SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament will discuss the recent spate of unauthorised attempts to change residential addresses via an online service provided by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the next sitting on Tuesday (Feb 4), as well as last month’s monsoon surge.
There were also questions filed in relation to a global study published in December last year, which showed a decline in literacy proficiency among older adults in Singapore, tech repair shops carrying out cloning of data and the escaped crocodiles from a Batam farm.
According to the order paper released on Monday, MPs asked whether a review will be conducted on other government systems to check for similar vulnerabilities.
The issue came to light on Jan 11 when the ICA announced that it had identified about 80 such cases.
The attempts were made through an option on ICA’s e-service that allows the residential address to be changed by a proxy.
The e-service was suspended on Jan 11 and partially restored on Jan 14, with this proxy option removed.
Eleven questions on the matter were submitted by MPs.
MPs Desmond Choo (PAP-Tampines) and Dr Tan Wu Meng (PAP-Jurong) both asked if a review or checks would be carried out on other government e-services to identify and address possible cybersecurity gaps.
Dr Tan sought further information on the security evaluations of government e-services and whether they involved the analysis of potential exploitation workflows and processes.
MP Yip Won Heng (PAP-Yio Chu Kang) wanted to know about the security measures being implemented in light of the attempts to illegally change other people’s home addresses and if facial verification would be considered.
Non-constituency MP Leong Mun Wai (PSP) asked if ICA would conduct a review of all electronic changes of addresses done in the past six months, while NCMP Hazel Poa (PSP) wanted to know if the change of home address procedure is being reviewed.
Mr Leong also asked if there would be stricter rules concerning the photocopying of physical NRICs in order to reduce the likelihood of such information being misused.
The police said on Jan 17 that 13 people had been arrested so far in connection to the unauthorised address changes.
Four suspects, aged between 26 and 38, have since been charged as of Jan 17.
MONSOON SURGE
Questions were also filed on last month’s monsoon surge, which dumped heavy rain across Singapore.
The Jan 10 to 13 monsoon surge was “one of the longer and more intense” in recent years, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).
Pulau Tekong recorded the highest daily rainfall of 241.8mm on Jan 10, breaking the previous record, while during that period, the daily minimum temperatures generally ranged from about 22 to 24 degrees Celsius.
Mr Choo asked if further comprehensive reviews on the adequacy of current drainage systems to deal with such monsoon surges would be carried out.
He also wanted to know whether the current investments by the government to improve drainage infrastructure are sufficient.
MP Saktiandi Supaat (PAP-Bishan-Toa Payoh) asked about how many areas reported flooding of up to 0.5m, between 0.5m and 1m, and above 1m above ground level.
He also wanted to know how many of these areas had reported previous incidents of flooding in the last five years and how flood risks can be mitigated.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak (PAP-Sembawang) sought information on the steps in place to enhance the resilience of Singapore’s water and other underground infrastructure against extreme weather events.
Experts told CNA last month that Singapore could experience more wet days, intense monsoon rains as the La Nina weather pattern, which brings about wetter and cooler conditions, might persist until April.
