Gerald Giam

LTVPs and Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessments

Immigration related matters are among the more common issues residents discuss with me at my Meet the People Sessions. Most involve a Singaporean husband and his foreign wife, who is seeking a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or permanent residency. Sometimes, I meet Singaporeans whose spouses’ LTVP is not approved by ICA, obliging them to apply for Short-Term Visit Passes, which allow a maximum of 89 days’ stay. This leads to uncertainty and, sometimes, the separation of the couple, which can be a strain on the relationship.

To reduce the uncertainty about whether an LTVP for a foreign spouse will be approved, a Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA) was introduced. However, based on a reply to my Parliamentary Question by Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, less than 42% of LTVPs from foreign spouses of Singaporeans completed the PMLA before applying for an LTVP. In reply to another PQ, the Minister also shared that of the 3,000 Letters of LTVP Eligibility (following the PMLA) that were issued annually in the past few years, 63% were eventually granted an LTVP or LTVP+ (although not all applied).

From the figures and my interactions with residents, it appears many were unaware of the PMLA before they got married.

Here is the full Q&A from the 2 Aug 2023 sitting:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Home Affairs in each year from 2016 to date (a) how many Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) applications are received; (b) of these, how many applicants have previously applied for a Pre-marriage Long-Term Visit Pass Assessment (PMLA).

Mr K Shanmugam: From 2016 to 2022, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) processed an annual average of 7,200 applications from foreign spouses of Singaporeans for the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP). Of these, an annual average of 3,000 applicants had completed the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA) prior to applying for LTVP.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Home Affairs in each year from 2016 to date (a) how many Pre-Marriage Long-Term Visit Pass Assessment (PMLA) applications are received; (b) of these how many are issued with a Letter of Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) eligibility; and (c) of those who are successful and applied for an LTVP, how many are eventually issued an LTVP or LTVP+.

Mr K Shanmugam: From 2016 to 2022, an annual average of: (a) 3,900 applications for the Pre-Marriage Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) Assessment (PMLA) were processed by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority; and (b) 3,000 Letters of LTVP Eligibility were issued.

Of those who had received a Letter of LTVP Eligibility, about 1,900 annually were eventually granted an LTVP or LTVP-Plus (LTVP+). This is because not every person who has obtained a Letter of LTVP Eligibility goes on to apply for an LTVP. Those with a Letter of LTVP Eligibility, which is valid for one year, will generally have their LTVP or LTVP+ approved if their circumstances were unchanged from the time at which they completed the PMLA.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Seafood safety following the Fukushima waste water release

Next year, Japan will start releasing treated radioactive water from its damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Many people in the Asia-Pacific region, including in Singapore, are concerned about this move’s radiological impact on people and the environment. On 3 Aug 2023, I asked Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu if the Government is monitoring the water around the areas (in the Pacific Ocean) where our sources of seafood come from to assess whether or not the release of the wastewater will impact Singapore.

The Minister said that the Government will monitor reports coming from those areas but because Singapore does not have jurisdiction in those areas, it would be “very unrealistic to expect NEA to be monitoring the quality of waters several thousand miles away from Singapore”. She said, however, that the Government assesses the plan put up by the Japanese authorities on how they intend to discharge the wastewater and takes guidance from IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency). She also said that the Singapore authorities “take food samples” to manage the risks.

This is the full exchange in Parliament:

Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Sea by Japan (a) what measures are in place to ensure the safety of our food products, especially seafood, imported from Japan; and (b) whether the Ministry has assessed the potential impact on Singapore’s surrounding waters.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the impending release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean (a) whether the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will review the safety of seafood imports from Japan; and (b) what actions will SFA take when an imported food is found to have elevated levels of tritium or other radionuclide levels.

The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 8 and 9 together in the Order Paper today, because they relate to the same matter?

Mr Speaker: Please proceed.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) adopt a science-based approach towards assessing food safety risks and environmental impacts respectively.

To ensure food safety, food imported into Singapore is subjected to SFA’s surveillance and monitoring regime, which includes radiation surveillance. Food products that fail SFA’s inspections and tests will not be allowed for sale. SFA has been closely monitoring food imports, including those from Japan, and our surveillance results have been satisfactory. SFA also keeps abreast of international developments and expert reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and foreign food safety authorities to augment our surveillance and monitoring regime.

NEA assesses that Japan’s planned discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea is unlikely to impact the seawater quality in or around Singapore waters. Since 2019, NEA has been closely monitoring Singapore’s waters as part of NEA’s environmental baseline radiation monitoring programme. The radioactivity measured continues to remain within our natural background levels. SFA and NEA will continue to monitor closely radiation levels in our food imports and our environment respectively.

Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, I have three supplementary questions for the Minister. I note that NEA operates a network of about 40 ambient radiation monitoring stations in and around Singapore, which provide a daily update on radiation levels. First, may I ask if the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE) has any plans to increase the frequency of monitoring to more than once a day or to include more monitoring stations?

The second question is a request for the readings to be made known to the public; and third, does MSE have any processes presently to monitor the presence of tritium in our environment?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Mr Speaker, sorry, I could not catch hold of the Member’s second and third points – made known to the public on what?

Ms Joan Pereira: Make known to public on the radiation levels.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Yes, okay. And the third?

Ms Joan Pereira: Any process presently to monitor the presence of tritium in our environment.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: I thank the Member for the questions. I would like to assure Members here as well as members of the public that we do keep a close watch, as I have mentioned earlier, including the readings from the 40 monitors that Member Joan Pereira has mentioned. And we do include readings on radiation and, if necessary, we will make some of these known if we need the public to be aware. Because these monitors actually collect a lot of data, so, we do not think that it is necessary to highlight one of them, unless it is in the public interest to do so.

And we have in the past, for example, when it comes to haze, we do highlight certain readings when we think that it is necessary for the public to take action. Otherwise, there will be a lot of data that may inundate the public and actually may not have the desired impact.

Having said that, we will monitor closely. For some indicators, we do intend to increase the number of monitors, but I will just assure the Member that we will look into the overall requirements of environmental protection and assess our capability from time to time.

Mr Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Sir, I thank the Minister for her reply. My supplementary questions relate to food products. First, I would like to ask if SFA tests all imported food products coming from high-risk locations where there are potential nuclear contamination issues. Second, what would be the recourse for consumers who suspect that they have bought or consumed a product that contains high radionucleic levels?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Thank you very much, Mr Melvin Yong, for the question. We take a risk-based approach when it comes to food safety and these risks could be many different types of risks. It can be from nuclear activities, nuclear active materials, it can be contamination from the environment. We are inundated actually with many, many different types of risks. So, I would not want Members to go away thinking that nuclear contamination is the only thing that we are concerned with or this is an issue that we are concerned about right now. As I have mentioned earlier in my reply, we have actually been monitoring a whole host of risks and you can see that SFA, from time to time, does take action against food items that do not meet our requirements.

So, this regime will continue and, of course, we will watch the situation with the discharge of Fukushima wastewater carefully. We will also rely on international assessments and we do exchange data and intelligence with other food safety authorities.

Mr Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Minister for her replies. I note the Minister said that the discharge of wastewater is unlikely to impact the waters around Singapore. But can I ask the Minister if NEA or SFA is monitoring whether the water around the areas where our sources of seafood come from is being monitored to assess whether or not it will impact Singapore?

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Of course, we will monitor reports coming from those areas. As you see, we do not have jurisdiction in those areas. So, it is really not very realistic for us to expect NEA to be monitoring the quality of waters several thousand miles away from Singapore. Having said that, we do assess the plan that has been put up by the Japanese authorities on how they intend to discharge the wastewater. We do watch what IAEA is doing because IAEA is obviously monitoring the discharge and also on the lab reports very closely.

More importantly is that we do take food samples to manage the risks. So, I can assure the Member as well members of the public that this item is on our agenda and we will be taking all necessary actions to keep food coming into Singapore safe.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Tamas Pap on Unsplash

App Restrictions on Government-Issued Mobile Devices

Earlier this year, several governments around the world banned specific apps from being installed on government-issued mobile devices, amid fears that user data and information collected by these apps would be misused, or that sensitive data would be collected by such apps.

I asked the Prime Minister whether all government-issued mobile devices are pre-installed with device management apps and antivirus software. I also asked how the government ensures that sensitive information on these devices do not fall into the wrong hands, especially devices used by civil servants and political office holders.

This was the full exchange in Parliament on 9 May 2023:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Prime Minister (a) whether all Government-issued mobile devices used by civil servants and political office holders are pre-installed with device management application (DMA) and antivirus software; (b) if so, how does the Smart Nation Digital Government Group (SNDGG) ensure that sensitive information passing through these devices does not fall into the wrong hands; and (c) if not, how does SNDGG ensure that only approved apps are downloaded, only appropriate websites are accessed and only malware-free email attachments are opened on these devices.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Prime Minister): Madam, Government-issued mobile devices are secured through technical controls and policies on appropriate use.

Technical controls include the installation of Mobile Device Management software, which allow for remote removal of data from compromised devices. Connectivity to the Government network must be done via a virtual private network. Emails are screened by a security application that blocks emails containing suspicious attachments. As a policy, such devices cannot be used to process and store highly classified information that may cause serious damage to national interests.

We also educate public officers through regular training so that they are aware of cybersecurity risks, including rogue apps or spoof websites. As members will appreciate, cyber risks can never be fully eliminated. We will implement appropriate safeguards while enabling officers to be effectively supported with IT tools.

Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. Has the Government assessed the risk that the apps installed on these phones, whether they are personal or official mobile phones of public servants and civil servants, may be able to surreptitiously access official secrets that may be stored on the phone or accessible on the phones? And what mitigation measures are done to prevent this – for example, do all official devices require anti malware software to be installed?

Also, the Senior Minister of State mentioned quite a bit of restrictions on the official mobile phones. What rules are in place to ensure that civil servants do not use their personal devices for official purposes, just to get around the official phone restrictions in an effort to communicate with one another or with the public?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Madam, I thank the Member for the question. His supplementary questions touch on a number of areas – malware mitigation, installation of software, installation of apps, the use of personal devices versus official devices. We do have policies as well as technical solutions that apply to all of those areas that he had asked about.

But the key issue is the behaviour of our personnel. Every single one of these technical, software solutions can be weakened by inappropriate behaviour. So, the key is really to make sure that our public officers understand what they are allowed to do and how what they do exposes themselves as well as our systems to risks, and to make sure that their behaviour is not compromised. The short answer is, we do have technical solutions to each of the issue that he has brought up, but what we really need to emphasise is the process and people factors in order to make sure that we secure this space. And I thank him for his questions.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

Cat management framework in HDB flats

In September 2022, NParks launched a six-month long public consultation exercise on the cat management framework. I asked the Minister for National Development on 5 July 2023 for an update on the cat management framework, specifically whether NParks will complete the framework by late 2023, what are the results of the six-month public consultation exercise on the framework that was launched in September 2022, and whether due consideration will be given to responsible cat owners, such as allowing cats as pets in HDB flats.

This was my question and the Minister’s answer:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether NParks’ review of the cat management framework is on track for completion by late 2023; (b) what are the results of the six-month public consultation exercise on the framework launched in September 2022; and (c) whether the review will give due consideration to responsible cat owners, in deciding whether to allow cats as pets in HDB flats.

Mr Desmond Lee: The key findings of the National Parks Board (NParks)’s public survey on the proposed cat management approach were shared at the Pets’ Day Out event on 6 May 2023. NParks is further engaging the community on the proposed approach, including through focus group discussions with various stakeholder groups. NParks aims to share more details on the proposed approach in the later part of this year.

In deciding whether to allow cats as pets in HDB flats, we will continue to carefully balance the needs of different segments of the community. This was explained in our response to a Parliamentary Question from Mr Louis Ng, which was issued on 7 November 2022.

7 November 2022

Review of pet cat ownership in HDB flats

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) how long will the Ministry take to complete its review of pet cat ownership in HDB flats following the end of the public consultation; and (b) what are the key factors which the Ministry will consider in this review.

Mr Desmond Lee: In September this year, NParks launched a six-month public consultation exercise on our proposed cat management framework. The framework aims to promote responsible cat ownership and caregiving, while safeguarding public health and ensuring the well-being of our pet and community cats. Following the public consultation, we aim to complete our review, including the possibility of allowing pet cats in HDB flats, in the later part of next year.

As we review HDB’s pet ownership policies, we will carefully consider the feedback received through our various consultation channels. These include our online survey, which has gathered close to 30,000 responses so far, and our upcoming community dialogues and focus group discussions. In conducting the review, we will continue to balance the needs of different segments of the community, such as residents who would like to keep cats in their flats, and others who may have concerns about the disamenities caused by irresponsible cat ownership.

We will also place importance on protecting public health and animal welfare. For example, the possibility of regularising the keeping of pet cats in HDB flats will be studied alongside the proposal to introduce a licensing and microchipping scheme for pet cats. This would improve the traceability of pet cats, so that we can respond to animal disease outbreaks more effectively and better protect public health. In addition, this would allow us to hold irresponsible cat owners to greater account if their cats are found to be neglected, abused or abandoned.

We will also be mindful of the circumstances of existing cat owners, including those with multiple cats. Any new measures will be carefully studied and implemented in phases where necessary, and we will provide the necessary support to help affected stakeholders adapt to any changes that are introduced.

In the meantime, we encourage members of the public to share their views by taking part in our survey and upcoming engagement sessions, as we work together to improve our policies for cat management and welfare.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash

Background checks on foreign nationals before they set up Singapore companies

In March, Justin Sun, a China national who founded BitTorrent Foundation in Singapore, was sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following allegations of selling unregistered securities, fraud and market manipulation. Sun’s BitTorrent was registered in Singapore under the business activities of “IT and Computer Service Activities,” which greatly differs from the offences his company has been alleged to have committed (i.e. the fraudulent issuance and sale of crypto assets).

I am concerned that foreign nationals could take advantage of the ease of setting up companies in Singapore, so as to use Singapore as a base to boost their reputations and subsequently conduct fraudulent activities. With this concern in mind, I asked the Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to provide information on the types of background checks undertaken on foreign nationals before they are allowed to set up Singapore companies.

I also asked how the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) verifies whether these companies’ activities are conducted as stated in their applications.

This is my question and DPM Wong’s reply on 4 July 2023:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what background checks are undertaken on foreign nationals before they are allowed to set up Singapore companies; (b) how does ACRA verify whether these companies’ activities are in line with what their directors declared when they were seeking incorporation; and (c) how actively does ACRA investigate companies to verify whether they are conducting activities in accordance with their incorporation documents.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Foreign nationals based overseas must engage the services of an Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)-Registered Filing Agent (RFA) to set up Singapore companies. RFA is a professional services firm, such as a law firm, accounting firm or corporate secretarial firm. RFA is responsible to conduct customer due diligence, including verifying identity and background information, confirming the veracity and adequacy of documents and obtaining beneficial ownership information. They are also required to perform ongoing transaction monitoring on their customers and their companies’ business activities after incorporation, to ensure that the activities are consistent with the RFA’s knowledge of the customer, business and risk profile. They must report any suspicious transactions to the Police.

In addition, ACRA will investigate if it receives information that a company is not conducting activities in line with what was declared at incorporation. The company will be referred to the Police if it is suspected to be engaging in illegal activities. To facilitate this, ACRA also makes publicly available much of the information lodged by companies. This helps to ensure that members of the public accessing this information can report any discrepancies to ACRA.

Should there be any indication of false filings, ACRA will take enforcement action against the RFA. Persons who have knowingly provided false or misleading information to ACRA may be subject to fines or imprisonment.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Esaias Tan on Unsplash

Loss of CPF savings through malware scams

The Singapore Police Force reported that Android device users lost at least $99,800 of their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings in June 2023 alone through malware-related scams. During the 4 July Parliament sitting, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said that victims had installed apps which contained malware that “allowed the scammer to take full control of the phone, steal banking and Singpass credentials stored in the phone and perform unauthorised CPF log-ins and withdrawals.”

Ordinarily, Singpass credentials — specifically the six digit passcode — would not be stored on the phone as they would be input from memory by users. Passcodes certainly should not be stored in the Singpass app itself. This prompted me to ask the Minister if there was a vulnerability in the Singpass app, and if so, whether MOM was working with GovTech to patch it.

As it turned out, what the Minister meant was that some victims stored their Singpass credentials in a “notepad” app on their phones and this was what the malware was able to read to login via Singpass and access their CPF accounts.

This is but one way scammers can access your savings if you choose not to install apps from Google Play Store or Apple Store. All users can better protect themselves from such scams by following the advice in the 29 June 2023 joint statement by CPF Board, GovTech and the Police.

This is the Parliament exchange I had with the Minister:

The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng): Mdm Deputy Speaker, my response to this Parliamentary Question will also address the Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim as a written Parliamentary Question for yesterday’s Sitting.

Since January 2023, the Police received more than 700 reports of victims having downloaded malware onto their phones, with more than $8 million worth of savings lost through unauthorised withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts and so on. Based on the investigations thus far, nine of these cases involved unauthorised Central Provident Fund (CPF) withdrawals, amounting to a net loss of $124,000 in CPF savings. I would like to add that the ninth case did not result in loss of CPF savings. So, even though nine involved unauthorised CPF withdrawals, the ninth case itself did not result in the loss of CPF savings because the Singapore Police Force (SPF) managed to stop the transfer out from the bank account of the CPF member.

CPF monies were paid from members’ CPF accounts to their own bank accounts and then they were subsequently withdrawn from these bank accounts by the scammers.

The modus operandi of these malware-related scams has been extensively covered in an earlier joint advisory from the Police, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and CPF Board on 29 June 2023. In gist, the victims downloaded malware-infected Android Package Kits, or APK, from unauthorised sites and they subsequently turned on accessibility services when told by the scammer to purportedly facilitate the purchase of items at a steep discount. Doing so allowed the scammer to take full control of the phone, steal banking and Singpass credentials stored in the phone and perform unauthorised CPF log-ins and withdrawals.

I urge all Singaporeans to stay vigilant. We should update our phones regularly with the latest security patches and we should only download apps from official app stores and exercise the greatest of caution when we are prompted to turn on accessibility services. These accessibility services are mainly meant to assist users with disabilities to use their devices, such as by allowing apps to read and control your screen.

As a further precaution, CPF Board and GovTech have introduced additional authentication measures since 22 June 2023 to increase the protection for CPF members. Members may be asked to perform Singpass Face Verification (SFV) or other checks when accessing CPF e-services. This provides additional security in addition to the existing two-factor Singpass authentication required for accessing CPF e-services. Members who require assistance on CPF services and the SFV can visit the CPF service centres and Singpass counters respectively. They may also call the Singpass helpdesk.

These additional safeguards may make it slightly less convenient for members to perform certain CPF e-services but I think members would agree that it is better to be safe than sorry. This is especially so in light of new threats. The Government will continue to review and monitor these threats closely and work closely alongside the banks to introduce more precautionary measures where necessary.

The Police will spare no effort in tracking down those responsible for such malware incidents and will take tough action against them. I urge anyone with information on such crimes to contact the Police immediately.

…

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Madam, just now I heard the Minister say that the scammers were able to obtain the victims’ Singpass credentials from their phones after they managed to install the app on their phone. Is MOM working with GovTech to patch this vulnerability if it, indeed, is a vulnerability?

Dr Tan See Leng: I thank Mr Gerald Giam for his question. Perhaps, Mr Giam may not have an appreciation of the different steps that these scammers sort of would navigate to actually get the CPF members to download these apps. Today, the vulnerability appears to be in the Android phones and generally our members may have just gone online, whether it is on Facebook or some other form of social media, and come across some particular app which purportedly gives him a steep discount; a very, very good deal, in which they have to download that particular app. And once they download the app, they will, more often than not, get phone calls from someone helping them to navigate and to use the app.

And they then hand over some of the navigational options to this and turn on the accessibility services on their Android phone itself. That then exposes themselves to all these scammers to then undertake and take over their information.

So, the added precautionary measure that we have put up is that for vulnerable members, they would need an additional step of using the Singpass Face Verification. We have these identities stored, because the NRICs, the passports, we have that. Based on our records, we can then ensure that the person who is logging in and making these withdrawals actually corresponds to the actual member and not through some scam account.

So, we believe that, today, that added step, which to some members cause a lot of inconvenience, is sufficient as a precautionary measure. I hope that addresses your concern.

Mdm Deputy Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To clarify, I understand the process in which the scammers use to access the phone. But just now the Minister said that once the accessibility is enabled, the scammers are able to read the passwords that are stored in Singpass. Typically, these passwords should not be stored at all inside the phone. So, I just want to understand whether or not this is something that is being looked into, as to why is it that passwords are stored inside the phone for that reason?

Dr Tan See Leng: I think there are a myriad of reasons why people store their passwords on their phones, in their notepads and so on. There are also members who write it down somewhere in a booklet and they put it at home.

I cannot tell you how members will want to store their passwords to remind themselves. But I think the added measure today, first of constantly educating our public to not download any form of innocuous-looking apps from unauthorised stores, unauthorised sites and also to not just switch on the accessibility services; and at the same time, not release details to someone who is unknown over the phone and at the same time adding on the additional security verification through the Singpass Face Verification step, I think it is sufficient for us to prevent, today, unauthorised withdrawals from the CPF account. Of course, I said that there are also parallel initiatives to deal with what happens after the money goes into the banking account.

So, there are all these measures that we are doing.

I would not want to be in a position of hubris where we say that we have got it all figured out. Because today, cybersecurity constantly evolves – scammers and hackers are getting more and more creative. So, we have to constantly work at nudging our people, working with one another to keep reminding all of our members, all of our citizens, to always be vigilant. At the same time, the Government will also constantly find new ways to step up our precaution to protect our members. I hope that gives you the reassurance.

Mdm Deputy Speaker: Senior Minister of State Janil.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. I raised my hand, but I think Minister Tan had already made the point. The information is being taken from other parts of the phone, not as Mr Giam had asked about. But the point has been made by Dr Tan already.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

HDB flats without direct lift access

I filed a question for written answer from the Minister for National Development for an update on the Lift Upgrading Programme at the 4 July 2023 Parliament sitting, in particular how many HDB blocks still lack direct access to lifts and whether HDB will continue to retrofit units with direct access as new solutions become available.

This is the answer provided by the Government:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied GRC) asked the Minister for National Development after the first round of the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) and subsequent retrofitting to provide direct lift access for more of HDB units (a) how many HDB blocks still have units without direct access to lifts; (b) where are these blocks located; (c) what are the criteria for the post-LUP retrofitting of such flats; and (d) whether HDB will continue to retrofit units with direct lift access as new design and technical solutions become available.

Mr Desmond Lee (Minister for National Development): To date, more than 5,000 HDB blocks have benefited under the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). There are about 140 blocks island-wide without direct lift access where LUP will incur high cost and, in some cases, not be feasible due to existing technical and site constraints.

Over the years, HDB has piloted and adopted different design approaches and innovative technical solutions to bring direct lift access to more blocks under LUP. Some examples of the solutions that have been successfully implemented include machine room-less lifts, home lifts and bubble lifts.

There are some HDB blocks which have undergone LUP but do not have lifts stopping on the same floor level, due to technical constraints at the time of lift upgrading. For such flats, some residents need to climb about one flight of stairs to get to their units as compared to three or four flights of stairs prior to upgrading.

For blocks without direct lift access, HDB will continue to explore new technologies and adopt them where feasible. Residents who are in urgent need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or mobility reasons can apply for the Lift Access Housing Grant of up to $30,000 to help them buy another flat with direct lift access.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Questions to the Minister on inflated newspaper circulation numbers

On 16 June 2023, SPH Media Group’s Audit and Risk Committee published its report investigating the issues surrounding the inflated circulation numbers of SPH.

The report highlighted a barter arrangement between SPH and another media company, which it called “X”. Media company X provided an unspecified number of e-paper digital subscriptions to SPH in exchange for 15,000 Straits Times and Business Times digital subscriptions (from SPH). The amounts paid by X to SPH and vice versa were offset against each other. SPH reported these 15,000 copies in its (inflated) circulation numbers. According to the report, there was no evidence that the digital access codes for the Straits Times and Business Times digital copies were distributed.

In Parliament on 6 July, I asked Minister for Information and Communications Josephine Teo whether there would be any investigation into media company X as to whether they too were inflating their circulation numbers. The Minister replied that she was not at liberty to disclose the full range of the Police’s investigations. She added that it was for the Police to decide whether to specifically look into establishing liability on the part of X.

Separately, a fund, known as the NIE Fund, was set up to pay for the distribution of newspaper samples to students, needy families, halfway houses and charities. The report found that during the review period, approximately $748,000 from the NIE Fund was used to pay for bulk copies of newspapers to “shore up” the circulation numbers, cushion the fall in print circulation numbers and to meet circulation number KPI targets. The report found evidence to suggest that some of SPH’s clients were not aware that monies they had paid would be used for the purposes of purchasing bulk copies.

I asked the Minister what kind of accountability had been given to the donors and the clients who had contributed to the NIE Fund on the understanding that they were helping the underprivileged in society but were instead used to shore up the circulation figures for SPH. The Minister replied that the purpose of making “full disclosure” on the findings was to allow these entities to decide if they wanted to take further action. She added that they could, if they chose to, but the Government would not decide on their behalf.

This is the link to the full Audit and Risk Committee Report: https://static.sph.com.sg/uploads/2023/06/Annex-ARC-Report.pdf

This is the Parliament exchange I had with the Minister:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Thank you, Madam. Madam, the ARC report stated that the X Barter Deal was not a genuine arrangement. The corresponding revenue and expenses should not have been recognised and the corresponding circulation numbers should not have been counted. So, my question is, if it was found that the X Barter Deal was not a genuine arrangement, will there be any investigation into the other media company, which was named as “X” in the report, and whether they were also inflating their numbers?

Secondly, the Minister said that the question of loss of public funds does not arise. But what kind of accountability has been given to the donors and the clients who had contributed to the NIE Fund on the understanding that they were helping the underprivileged in society but were instead used to shore up the circulation figures for SPH?

Mrs Josephine Teo (Minister for Communications and Information): Mdm Deputy Speaker, at this point, we will not be at liberty to disclose the full range of the Police’s investigations. Are they specifically looking to establish liability in the context that Mr Giam described? That is for the Police to decide.

On the Member’s second question on accountability to the donors and the other parties that made resources available to SPH Limited, the purpose of making full disclosure on the findings is precisely to allow these entities to decide if they want to take further action. So, they can, if they choose to. It is not for us to decide on their behalf.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

Scams involving SMS OTP diversions

There were several scam cases previously where scammers intercepted the SMS one-time password (OTP) sent by banks and used them to make unauthorised transactions without the customers’ knowledge. At the sitting of Parliament on 5 July 2023, I asked the Prime Minister how many fraudulent bank transactions had been made as a result of SMS OTP diversions.

I had previously raised concerns in Parliament in October 2021 and May 2023 about the insecurity of SMS OTPs. Given the concern about SMS OTPs, I further asked whether MAS had a timeline for requiring banks to phase out the use of SMS OTPs in favour of other multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods. For those customers who were already using other MFA methods, I asked whether MAS would require banks to provide them with the option to stop the use of SMS OTPs.

Replying on the Prime Minister’s behalf, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam acknowledged that between September 2020 and December 2020, there were cases reported where malicious actors diverted SMS OTPs to perform fraudulent bank transactions. He said local telco operators had since implemented additional security safeguards to mitigate the risk. Hence, the risk of SMS OTPs being diverted had now been largely addressed and the Police had not found any confirmed cases of SMS OTP diversions since January 2021.

However, given the inherent vulnerability of the SMS channel, Mr Tharman said that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has required banks to phase out SMS OTP as a sole factor to authenticate high-risk transactions. He said the transition has commenced, and MAS will set a deadline for all retail banks to complete this. Indeed, I received a notification from my bank on 18 July stating that they will be moving away from SMS OTP and manual verification questions progressively as they transit to push notifications for authentication purposes.

This is the full answer provided by the Government:

REVIEW OF PAST CASES GIVEN RECENT ADVISORY ON MALWARE-
RELATED UNAUTHORISED BANK TRANSACTIONS

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Prime Minister (a) in the past year how
many fraudulent bank transactions have been made a result of SMS one-time password (OTP) diversions; (b) whether MAS has a timeline for requiring banks to phase out the use of SMS OTPs in favour of other multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods; and (c) whether MAS will require banks to provide customers with the option to stop the use of SMS OTPs in the interim, if they are already using other MFA methods.

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister in view of the police advisory
informing the public that malware was used to compromise mobile devices resulting in unauthorised transactions made from bank accounts, whether MAS will consider reviewing previously closed cases of customer disputes with banks where unauthorised transactions were reported despite one-time passwords not being divulged or received.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): My response will cover the questions raised by Mr Gerald Giam and Dr Tan Wu Meng in today’s Order Paper.

Globally, and in Singapore, scam cases have been rising. Scammers have been quick to evolve their tactics to trick consumers into divulging their banking credentials as well as to evade detection. As previously explained in this house, Singapore has adopted a multi-layered strategy to combat scams. Agencies are continuing to work closely with the industry to strengthen our anti-scam measures to fight the evolving threats.

Before 2021, there were cases reported where malicious actors diverted SMS one-time passwords (OTPs) to perform fraudulent bank transactions. These occurred between September 2020 and December 2020. The attacks were caused by unauthorised access to the systems of overseas telecommunication (telco) operators to divert the SMS OTPs sent by the banks to their customers, which were then used to authenticate fraudulent online card payment transactions. While our local telco networks were secure and not compromised, the telco operators had since implemented additional security safeguards to mitigate the risk. Hence, the risk of SMS OTPs being diverted has now been largely addressed. The Singapore Police Force has also not found any confirmed cases of SMS OTP diversions since January 2021.

Nevertheless, given the inherent vulnerability of the SMS channel, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has required banks to phase out SMS OTP as a sole factor to authenticate high-risk transactions. Banks in Singapore have already moved away from sole reliance on SMS OTP for high-risk online banking activities, like adding of payees and changing of fund transfer limits. MAS expects the same for high-risk card transactions, such as authorising online card payments. The transition has commenced, and MAS will set a deadline for all retail banks to complete this.

MAS does not currently see the need to require banks to provide customers the
ability to opt out of SMS OTPs as this would limit the authentication toolkit that the banks have and dilute the effectiveness of multi-layered security for protecting customers. When used in combination with other authentication factors such as biometrics or digital tokens, SMS OTP provides an additional layer of security that fraudsters have to overcome. In addition, SMS OTP is an authentication method that is accessible by all customers as it can be received on any type of mobile device. It allows all customers to perform low-risk activities, such as viewing of account balance and paying of bills, conveniently without the need for an additional device. Removing SMS OTPs entirely will exclude a significant number of online banking customers who do not own mobile devices that can install digital tokens.

The transition away from sole reliance on SMS OTP for high-risk online banking activities will however not deal with other scam types, such as those related to phishing and malware to steal banking credentials, that has been growing recently. Scam cases involving malware infections of customer devices are not new. However, scammers are exploiting newer technologies. In more recent cases, they have acquired the ability to control customers’ devices using malware. In such cases, the customer may not be aware that SMS OTPs had been delivered to his mobile device, or that unauthorised transactions had been performed, as the scammer who has obtained control over the mobile device has deleted both the SMS OTPs and transaction notifications. Such cases are concerning.

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore has published an advisory on an ongoing malware campaign targeting Android Devices in May 2023. Members of the public are strongly reminded and urged to take these necessary measures, which have also been amplified by the banks, to protect themselves against malware:
(a) Pay attention to the security permissions requested by the application and be wary of applications that ask for unnecessary permissions on mobile devices.
(b) Install applications only from the official Google Play Store.
(c) Uninstall any unknown applications that are found in mobile devices
immediately.
(d) Perform anti-virus scans and keep regular backups of important data.
(e) Ensure that mobile devices’ operating systems and applications are updated
regularly to be protected by the latest security patches.

When customers discover any unauthorised transactions in their accounts or suspect that their mobile device may have been compromised by malware, they should immediately contact the bank or activate the “kill switch” that the banks provide to freeze their accounts. They should work in cooperation with the bank to establish the facts surrounding the transaction. They should also report fraudulent activities to the Police. For malware cases, the Police may request that customers submit their mobile devices for investigation.

MAS expects banks to treat customers fairly in all cases of dispute over unauthorised transactions. Banks must consider whether they have fulfilled their obligations, and whether customers have done their part in protecting their accounts. Customers can ask banks to reassess their cases should new information relevant to their disputes surface.

Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard) and MAS

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

Turf Club closure and impact on stakeholders

In June 2023, it was announced that the Singapore Turf Club (STC) will cease operations in March 2027, and its final race will be on 5 October 2024. I am concerned about the staff and trainers who currently work for horse owners, and the athletes and other stakeholders in the equestrian sports community in view of this impending closure, and asked the Minister several questions in Parliament on 3 July 2023.

First, I asked the Minister for Finance how staff and trainers will be supported in re-training for other jobs.

Second, I asked whether the development of equestrian sports will be impacted and what assistance the government is extending to athletes and other stakeholders in the equestrian sports community.

And third, I asked if Singapore Turf Club employees, contractors and members of the public were consulted on these changes.

These were my full questions and the Minister’s answers:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to the staff and trainers who currently work for horse owners but are not employed by the STC, whether they will be supported by the STC and other Government agencies in re-training for other jobs prior to the closure of STC.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how will the development of equestrian sports in Singapore be impacted by the closure of the Singapore Turf Club (STC); and (b) what assistance is the Ministry extending to athletes and other stakeholders in this community in view of STC’s impending closure.

To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the land use for the Singapore Racecourse under the current URA Master Plan stipulated for sport and recreation has been revised to include use for housing including public housing; (b) if so, when was the revision made; (c) whether consultations were conducted with stakeholders and who were these stakeholders; and (d) whether the stakeholders included Singapore Turf Club employees, contractors and members of the public.

…

Ms Indranee Rajah (Second Minister for Finance and National Development): The decision to close STC was not an easy decision, nor was it made lightly. Given Singapore’s small size and land constraints, the Government continually reviews our land use plans to meet present and future needs. At the same time, local horse racing has also experienced declining spectatorship over the years.

In developing our long-term land use strategies and plans, the Government has actively engaged the public to understand their needs and aspirations. These engagements have strongly affirmed that we need more land for housing, as well as a diversity of spaces for leisure and recreation, to provide a quality living environment for Singaporeans. With the demand for more land for housing and the declining spectatorship for local horse racing, the Government made the difficult decision to redevelop the STC site to better meet our future needs.

Mr Gerald Giam asked whether the use of the Singapore Racecourse site under the current Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Master Plan has been revised to include housing. At the Committee of Supply debate earlier this year, the Ministry of National Development (MND) announced that we have started on our Draft Master Plan review, which will take place over the next two to three years. The Government intends to update the revised land use for the site to include housing in the upcoming Master Plan.

…

Ms Hany Soh, Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Edward Chia, have asked what assistance will be given to workers affected by the cessation of horse racing. We will make every effort to assist and ease the transition for them.

There are two different groups of workers affected – those employed by STC and those employed by the trainers.

About 350 STC employees are affected. The STC employees will continue to be employed for at least the next 15 months up till October 2024, with some staying until closure in 2027. Upon cessation of their employment, they will receive retrenchment packages in line with the Minister of Manpower (MOM) guidelines. In addition, they will receive job placement assistance, career guidance, skills training and counselling so that they can find new jobs. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has also stepped in to offer support.

The horse trainers employ or engage about another 420 workers. While these are not STC employees, STC will nevertheless lean forward to work with their employers, the trainers, to provide support to these workers and ease their transition. The media had recently reported that some equestrian entities are prepared to offer them jobs. STC will also be extending employment facilitation, skills training and career counselling.

Members have also asked what will happen to the racehorses. There are approximately 700 racehorses. They will have to be rehomed once the races cease. In the meantime, STC has already rolled out support for racehorse owners and trainers for horse maintenance, as well as horse exportation and placement. STC is discussing with owners and trainers what additional support they may need to rehome their horses and will do its best to meet reasonable requests.

Some trainers have highlighted concerns that the owners might abandon their horses. I hope that this is indeed not the case and I would caution any owner against so doing. Owners have the responsibility to look after their horses. It would be an offence under the Animals and Birds Act to abandon their horses or fail to care appropriately for them. STC is committed to working with owners to manage their horses in a responsible manner, such as through rehoming, either overseas or in a stable in Singapore.

Members have also asked about the impact of the closure of STC on equestrian activities in Singapore. While horse racing will cease, other equestrian activities are not affected by STC’s closure. Sport Singapore engages regularly with the Equestrian Federation of Singapore which oversees our national team’s training. The STC’s closure does not affect our national equestrian team’s training, which is located at Jalan Mashhor.

…

Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): I thank the Minister for her comprehensive replies. The Minister said that other Equestrian sports will not be affected. Is there currently any scheme to use retired racehorses for other equestrian sports and, if so, would this supply of horses not be constrained after the Singapore racecourse closes down, leading to higher costs for buying and importing horses for equestrian sports?

Ms Indranee Rajah: On the question of retired racehorses going to other equestrian sports, I think that may have to be directed to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in terms of sports. But I just want to clarify something about these horses. These are racehorses and the majority of them would probably continue racing. So, the question is how to get them to places where they can continue to race. So, exportation would be one of the main strategies to deal with these horses. There are other countries — in fact, the exportation of horses does take place quite regularly.

I understand from STC that every month, there are actually a few. They may go to Malaysia, for example. I think some interest has been expressed in Malaysia in taking some of the racehorses from STC when it closes. Australia is another destination although, for Australia, they take in a smaller number.

So, I think the primary strategy for these racehorses would actually be exportation – to allow them to continue to race if their owners so choose. But obviously, this is a conversation that we are having with the owners to see what they would like to do with the horses. But bottom line, we will find homes for all the horses.

Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash