SINGAPORE: She loves me. She loves me never. She loves me. She loves me never.
Our beloved National Registration Identity Card ( NRC ) must have recently sounded overwhelming and like a teenager wading through the puddle of raging hormones.  ,
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA ) misinterpreted it as a green light to unmask the numbers in the roll-out of its new Bizfile portal after receiving an internal circular signaling a broader policy shift to gradually move away from using NRIC numbers as a method of authentication.  ,
A furore started after netizens learned that the Bizfile link’s people search function was also displaying NRIC numbers. ACRA has since removed that function and expressed regret for the uncertainty.
A LEGACY SYSTEM CHANGING TO A DIGITAL Planet
The NRIC was developed during a time when actual identity identification methods were largely absent. For all kinds of activities and transactions, including entering and opening bank accounts, and registering for government service, it was used to verify people’s identities.  ,
Some people thought it was related to the ability to workout or obtain one’s rights and privileges while living in Singapore. Nevertheless, its use immediately expanded over time to include more informal matters, such as announcing the victors of happy bring prizes and providing protection for the rental of luxury bicycles, raising concerns that the NRIC had been” cheapened.”  ,
With the passage of the Personal Data Protection Act, which by its guidelines prohibited the use of NRICs and mandated the masking of NRIC numbers where their use was necessary or necessary, this ( and other ) practices were no longer required by law. The passion had returned.
Now, it has evolved into a multi-purpose identification used across government organizations, private organizations, and digital systems. Its widespread use has made it essential, but this integration also makes it a potential failure point.  ,
There was a time when it appeared as though the NRIC was going to get abandoned and beyond repair in the new Bizfile site riot. However, the government’s claims and theories suggest that it still has a role to play, albeit one that is different from what was previously believed.  ,
The ACRA error shows the weaknesses of such centralized systems. The consequences, if it is compromised, has an impact on both regional security and public confidence.  ,
A critical discussion about the NRIC’s position and security was also sparked by this incident.  ,