Continuing to mask NRIC numbers would give ‘false sense of security’, says Josephine Teo in response to PAP MPs

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Singaporeans would still have a “false sense of security,” according to Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Wednesday ( January 8 ). &nbsp,

She was responding to a question from Member of Parliament Liang Eng Hwa ( PAP-Bukit Panjang ), who asked about the downsides to continuing to mask NRIC numbers, which he considered a “middle-ground approach”. &nbsp,

Mrs. Teo responded to Mr. Liang by saying that masking NRIC figures would be similar to using limited NRIC numbers, stressing that both individuals and organizations may feel relieved “psychologically” if whole NRIC numbers are unknown. &nbsp,

Online tools that can guess or calculate full NRIC numbers are then available, especially if you know the person’s birth year, she continued. &nbsp,

The minister claimed that the ease of the presence of such techniques may prevent the secretary from perpetuating this false sense of security. &nbsp,

The risk of identity theft or fraud may increase if this false sense of security endures and people continue to use it as a login or id, she warned. &nbsp,

” We thought that the right thing to do was, whilst the problem is also fairly contained, we must consider and take a stop to this kind of methods”, said Mrs Teo. &nbsp,

In response to a kills of political questions posed by MPs about the new story, Mrs. Teo and Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah had previously delivered governmental statements.

The problem began in earlier December when ACRA’s fresh Bizfile portal’s search work made it possible to find labels and complete NRIC statistics for free. &nbsp,

The government announced on December 14 that it would change its policy of concealing NRIC numbers just after explaining to people, but the new site was launched before it could do so. The new website was launched before it could do thus. &nbsp,

Weeks later, during a press conference, the state apologised for the “lapse of cooperation”.

WHEN WILL FULL NRIC NUMBERS STILL Get REQUIRED?

Mr. Xie Yao Quan ( PAP-Jurong ) asked for specific examples of where the government will still demand the use of full NRIC numbers and where other forms of identifying will be used in parliament on Wednesday.

Mrs. Teo noted that in some situations,” there will be no need for the NRIC range at all,” and that the use of titles and other names will suffice as a result of the planned proceed to unmask NRIC figures. &nbsp,

However, there are still times when whole NRIC numbers are required, such as when applying for government grants.

The chancellor told the House,” These would be cases where the entire NRICs should be used,” for instance, if you are applying for grants, if you are hoping to access advantages that the government is able to offer to you, or if you are laying claim to anything significant and valuable to you. &nbsp,

There are many of these use cases, according to Mrs. Teo, and it is” not at this time in time possible to list all of them.” &nbsp,

” There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of cases where internally or in … correspondence with citizens, there may be a reason to use some form of identification”, she said. &nbsp,

The government’s position is for each case to be carefully accessed. The minister continued, noting that the decision-making process has begun. &nbsp,

Ms Tin Pei Ling ( PAP-MacPherson ) asked about the government’s timeline for getting organisations to rectify their use of NRIC numbers for authentication.

Given the amount of public education and outreach efforts required, Mrs. Teo responded that the effort will take time to get organizations to stop using NRIC numbers as authentication factors or default passwords.

However, there are options for assistance, such as through the Personal Data Protection Commission and other government initiatives that can connect organizations with reputable experts and service providers, the minister continued.

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Opposition MPs raise questions including why NRIC unmasking issue was not brought to parliament earlier

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WHAT DIDN’T ACRA UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE INTERNAL GOVERNMENT CIRCULAR 

Numerous opposition MPs had also pressed for more information about the inner state circle connected to the ACRA Bizfile incident. and  sent out in July.

ACRA CEO Chia-Tern Huey Min stated in a press conference in December that there was a lack of cooperation between the team regarding how this would be implemented.

ACRA misunderstood the new Bizfile portal’s requirement to unmask NRIC statistics as a result of this.

MP Sylvia Lim ( WP-Aljunied ) noted that ACRA had sought clarification from MDDI and asked about the nature of the clarification.

She even inquired about whether the review panel’s minutes may be made available to the public once its findings were released so that “people may form their own opinions on how this misunderstanding could have occurred.”

In response, Ms Indranee said it was evident that the plan intention was not evidently understood and in some cases, there was a lapse in cooperation. Because the assessment board will examine it in depth, she declined to provide more details.

She added that she would keep the review panel’s decision to release its days to the discretion of the screen.

Leong Mun Wai, a non-constituency member, inquired about whether any political figures had approved the inner state circle.

He inquired,” My clarification is this: whether any political officeholders were giving directions when the civil servants in ACRA and MDDI were disclosing what the circular’s instructions were, ” he asked.  

I would like to hear whether our legal workers have been thrown under the vehicle, depending on the responses. ”

Ms. Indranee responded to his question by saying that no political politicians had any say in the round or were in charge of it, but that he should wait for the results of the post-action review.

Outlawing NRIC NUMBERS AS AUTHENTICATORS

MP Gerald Giam ( WP-Aljunied ) questioned whether the government would be legally required to pass a law prohibiting government agencies and organizations from using NRIC numbers as authenticators and do so by a certain deadline. Large, regulated organizations like insurers were reportedly still using NRIC numbers as default passwords.

In response, Mrs Teo said the procedures for the exclusive market will have to be decided upon conversation.

Even without a legal ban, I believe that organizations should seriously reconsider their identification techniques if they care about protecting the information they have in their hands or the service being accessed by people who are not intended to love the company.

Their customers should also be made aware that the NRIC quantity is not healthy at all when an organization uses it as an password. ”

WP’s Ms. Lim shared her personal experience, pointing out that some banks also request that customers present their bodily NRIC cards for authentication, and that they may choose to use a digital NRIC card instead.  

Mrs. Teo claimed that because the online NRIC card contains a person’s photograph, it would be appropriate as an authenticator.  

We have stated very clearly that the production of this online NRIC card is the same as that of the physical NRIC card. That is, in my opinion, rather obvious. ”

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Police probing alleged assault by Admiralty Secondary School student that left classmate with head wound

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A student from the Admiralty Secondary School allegedly assaulted his colleague, leaving the target with a head wound, prompting police to launch an investigation into the incident. &nbsp,

The Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) announced on Wednesday ( Jan 8 ) that it had received a call for assistance at 31 Woodlands Crescent at around 2pm on Tuesday in response to CNA’s inquiries.

This is the target of Admiralty Secondary School.

” A 12-year-old child was assessed for wounds by the Singapore Civil Defence Force”, said the policeman.

” Another 12-year-old boy is assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt” .&nbsp,

Admiralty Secondary School has reached out for post, according to CNA.

NEPHEW” BRUTALLY ASSAULTED”&nbsp,

A people claiming to be the murderer’s uncle made a Facebook post about the incident later on Tuesday evening. &nbsp,

The blog read,” I am greatly disturbed and heartbroken by an incident that occurred at my brother, a new pupil at Admiralty Secondary School. &nbsp,

It described how the target had been “brutally assaulted” by his colleague and had a severe cut that required stitches on the back of his head. &nbsp,

The boy’s colleague regularly hit him on the mind with a metal water bottle, the writer claims. &nbsp,

” As I type this concept, the scar is still bleeding, adding to our stress and worry for his well-being”, read the post. &nbsp,

The article included images of the victim’s mind bandaged and the wound’s target in a wheelchair. &nbsp,

The post read,” We have requested that this scenario never be swept under the carpet,” study. &nbsp,

It’s about ensuring the safety and responsibilities of a class that is supposed to safeguard and nurture its individuals.
 

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Prosecutors indict 17 in iCon fraud case, acquit 2 celebrities

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PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 17: 32

Celebrities Yuranunt “Boss Sam” Pamornmontri and Kan Kantathavorn greet reporters as they and other suspects in the iCon fraud case are taken to the Criminal Court on Oct 17 last year. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
Celebrities Kan Kantathavorn and Yuranunt” Boss Sam” Pamornmontri greet investigators as they are detained in the criminal court on October 17 next year. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

Lawyers have indicted 17 suspects in The image Group forgery case, including CEO and founder Waranthaphon” Boss Paul” Wratyaworrakul, and dropped charges against professional Yuranunt Pamornmontri and performer Pechaya Wattanamontree.

The 17 accused face claims of common scams, false saving and improperly running a direct sales company, and other related crimes.

The Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) investigators reported their report on the iCon Group case and 19 suspects on December 23rd, according to Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ).

The case was filed by Nath Thanapipatdollaphat and other members of the subjects against Waranthaphon, CEO of The image Group, and 18 different offenders. They were accused of cooperation in open fraud, dishonesty, putting false information into a machine system, false loans, running an unregistered direct sales company and other offences.

The alleged offences occurred between Aug 12, 2020 and Aug 31, 2024 in Bangkok and other provinces across the country, and allegedly caused damage put at 649.91 million baht in total.

&lt, &gt, The prosecutors decided to indict iCon founder and CEO Warathaphon and 16 other suspects, all dubbed’ bosses ” in the iCon marketing hierarchy. Kan Kantathavorn, a TV host, was one of them.

According to Mr. Sakkasem, the prosecutions have decided to drop charges against Pechaya” Boss Min” and actor Yuranunt” Boss Sam.” &nbsp,

On Wednesday, the 17 suspects were formally arraigned in the Criminal Court.

The two uncharged celebrities would also be requested by the prosecution to release them. Prior to being released from custody, they and the other 17 suspects had already been held in custody. The DSI was being informed, &nbsp, the OAG spokesman said.

arathaphon ‘Boss Paul’ Waratyaworrakul, founder and CEO of The iCon Group, is escorted by police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Oct 18. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)

On October 18, police escort Waraphon” Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, the founder and CEO of The iCon Group, from the Central Investigation Bureau to the Bangkok Criminal Court. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )

Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ), speaks at the press conference on Wednesday. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ), speaks at the press conference on Wednesday. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

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Prosecutors indict 17 in iCon fraud case, clear 2 celebrities

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PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 17: 32

Celebrities Yuranunt “Boss Sam” Pamornmontri and Kan Kantathavorn greet reporters as they and other suspects in the iCon fraud case are taken to the Criminal Court on Oct 17 last year. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
Celebrities Kan Kantathavorn and Yuranunt” Boss Sam” Pamornmontri greet reporters as they are taken to the Criminal Court on October 17 past year along with other suspects in the image fraud case. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

Lawyers have indicted 17 suspects in The image Group forgery case, including CEO and founder Waranthaphon” Boss Paul” Wratyaworrakul, and dropped charges against professional Yuranunt Pamornmontri and performer Pechaya Wattanamontree.

The 17 accused face claims of common scams, false saving and improperly running a direct sales company, and other related crimes.

On December 23, the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) investigators reported their findings on the iCon Group case and 19 suspects, according to Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ).

The case was filed by Nath Thanapipatdollaphat and other members of the subjects against Waranthaphon, CEO of The image Group, and 18 different offenders. They were accused of cooperation in open fraud, dishonesty, putting false information into a machine system, false loans, running an unregistered direct sales company and other offences.

The alleged crimes occurred between Aug 12, 2020 and Aug 31, 2024 in Bangkok and other counties across the country, and reportedly caused injury put at 649.9 million ringgit in full.

The prosecutors decided to indict sign founder and CEO Warathaphon and 16 different suspects, all dubbed” bosses ” in the image marketing order. Kan Kantathavorn, a TV host, was one of them.

They decided to drop charges against actor Yuranunt” Boss Sam ‘ ‘ and actress Pechaya” Boss Min”, Mr Sakkasem said. &nbsp,

On Wednesday, the 17 suspects were formally arraigned at the Criminal Court.

The two uncharged celebrities would also be requested by the prosecution to release them. Prior to being denied bail and the other 17 suspects, they and the other 17 were held in custody. The DSI was being informed, &nbsp, the OAG spokesman said.

arathaphon ‘Boss Paul’ Waratyaworrakul, founder and CEO of The iCon Group, is escorted by police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Oct 18. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)

On October 18, police escort Waraphon” Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, the founder and CEO of The iCon Group, from the Central Investigation Bureau to the Bangkok Criminal Court. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )

Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ), speaks at the press conference on Wednesday. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

Sakkasem Nisaiyok, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ), speaks at the press conference on Wednesday. ( Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham )

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Assam: Survivor of deadly India mine collapse recounts harrowing escape

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A victim of a fuel plant crisis in India has shared a terrible accounts of the moments after the tunnel was immediately engulfed by water.

Ravi Rai was working in the plant in the north-eastern condition of Assam on Monday night when water entered the trap.

” We were holding on to a rope in 50-60ft ( 15-18m ) deep water for at least 50 minutes before being pulled out”, he said.

Rescuers are racing to save the miners trapped in the flooded mine in a remote area in Assam. Officials say one body has been recovered and according to reports, two more are feared dead. Six others are believed to still be trapped in the mine.

Mr Rai, who is from Nepal, says he was working inside a so-called “rat-hole” mine- a small hole dug personally to collect coal- when water immediately started flooding in.

Like pits are small, generally dug only wide enough for one person to remove coal. Miners climb over small shafts, sometimes using cords or ladders, leading to parallel tunnels where fuel is extracted.

” We were working inside the plant and waters entered immediately. We don’t hear from where]the liquid came]… We ran to save our lives. We were therefore hanging by a cord in some 50-60 feet deep waters”, he said.

For almost an afternoon, he and some others were hanging by a rope attached to a crane, and Mr Rai says there were moments when he feared they wouldn’t live.

” We]slipped ] back into the water again, but we managed to escape”, he says.

Local media reports say more than a few workers managed to escape from the pipe but no official number has been given however.

Despite his injuries, Mr Rai is relieved to be safe. However, his partner, even from Nepal, remains among the trapped.

” My community has still not come]to the site ]- I don’t think they’ve been informed however”, he said.

The incident occurred on Monday, when nine men were trapped inside the plant in the plains Dima Hasao city after water from a local unused me immediately gushed in, according to reports.

The military has deployed deep-sea divers and teams to rescue the buried miners and pumps out liquid from the plant, while the military has sent helicopters, engineers and divers to aid in the rescue, ANI news agency reported.

Officials say high water levels in the mine have posed significant challenges to the rescue and recovery operation.

HPS Kandhari, a senior official in the National Disaster Relief Force ( NDRF), said it was difficult to estimate the duration of the operation.

” It is very difficult to get inside the water, there’s hardly anything visible and we don’t know what is inside”, he said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the flooded mine appears to be illegal.

The police is investigating the case and a person has been arrested, he said.

India banned so-called rat-hole mining in 2014, but despite this, small illegal mines continue to operate in Assam and other northern and north-eastern states. Accidents are not uncommon here.

Six workers were killed in January 2024 after a fire broke out in a rat-hole coal mine in Nagaland state.

In 2018, at least 15 men were trapped in an illegal mine in Meghalaya after water from a nearby river flooded it.

Five miners managed to escape, but rescue efforts for the others continued until March of the following year. Only two bodies were recovered.

Additional reporting by Dilip Kumar Sharma in Guwahati

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Man who paid for ex-girlfriend’s abortion threatened to post her nude photos after suspecting he was not the father

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SINGAPORE: After breaking up, a person and a woman carried on an intimate connection for a few weeks, and the lady got pregnant.

When she informed the gentleman about the conception, he paid for her abortion because he thought she had conceived with him.

He eventually accessed her profile on a dating site without her knowledge and eventually discovered messages that suggested she had intercourse with someone else after their breakup.

The ex-boyfriend allegedly pressured the woman into meeting him by using her social media and email accounts to gain access to her, raising the possibility that he might not have been the parents.

The 28-year-old man entered a guilty plea on Wednesday ( Jan 8 ) to two counts of threatening to distribute the victim’s intimate photos under the Computer Misuse Act.

When he comes back for punishment on February 13 to consider five additional fees, on the first day of the month.

Because their names are protected by a gag attempt, the man and the woman may be identified.

They were in a marriage from January to July 2023 when they met while working at the same shop. Up until around September 2023, they were still personal.

The man obtained naked photos of her and video of them having sex during this time with the person’s permission.

The lady informed the person about her pregnancy around October 2023. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Hairul Hakkim, he paid for an pregnancy because he believed she had conceived with him.

The woman had formerly logged into his laptop’s Facebook account on November 16, 2023, when the man realized he had access it.

He accessed her Google box without her consent and viewed Bumble, a dating app, email notifications. He logged into and logged into her Bumble accounts.

In early September of this year, the lady informed a friend that she was going to have sex with someone she had met online.

The man wanted to meet the woman and inquire about this when she began to wonder if he was actually the person’s father.

He also discovered that he had access to her Gmail and Instagram accounts on his laptop without her permission.

She had her Google and Instagram records password reset.

Later that morning, the man sent text messages to the girl, demanding that she call him and saying that he was” never having any forgiveness” on her.

The girl inquired whether he had changed the password for her email. He did not respond, but continued to desire to join her.

If she didn’t give him her “live” location, the guy threatened to remove her Instagram and Gmail accounts.

He even threatened to post her naked photos of her on her Instagram profile and to tag her parents in her Bumble information.

When the girl refused to respond to his repeated risks, he took a picture of her Bumble talk with a female friend and mentioned having sex.

He also sent an invitation to be the woman’s second “friend with benefits” and a screenshot of the image to her Instagram account.

He put the person’s personal phone number in the message, and even tagged her family’s Instagram account.

After that, the person threatened to post a new Instagram post every five hours if the person didn’t listen.

Soon after, the person’s profile was deleted the previous Instagram tale post.

The man moved on to the person’s Hotmail profile, using it to send an email to her father titled” I’m not a good child”.

The internet contained a record named” My crimes” that had several pictures, such as the person’s Google Maps searches for directions to several hotels, and her messages with Bumble users.

He informed the girl that he had sent her father an email to press her to agree to his needs and to meet him.

The woman informed her parents about the internet, but he deleted it before examining its components. She even made a police statement.

Eventually, when the person indicated she was interested in meeting, the man revealed that he had changed both her Instagram and Gmail credentials.

She was unable to get her deleted Bumble bill because he had already deleted it.

They agreed to go to a store at 9 p.m. that day to satisfy. Before being taken into custody, the gentleman recently chatted with the target.

The trial is seeking about six weeks to about eight-and-a-half times ‘ prison, as well as a S$ 4, 000 to S$ 5, 000 great.

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Malaysia says royal document granting home detention for jailed ex-PM Najib Razak not withheld

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KUALA LUMPUR: A purported&nbsp, royal document&nbsp, allowing Malaysia’s jailed former Prime Minister&nbsp, Najib&nbsp, Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest was never hidden, the communications minister said on Wednesday ( Jan 8 ). Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the state director, told a standard mediaContinue Reading