New Bill to target online content suspected of use in scams, malicious cyber activity

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SINGAPORE: A proposed law will allow the government to order the takedown of websites and online accounts suspected of being used for scams. 

The new Bill, introduced in parliament on Monday (May 8), covers a range of criminal offences. But the threshold for taking action on one group of these offences – those relating to scams and malicious cyber activities – will be lower than the rest.

The Online Criminal Harms Bill tackles online content that is criminal in nature or used to abet crime, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release.

It covers nine categories of criminal offences relating to: 

  • Terrorism and internal security
  • Harmony between different races, religions or classes of population
  • Incitement to violence
  • Breaches of the Official Secrets Act
  • Drugs
  • Gambling
  • Moneylending
  • Scams and malicious cyber activities
  • Sexual offences such as child abuse and voyeuristic material 

Scam and cybercrime cases rose by more than a quarter to hit 33,669 last year, with scam victims cheated of a total of S$660.7 million (US$498.6 million).

MHA said that more needed to be done to fight against online criminal harms given the “pervasive threat and grave impact” on victims.

“Scams and malicious cyber activities that are propagated online can harm many people in a short time. Numerous websites, online accounts, and content are created every day to facilitate such crimes.”

MHA said such content appears benign at first glance and that syndicates “operate at industrial scale, and victims can fall prey within minutes of the launch of a scam campaign”.

The proposed Bill will allow the government to take “swift action” against online criminal activity and proactively disrupt scams before they harm more victims, it said.

This is on top of public education efforts and the engagement of private sector stakeholders like banks and telcos.

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Researcher claims to be ‘misquoted’ in media report on high net worth foreigners becoming citizens

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SINGAPORE: A researcher, who reportedly made a prediction on the number of high net worth individuals being granted Singapore citizenship this year, has claimed that he was “misquoted by the media”.

Mr Andrew Amoils, the head of research at wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth, was first cited in an article by Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao on Apr 20.

He reportedly said that up to 3,500 high net worth individuals were expected to become Singapore citizens in 2023, with most of them from China.

Several news outlets, such as The Business Times, Mothership, The Online Citizen and Vulcan Post, later ran articles based on the Zaobao interview.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement on Apr 26 to dismiss the statement as “highly misleading (and) with no credible basis”. The authority added that Singapore citizenship applications for the rest of 2023 “have not even been decided yet”.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday (May 8), Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said: “After our statement was issued, the researcher wrote to MHA to say that he had been misquoted by the media.

“He said, and I quote, ‘This was simply untrue and not at all what was said in the interview’. He said he had ‘never said anything about citizenship’.”

The researcher also said that he “did not track citizenship in his research”, according to Mr Shanmugam.

“(His) projection referred to high-net-worth individuals moving to Singapore in general. Most of them may be expatriates and work transfers ie. not necessarily persons who applied for and became citizens,” the minister cited the researcher as saying.

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Fridge dumped in Clementi Forest not removed due to miscommunication between agencies: Sim Ann

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In response to questions from Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng (PAP-Jurong) on cases of electronic waste in Clement Forest and other green spaces, Ms Sim said there have been two instances of feedback on improper disposal of bulky electronic waste in forested areas and which the agencies acted on from January 2021 to March this year. 

She noted that the illegal dumping of electronic and other waste in public places is an offence under the Environmental Public Health Act.

Addressing a question about the potential learning points from the case involving the fridge in Clementi Forest, Ms Sim said “lapses in communication and coordination between agencies sometimes occur”.

“MSO has been working with stakeholder agencies to strengthen inter-agency coordination, and this includes NParks and NEA,” she added.

This is done through staff training to ensure that feedback involving multiple agencies is referred correctly through the inter-agency feedback management system. 

According to Ms Sim, agencies are also requested to close straightforward cases only when any works on the ground have been completed. 

“MSO will continue to help our partner agencies in attaining a high level of responsiveness to public feedback,” Ms Sim said. 

She added that Clementi Forest is currently not intended for public recreational use and encouraged people to keep to the designated trails within public parks and nature parks for their own safety, and to minimise impact on the natural environment.

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2 men arrested for evading more than S0,000 in duty and GST; 4,150 cartons of contraband cigarettes seized

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SINGAPORE: Two men were arrested last week after they were caught with 4,150 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes, Singapore Customs said on Monday (May 8).

The duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded on the cigarettes amounted to S$444,216 (US$335,150).

The two men, aged 19 and 26, were arrested in the course of two operations in Tuas on May 3. Both men are Singaporeans.

Singapore Customs said its officers in the Tuas Bay Close area saw a man opening the side compartment of a van.

The vehicle appeared to contain “black squarish objects”, added the agency. 

Following a check, the officers uncovered 2,072 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the van and arrested the man. A second man subsequently seen approaching the van was also arrested.

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The Big Read: Beyond IRs and new attractions, how can Singapore draw more tourists and make them stay longer?

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“But with people concerned about the current economic situation and global uncertainties, the impact of revenge travel and increased tourism spending might be muted.” Deloitte Singapore’s transportation, hospitality and services sector leader James Walton said: “The increased cost and lack of availability of flights means that the cost of flightContinue Reading

Young people in Singapore moving back in with parents amid high rents

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SINGAPORE: With rents soaring, some young tenants in Singapore have been forced to make a choice – keep their independence and pay higher prices, or move back to their parents’ home.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some young adults moved out of their family homes and rented places of their own.

According to the Department of Statistics, the number of Singaporeans and permanent citizens under 35 years old who lived alone jumped from 15,900 in 2019 to 25,000 in 2020 – the first year of the pandemic. 

Rents have increased quickly in the last year. The cost of renting a private residential property rose nearly 30 per cent in 2022, data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority showed.

Rents of Housing Board (HDB) flats increased by 26.8 per cent year-on-year in March, a flash report from 99.co and SRX showed.

Mr Yeon Jun Lin, 30, was one of those who moved back to their parents’ home.

He lived with his mother and two siblings. During the pandemic, trying to work from the living room of a crowded home was frustrating, he said.

“Working from home just gave the illusion that I’m always there and I’m always available to be disrupted, but my workload was (asking) a lot out of me,” said Mr Yeon, who works as a consultant.

He moved out of his mother’s home and rented his own place. Last year, his landlord increased the rent and wanted him and his housemate to rent the entire flat, instead of two bedrooms.

If he had signed the new lease, he would have paid about 30 to 40 per cent more.

Moving out of his family home might have been an emotional decision, but moving back was “more of a logical decision”.

“It’s the move that makes the most sense,” said Mr Yeon, who moved back in October last year.

A young woman who wanted to be known only as Ms A told CNA that her landlord doubled her rent after a year.

Like many other young adults, she moved out of her family home during the pandemic and was paying S$700 (US$524) for a room in a three-room flat. Her housemates who stayed in the master bedroom paid S$1,500, adding up to S$2,200 in all.

The landlord asked for S$4,200 for the flat, and she would have to pay S$1,400 for the room.

“When the rent doubled I knew it didn’t make financial sense to continue with the lease, it was way over budget,” she said.

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Commentary: Singapore women shouldn’t put off breast cancer screening

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SINGAPORE: Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer affecting men and the second most common among women in Singapore. So it might surprise some to learn that more women are diagnosed with breast cancer than all the men and women with colorectal cancer combined.

Breast cancer incidence in Singapore has more than tripled over the past 50 years, to 74 cases per 100,000 women – one of the highest in Asia. About 2,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually and it is the most common cause of cancer deaths in women.

With breast cancer so common, many have friends and relatives with breast cancer, women are keenly aware that they face a real risk. But does knowing this motivate more women to go for screening mammograms?

This doesn’t seem to be the case. In 2021, only about one-third of women between 50 and 69 years old reported that they had gone for a mammography within the last two years, according to the National Population Health Survey 2021.

WHY WOMEN ARE RELUCTANT TO GO FOR MAMMOGRAMS

Is it a question of reducing the financial barrier to screening?

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced last year that those who enrol under Healthier SG – the national healthcare strategy with a focus on preventive care – will benefit from free recommended health screenings (including for breast cancer).

Under the national Screen for Life, there is already an established breast cancer screening programme since 2002 (also known as BreastScreen Singapore, BSS). It is supported by public healthcare specialists and subsidised by MOH for women of the recommended age for screening (40 years and above).

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Subdividing COE categories may result in more volatile prices: Iswaran

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SINGAPORE: Subdividing Certificates of Entitlement (COE) categories may result in more volatile prices, said Transport Minister S Iswaran on Sunday (May 7).

This comes after suggestions from dealers and buyers to split Category D, which is for motorcycles, separating luxury bikes from the rest.

“The more you subdivide the COE categories, the smaller the supply for each category,” said Mr Iswaran on the sidelines of the official opening of a new integrated community services centre, Jampacked@West Coast.

“Therefore, the more volatile the price will become because basically, you have a smaller supply and all you need is a small increase in demand, and the price will go up significantly and vice versa.”

Last month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced changes to “improve allocation efficiency”.

Among the new measures implemented, LTA increased the bid deposit for motorcycles to S$1,500 (US$1,132) from S$800. 

At the same time, the validity period for motorcycle temporary COEs was cut from three months to one month.

In the latest bidding exercise on May 4, which was the first tender involving new measures for Category D, premiums for motorcycle COEs plunged nearly 60 per cent.

Speaking to reporters during a media doorstop, Mr Iswaran said the latest set of measures aims to minimise speculation and improve the overall functioning of the market, but added that it is difficult to predict future prices.

“We’ve seen the result of one bidding exercise after the changes that have taken place so I think we should let the market work itself,” he said.

“Don’t be premature and draw any conclusions at this juncture.”

If there is a need for any further moves, the Government will consider that at the appropriate time, he added. 

Turning to a question from the media about whether a similar approach would help to bring COE prices for cars down, he pointed out that the mechanism for securing car COEs is different from motorcycles. 

“In the case of Cat D, dealers bid and secure the COEs, they hold them before they onsell a motorcycle with the COE to a buyer, whereas in the case of cars, it is a different kind of mechanism because typically, the dealers bid in the name of the buyer,” he said. 

“Having said that, we are studying this,” he added.

“We have always been ready to make refinements and adjustments in response to material developments in the market and it’s no different at this point in time.”

Prices for cars in Category A and B broke records for the third consecutive tender in April, closing at S$103,721 and S$118,501 respectively. 

While both closed lower in the latest bidding exercise in May, they remain above S$100,000. 

Mr Iswaran is scheduled to deliver a ministerial statement on meeting the transport need of Singaporeans in the next Parliament sitting, which begins tomorrow.

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