DBS digital banking disruption in May due to ‘human error’, preliminary probe finds
SINGAPORE: The disruption to DBS’ digital banking services on May 5, 2023 was caused by human error, according to preliminary investigations by Singapore’s largest lender.
The bank found that “human error in coding the programme that was used for system maintenance” affected access to its online and automated teller machine (ATM) services for over six hours, said Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday (Jul 5).
“The error led to a significant reduction in system capacity, which in turn affected the system’s ability to process internet and mobile banking, electronic payment and ATM transactions,” said Mr Tharman in a written answer to a parliamentary question.
DBS initially said on May 5 that the disruption was caused by a “systems issue”, unrelated to an earlier day-long disruption in March.
According to the bank, the March disruption was caused by “inherent software bugs”, Mr Tharman noted on Wednesday.
CNA has reached out to DBS for more information.
Mr Tharman was responding to Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng (People’s Action Party-Jurong), who had also asked what was being done to strengthen the reliability and resilience of retail banks’ digital services in Singapore.
Mr Tharman noted the creation of a special committee to investigate the earlier March outage. This committee has been ordered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to extend its review to cover the latest incident, and to use qualified independent third parties.
In May, DBS CEO Piyush Gupta said the committee review would be completed “as a matter of utmost priority” and that DBS would “implement all recommendations expeditiously”.
Jharkhand: Ten sent to jail in India for lynching Muslim man
BBC HindiA court in India has given 10-year jail terms to 10 men for beating a Muslim man to death four years ago.
Tabrez Ansari, 24, died days after being attacked by people who accused him of stealing a motorcycle in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
A video showing Ansari being forced to say chants praising Hindu gods while pleading for his life had gone viral and led to a huge outrage in India.
His family alleged that police denied him treatment despite his injuries.
The state police denied any wrongdoing.
The video footage from the night of 19 June 2019 showed a terrified Ansari tied to an electricity pole and being assaulted by the mob, with blood and tears streaming down his face.
His attackers forced him to repeatedly chant “Jai Shri Ram”, which translates from Hindi to “hail Lord Ram” or “victory to Lord Ram”.
Ansari did as told, but the mob kept assaulting him through the night. He was handed over to police the next day who then arrested him for theft. His family had alleged that they were not allowed to see him.
On 22 June, Ansari complained of nausea, vomiting and chest pain and was transferred to a hospital but he died from injuries sustained during the attack.
Last week, trial court Judge Amit Shekhar convicted the 10 men “guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder”.
The police had been criticised initially for not invoking the more stringent murder charge. Later on they did invoke murder charges against all the accused in a supplementary charge sheet.
However, the judge said there was not enough evidence to convict the accused of murder.
Ansari’s lynching by a Hindu mob was not an isolated incident – there have been several similar incidents reported in India in recent years where Muslims have been attacked by so-called “cow vigilantes” over rumours that they had eaten beef, or that they were trying to smuggle cows – an animal many Hindus consider holy – for slaughter. Cow slaughter is illegal in many Indian states.
The attacks on the minority community have been condemned by opposition politicians. Senior Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi had described Ansari’s lynching as a “blot on humanity”.
Critics say anti-Muslim violence has risen since 2014 under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They say the prime minister has not condemned such attacks quickly or strongly enough.
The government denies this and points out that days after Ansari’s killing, Mr Modi said he was “pained” by the assault.
Earlier too he had said that “killing people in the name of cow was “unacceptable“.
BBC News India is now on YouTube .Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.
Read more India stories from the BBC:
- ‘Dozens of Indian men have rejected me over dowry’
- Putin says sanctions making Russia stronger
- The tortured Indian labourers who were kept as slaves
- The daring women standing up to troops in India
- The India show on colliding worlds of crime and media
- When Miss World in India threatened ‘cultural apocalypse’
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22 Zika cases in Singapore in the first half of 2023: Grace Fu
Mr Yong had filed a Parliamentary question asking for an update on the Zika situation in Singapore, and if Project Wolbachia could be used to combat Zika alongside dengue.
Under Project Wolbachia, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry the Wolbachia bacteria are released in an urban environment. They mate with the female Aedes aegypti so that the resulting eggs do not hatch due to incompatible matching.
This will reduce the urban Aedes aegypti mosquito population over time and decrease the potential spread of diseases such as dengue.
The Zika virus is transmitted primarily by the same Aedes aegypti mosquito, so Project Wolbachia has the potential to reduce the risk of Zika outbreaks as well, Ms Fu said in response to Mr Yong’s query.
However she stressed that Project Wolbachia is meant to complement and not replace good housekeeping and basic preventive actions that prevent mosquito breeding.
“We are currently in the midst of the dengue season. I urge all residents to ensure that their homes and surroundings are free of stagnant water, and to take precautions if residing in dengue cluster areas, such as spraying insecticides in dark corners, applying insect repellent and wearing long-sleeves and pants,” Ms Fu said.
PSP asked to apologise and take down ‘sia suay’ video on Ridout Road parliament debate
SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) was on Wednesday (Jul 5) asked to apologise and take down from Facebook a video on the Ridout Road debate in parliament. Late on Tuesday night, PSP posted on its Facebook page a clip of its secretary-general as well as Non-Constituency Member of ParliamentContinue Reading
Whip will ensure caretaker govt-aligned MPs vote for right PM
Lack of communication seen in vote for deputy speaker on Tuesday, says Palang Pracharath deputy leader
The caretaker government will set up a new whip drawn from political parties in the former coalition to ensure their MPs toe the line in voting for the next prime minister on July 13.
Outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn revealed the plan on Wednesday.
He rejected speculation that the outgoing-government coalition parties were divided following voting for the first deputy speaker on Tuesday. He said there were no talks ahead of the vote because there were no party whips to enforce discipline.
Padipat Suntiphada, a Move Forward Party MP for Phitsanulok, received 312 votes and was elected first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. His challenger for the post was Witthaya Kaewparadai, a list-MP of the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) who received 105 votes.
Some political commentators viewed Mr Witthaya’s candidacy for the deputy speaker’s post as a test-run by the outgoing coalition, in case it decides to put forward a prime ministerial candidate to challenge Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party (MFP).
There were 496 membersin the chamber for the voting. There were 77 abstentions and two invalid ballots. The UTN and other parties expected to be in the new opposition bloc had a combined 187 votes to distribute. Bhumjaithai Party MPs abstained from voting.
Mr Chaiwut denied that a meeting of caretaker cabinet ministers and outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Wednesday was indicative of political manoeuvring in the wake of Tuesday’s voting in parliament.
He said Tuesday’s vote did not reflect any division among the old government coalition parties. As there was no whip, the parties had not held any talks. He insisted that all parties in the former government remained united.
Most of the 77 abstentions in the vote for first deputy speaker were by Bhumjaithai Party MPs. Mr Chaiwut was asked if Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul had explained the move to Gen Prayut. He replied that the prime minister was not taking the issue seriously, reiterating that there had been no talks among the parties before the vote.
In any case, Mr Chaiwut now believes it is necessary to set up a whip comprising the existing coalition parties. It would be in place before parliament meets on July 13 to vote for the prime minister, he said.
He denied that setting up a whip was an idea floated by Gen Prayut, saying the prime minister did not get involved in parliamentary matters.
Caretaker Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, a deputy leader of the UTN, also denied there was any special agenda after his meeting with Gen Prayut, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, at Government House on Wednesday.
Gen Prayut had just invited him in for coffee. There were also other cabinet ministers there, he added.
Meanwhile, speculation persists that the old coalition parties are looking for a way to prevent Move Forward from forming a government with Mr Pita at its head.
Such a scenario would involve Pheu Thai abandoning the MFP-led coalition and teaming up with Bhumjaithai and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). They would then attempt to form a government with PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon as prime minister.
Mr Chaiwut, who is the deputy PPRP leader, denied any knowledge pf such a plan, saying he had never heard about it. Gen Prawit has also brushed aside such speculation in recent days.
Whip will ensure govt-aligned MPs vote for right PM
The caretaker government will set up a new whip drawn from political parties in the former coalition to ensure their MPs toe the line in voting for the next prime minister on July 13.
Outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn unveiled the plan on Wednesday.
He rejected speculation the outgoing-government coalition parties were divided following voting for the first deputy speaker on Tuesday. He said there were no talks ahead of the vote because there were no party whips to enforce discipline.
Move Forward Party MP for Phitsanulok Padipat Suntiphada received 312 votes and was elected first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday. His challenger for the post was Witthaya Kaewparadai, a list-MP of the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) who received 105 votes.
There were 496 members in the chamber for the voting. There were 77 abstentions and two invalid ballots. The UTN and other parties expected to be in the new opposition bloc had a combined 187 votes to disitribute. Bhumjaithai Party MPs abstained from voting.
Mr Chaiwut denied that a meeting of caretaker cabinet ministers and outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Wednesday was indicative of political manoeuvring in the wake of Tuesday’s voting in parliament.
He said Tuesday’s vote did not reflect any division among the old government coalition parties. As there was no whip, the parties had not held any talks. He insisted all parties in the former government remained united.
Asked whether Bhumjaithai leader and caretaker Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had explained his MPs’ abstentions to Gen Prayut, Mr Chaiwut said the prime minister was not taking the issue seriously, reiterating that there had been no talks among the coalition parties before the vote.
He saw it as necessary to set up a whip comprising the existing coalition parties. It would be in place before the parliament meets on July 13 to vote on the next prime mnister, he said. It would be announced.
He denied that setting up the whip was floated by Gen Prayut, saying the prime minister did not get involved in parliamentary matters.
Caretaker Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, a deputy leader of the UTN, also denied there was any special agenda after his meeting with Gen Prayuth, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, at Government House on Wednesday.
Gen Prayuth had just invited him in for coffee. There were also other cabinet ministers there, he added.
Parliament passes law targeting online content used for scams, malicious cyber activity
COMPARISONS WITH POFMA
Mr Singh on Wednesday told the House that the Workers’ Party (WP) supports the Bill’s implementation if it focuses on targeting scams and offences that cause financial and other harm.
But he also highlighted the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which WP did not support, as it concerned online content.
He noted that a correction direction was issued to Asia Sentinel, a California-registered publication, over a May 24 article that contained several falsehoods. Correction notices were to be situated at the top of the article and the top of the main page of the website.
When Asia Sentinel did not fully comply, MCI said on Jun 2 that internet access service providers would be ordered to block the site for end-users in Singapore and the access blocking orders would only be cancelled if the publication subsequently complied with the “full requirements” of the correction direction.
Mr Singh found it “draconian” to expect a news website to place a correction direction at the top of the main page of the website. It “should be sufficient”, he said, for the correction notice to be at the top of the article in question if the government’s concern is that Singaporeans can read the government’s point of view.
“Surely that smacks of the government wanting to punish the publishers of the website rather than merely wanting to correct falsehoods in a specific article,” he added.
“The Singapore government must have many tools at its disposal to ensure that its viewpoint is available to Singaporeans. Is it really in the best interest of Singapore citizens that the government blocks not only an article the government deems false, but an entire publication?”
Responding to Mr Singh’s views, Mrs Teo said it was “not quite a correct characterisation” to say “the government decides what is truth” under POFMA.
“Mr Singh knows very well that POFMA deals with false statements of fact. These false statements of facts can be proven. There has to be a basis for making those allegations,” she said.
People are free to continue to make opinions, she added. “But if you say something that is factually incorrect, it is carried online, it can go very far and it has public interest, then that’s where POFMA could be considered.”
While Mrs Teo did not address the Asia Sentinel case, she noted that the vast majority of POFMA directions have been fully complied with and the original content remains fully accessible.
Mr Singh said the Asia Sentinel article and website are “no longer accessible by computers and smartphones with Singapore IP addresses”.
However, checks by CNA on Wednesday afternoon revealed that both the website and article could still be accessed. There was a correction notice at the top of the article in question, as well as on the main page under a sidebar titled Editor’s Notes.
Most people in Singapore still support National Service, but fewer view it as important for job skills: Study
The study also showed that NS was still viewed as “highly important” for other areas such as national defence, building commitment towards Singapore and promoting understanding between people from different backgrounds.
It is also seen as significant for personal character development, including instilling discipline and values.
NECESSARY FOR DEFENCE
Almost all respondents (98 per cent) agree that NS is necessary for Singapore’s defence, with the proportion of those who strongly agree to this increasing to 57 per cent last year from 42 per cent in 2013.
“An agreement of 98 per cent … is very rare and speaks to the belief and support for the institution of NS,” said Dr Chew during a media briefing on Wednesday.
Nearly all respondents (97 per cent) agreed that NS will continue to be important for Singapore in the future. The proportion of those who strongly agreed about NS’ importance to Singapore increased to 57 per cent from 33 per cent decade ago.
Recent heightened geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war might have led to perceptions that NS will continue to be important for Singapore, the study found.
“Several focus group participants also shared that these tensions and certainty serve as a reminder that the ability to defend ourselves is very important and we need NS as a deterrent against external threats,” Dr Chew added.
Strong support from family and employers for national servicemen’s NS commitments was also observed.
More than nine in 10 (96 per cent) national servicemen felt that their families were supportive, while 95 per cent of employed national servicemen also felt the same of their employers.
However, during focus groups, national servicemen also reasoned that employers will have to show support due to the mandatory nature of their reservist commitments.
Close to nine in 10 (89 per cent) respondents said that they felt proud that their family members are serving or have served NS. The study also found that respondents felt that NS helped to enhance national servicemen’s maturity and confidence.
On training safety, 94 per cent of national servicemen were confident that NS training is conducted safely.
The proportion of respondents that strongly agreed training is conducted safely rose from 15 per cent in the previous study to 23 per cent.
Focus groups also highlighted that the positive NS experiences are a result of increased focus on safety and health.
Six aerial segments to look out for during NDP 2023
From 5.40pm to 6.10pm, these aircraft will fly in the Jurong West, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Tampines and Bedok area.
Lieutenant (LTA) Hanson Lim from 112 Squadron said flying the MRTT has its challenges because it will be travelling at a faster speed than normal since it is moving in formation with fighter jets.
“Our turn radius will be much bigger, and being a bigger aircraft, we are not as manoeuvrable as the fighter aircraft,” he said, adding that Singapore’s airspace is tight.
Major (MAJ) Melcolm Huang, an F-16D+ Pilot from 145 Squadron, said he flies over his home in Pasir Ris during rehearsals. His wife usually brings his six-month-old son to the balcony to watch as the planes go by.
“My wife would be taking photos, recording videos. Hopefully one day I’ll get to show him those images, and inspire him in future,” he said.
Philippines accuses China of more ‘harassment’ near disputed reef
MANILA: The Philippines on Wednesday (Jul 5) accused China’s coast guard of harassment, obstruction and “dangerous manoeuvres” against its vessels, after another incident near a strategic feature of the South China Sea that has become a flashpoint between them. Philippine coast guard boats were assisting a naval operation on JunContinue Reading