case, or disclosing them on a large scale,” the panel said.

Mrs Teo, Ms Indranee and Acra chief executive Chia-Tern Huey Min held a press conference on Dec 19, 2024, to address concerns and questions about the incident.

By sharing full NRIC numbers, Acra was also found to have contravened the Government’s internal code, called IM8, a set of instructions that govern how public agencies use and disclose citizens’ data.

The public sector’s personal data protection standards in the Public Sector (Governance) Act and IM8 are aligned with the Personal Data Protection Act but have been adapted to the public service context.

Existing laws do not prescribe financial penalties for public agencies that contravene the IM8 rules, said SM Teo, adding that the officers responsible will instead face other measures, including retraining and impact on their performance grade.