Government apologises for causing anxiety over NRIC unmasking saga; Passenger left behind as Scoot flight leaves 90 minutes earlier than expected: Singapore live news

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The government apologised over the NRIC unmasking saga, with Ministers Indranee Rajah and Josephine Teo explaining the change in policy. (PHOTO: Screengrab, Reuters)
The government apologised over the NRIC unmasking saga, with Ministers Indranee Rajah and Josephine Teo explaining the change in policy. (PHOTO: Screengrab, Reuters)

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Hello to all our readers, Yahoo Singapore will be bringing you live news updates today.

The government on Thursday (19 Dec) apologised to the public for the error which led to the unmasking of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers. The saga came about after the public discovered that full NRIC numbers were obtainable on the Bizfile portal. Minister Josephine Teo said the government had planned a change as the current policy surrounding the use of NRIC numbers as it "leaves us vulnerable". There was a public education campaign planned that would unfold over time as changing mindsets take time.

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However, upon receiving a curriculum in July to "cease any planned use of masked NRIC numbers", Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) "proceeded on the misunderstanding that it should unmask NRIC numbers in the new Bizfile portal". To find out more on the unmasking of NRIC numbers, read on.

A passenger was left behind when a Scoot flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur departed 90 minutes ahead of schedule from Changi Airport on 1 Nov. The airline attributed the early departure to "operational reasons", according to The Straits Times. The stranded passenger "panicked" upon arriving at an empty departure gate and was directed to a Terminal 3 counter to seek assistance. For more on how Scoot resolved the situation, read here.

Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates.

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    Bryan Lim

    Government apologises for causing anxiety over NRIC unmasking saga

    The government apologised over the NRIC unmasking saga, with Ministers Indranee Rajah and Josephine Teo explaining the change in policy. (PHOTO: Screengrab, Reuters)
    The government apologised over the NRIC unmasking saga, with Ministers Indranee Rajah and Josephine Teo explaining the change in policy. (PHOTO: Screengrab, Reuters)

    The government on Thursday (19 Dec) apologised to the public over the error which led to the unmasking of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers.

    At a press conference, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said, "We are very sorry to have caused them much anxiety."

    Teo explained that NRIC numbers are "unique identifiers" so "it cannot be a secret, just as our names are not secret". She also said that the current policy surrounding the use of NRIC numbers "leaves us vulnerable" and there was a change to provide "better protection".

    She added, "Not using masked NRIC numbers does not mean that we will unmask all currently masked NRIC numbers. We should have made this clear."

    According to The Straits Times, partial NRIC numbers are not that secure as a good guess of one’s full NRIC number can be generated with partial numbers, especially if the year of birth is known.

    The government had intended to implement the change after explaining the situation and preparing the citizens, but the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) went ahead and launched its Bizfile portal with a search function that revealed people's full names and NRIC numbers.

    Teo shared that they had planned a public education campaign covering three broad areas and knew that changing mindsets would have to be done over a period of time. However, the timeline had been "compressed" because of this incident.

    There will be a public consultation scheduled for 2025 to get feedback from the private sector and members of the public.

    Teo said that the public's concerns over this issue are taken seriously.

    ACRA’s chief executive Chia-Tern Huey Min also apologised for on behalf of ACRA for "causing anxiety" among the public "over the disclosure of NRIC numbers on our Bizfile portal".

    She revealed that in July, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) "issued a circular for government agencies to cease any planned use of masked NRIC numbers in new business processes and services".

    According to her, this was part of the government's wider efforts to uphold NRIC numbers as a unique identifier, and move away from masking them, as it provides a false sense of security.

    Chia-Tern added, "Unfortunately, there was a lapse of coordination between the staff on how this was to be implemented. ACRA then proceeded on the misunderstanding that it should unmask NRIC numbers in the new Bizfile portal."

    She said, "As the owner of the Bizfile portal, ACRA should have been more mindful that many Singaporeans have long treated their NRIC numbers as private and confidential information, and would not want to have their full NRIC numbers searchable on the new portal."

    Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah clarified that while the government is ceasing the use of partially masked NRIC numbers, it doesn't necessarily mean that masked NRIC numbers should become unmasked.

    That was the misunderstanding on ACRA's part that led to the error, she pointed out.

    Indranee said that the MOF (Ministry of Finance) and ACRA will learn from this episode and setback.

    "We are thoroughly reviewing the incident to identify areas where we should have done and can do better, including improving the communication and coordination between agencies, and the features of our digital services."

    As for whether any action will be taken towards the ACRA staff or any other agency responsible for this error, Indranee told CNA that it would be "premature at this stage" to say so.

    She added, "You must remember, this is an instance of a misunderstanding. And I think one has to ascertain exactly how that came about and have a look at the full facts, before deciding on what, if anything, needs to be done."

  • Bryan Lim

    'It will be wasted on me': Jolin Tsai flies first-class for the first time [VIDEO]

    TAIPEI, CHINA - DECEMBER 11, 2024 - Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai attends the media preview of the fashion brand's Early Spring 2025 collection in Taipei, Taiwan Province, China, December 11, 2024. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
    TAIPEI, CHINA - DECEMBER 11, 2024 - Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai attends the media preview of the fashion brand's Early Spring 2025 collection in Taipei, Taiwan Province, China, December 11, 2024. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

    Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai is one of Asia's biggest stars, with a reported net worth of over S$83 million.

    Yet, the pop star has not travelled in first-class before – until her recent flight to Los Angeles (LA).

    In a vlog that was published on Thursday (19 Dec), which recorded her trip to LA, the 44-year-old was seen having a feast at the airport lounge prior to the flight. She even tried her hand at putting together a hotdog bun and lamented that it didn't turn out the way she had imagined.

    While eating, the superstar admitted that she hasn't travelled in first-class before, prompting her cameraperson to ask in disbelief if she was telling the truth.

    "At most, I've sat in business class," she said.

    She added sheepishly, "I think it (the first-class experience) will be wasted on me because I'm sleeping through the flight."

    On the flight, Tsai started going through her in-flight amenities and said she usually takes the pyjamas back for her guests to wear. When she was going through the toiletries kit, someone off-camera pointed out that the kit came in an FPM Milano bag and she had previously bought a luggage from the same brand.

    She exclaimed, "Really? The airline is collaborating with them? Wow. I really love that luggage."

    Aside from showing her time in LA, the video also teased her new album by including some of the new songs as the background track.

    Tsai is finally releasing a new album next year, after a seven-year wait. Her last album was Ugly Beauty and it was released in 2018.

  • Bryan Lim

    Naomi Neo, Jianhao Tan are Singapore's top influencers in 2024

    Local influencers Naomi Neo and Jianhao Tan have clinched the top two spots on Meltwater's Social Media Influence 10 list. (PHOTO: Instagram/naomineo_, Instagram/thejianhaotan)
    Local influencers Naomi Neo and Jianhao Tan have clinched the top two spots on Meltwater's Social Media Influence 10 list. (PHOTO: Instagram/naomineo_, Instagram/thejianhaotan)

    Local influencers Naomi Neo and Jianhao Tan are Singapore's top influencers in 2024, according to a year-end report from media intelligence and data analytics firm Meltwater.

    Neo, 28, and Tan, 31, retained the first and second spots respectively on Meltwater’s Social Media Influence 10 list.

    The rankings are assessed based on the content creator's Klear score. The Klear score scale ranges from 0-100 and identifies the strength of a social media user based on fixed indicators, such as the influencers’ following, reach, quality of engagement and audience quality.

    Neo and Tan received Klear scores of 99, same as last year. But, Neo has a slight edge with an estimated audience reach of 2.6 million, while Tan has an audience reach of over 800,000.

    The ranking of the top 10 influencers are as follows:

    • Naomi Neo

    • Jianhao Tan

    • Tosh Zhang

    • Noah Yap

    • Debbie Soon

    • Jayley Woo

    • Kimberly Chia

    • Taufik Batisah

    • Shantay Zhou

    • Xu Bin

  • Is your account secure? These are the most commonly hacked passwords in Singapore

    Here are the top 15 commonly hacked passwords in Singapore, and surprisingly, '123456' is on the list. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    Here are the top 15 commonly hacked passwords in Singapore, and surprisingly, '123456' is on the list. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    You might think that adding a couple extra numbers to your password might keep your account secure.

    Or, that being cheeky and putting 'password' as your password is safe. After all, someone once said something about hiding the leaf in the forest is a wise thing to do. No one will see something that's right in front of their faces.

    Well, you've got another think coming.

    According to language learning platform Preply, '123456' is the most commonly hacked password in Singapore, found in 42.5 million data breaches. Yes, people apparently do use '123456' as their password despite its obvious vulnerability.

    Coming in second is '123456789', which appeared in more than 18 million data breaches and took less than a second to crack.

    A ranking of the top 15 commonly hacked passwords in Singapore. PHOTO: Preply
    A ranking of the top 15 commonly hacked passwords in Singapore. PHOTO: Preply

    The research also revealed that 96 per cent of the most commonly hacked passwords are under 10 characters, which shows how short, easily guessable combinations are commonly used.

    Passwords that mix letters and numbers, like 'qwerty123' and 'abc123', aren’t secure either. These common combinations are found in millions of breaches, showing that predictable patterns are still easily cracked.

  • Bryan Lim

    VIDEO: Superman trailer released, James Gunn shares his vision and inspiration for the film

    PHOTO: Screengrab from YouTube/DC
    PHOTO: Screengrab from YouTube/DC

    The teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Superman reboot (again) has dropped.

    It has garnered 18 million views on YouTube after just 14 hours of being released, and many are cautiously hopeful for James Gunn's vision of the film.

    After all, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has faced a rocky journey on the silver screen before the filmmaker (who has directed the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Suicide Squad) took over the reins for the reboot.

    Gunn has said that the new Superman film will launch the new DC Universe and from the trailer, you can tell that things are different.

    This isn't another origin story, Superman (played by David Corenswet) has been established, and the Man of Steel is being dropped into a world inhabited by other DC heroes – cue Hawkgirl, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Krypto (such a good boy), and Mister Terrific.

    Gunn explained, "We’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. He has friends who are other superheroes. He has people he doesn’t get along as well with who are other superheroes. He has a lot of the things that we love from the Superman comics that we haven’t been able to see as much of in filmed media, and definitely haven’t been able to see in a grounded way, which is what I hope we’ve created."

    To find out more about what Gunn has to reveal about the Superman film following the teaser trailer release, read here.

  • Bryan Lim

    Singaporeans travelling to South Korea can skip ETA till end-2025

    South Korea extends ETA waiver for Singaporean travellers till end-2025. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    South Korea extends ETA waiver for Singaporean travellers till end-2025. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    South Korea has extended its electronic travel authorisation (ETA) waiver for nationals of 22 countries and regions, including Singapore, until end 2025.

    The Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation, or K-ETA, is an entry requirement for visa-free travellers. Each application costs 10,000 won (S$9) and is valid for three years. It must be obtained at least 24 hours before your flight.

    Singaporean travellers have been exempted from obtaining a K-ETA since April 2023.

    The extension was announced in a notice published on 11 Dec, on the website of South Korea's Ministry of Justice. The ministry said that the temporary exemption period will be extended from 1 Jan, 2025 to 31 Dec, 2025 to "stimulate the tourism industry".

    "The countries/regions that are currently exempt from K-ETA are subject to this extension," the notice read.

  • Bryan Lim

    FairPrice Group extends daily discount schemes into 2025

    FairPrice Group will be extending its discount schemes into 2025 as part of their commitment to supporting families and individuals in need. (PHOTO: FairPrice Group)
    FairPrice Group will be extending its discount schemes into 2025 as part of their commitment to supporting families and individuals in need. (PHOTO: FairPrice Group)

    FairPrice Group (FPG) announced on Thursday (19 Dec) that it'll extend its daily discount schemes into 2025.

    This includes the discount scheme for Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Orange cardholders, which was piloted in October 2024. FPG is the first retailer to extend a discount scheme for CHAS Orange cardholders, whose total gross household monthly income per family member living together ranges from S$1,501 - S$2,300.

    FPG's existing Pioneer Generation (PG), Merdeka Generation (MG), and CHAS Blue discount schemes will also continue to run across all FairPrice stores and Unity outlets till 31 Dec 2025.

    To benefit from these discount schemes, eligible customers just need to present either their physical or digital (through the Singpass app) membership cards (PG, MG, CHAS Blue or Orange card) to cashiers upon checking out their purchases.

    At self-checkout counters, customers must select the relevant discount option to apply it to their purchases. These discounts are valid for up to S$200 per transaction per day.

    A list of FPG's discount schemes. (PHOTO: FairPrice Group)
    A list of FPG's discount schemes. (PHOTO: FairPrice Group)

    Vipul Chawla, Group CEO, FairPrice Group, said: "Even as stubborn inflation begins to ease, many in Singapore still face challenges with accessing daily essentials. By extending our daily discount schemes – including our newly launched, first-of-its-kind CHAS Orange cardholder discount initiative – we want to do our part in helping vulnerable Singaporeans stretch their dollar further.

    "Our initiatives in the months to come will focus on making every day a little better for those we serve, by delivering on our mission of keeping daily essentials within reach for all."

  • Bryan Lim

    Passenger left behind as Scoot flight leaves 90 minutes earlier than expected

    A passenger was left behind when a Scoot flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur departed early. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    A passenger was left behind when a Scoot flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur departed early. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    A passenger was left behind when a Scoot flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur departed 90 minutes ahead of schedule from Changi Airport on 1 Nov.

    Scoot flight TR456 was originally scheduled to depart for Kuala Lumpur at 4.50am but was rescheduled to 3.21am due to “operational reasons", the airlines told The Straits Times on 19 Dec.

    There was no confirmation on whether it had informed passengers about the retimed flight well in advance. The airline also didn't disclose how many passengers failed to make the 3.21am flight.

    It said that all passengers who failed to make the retimed flight were rescheduled for Singapore Airlines Flight SQ104, which left for Kuala Lumpur at 7.04am on the same day.

    The airline said, "We sincerely apologise to all affected customers for the disruption and inconvenience caused."

    According to a Stomp report, at least one passenger was left behind. He said, "I constantly checked the departure time using the SG Flight Info app. It remained at 4.50am."

    However, he "panicked" when he arrived at an empty departure gate and ran to "the nearest departure gate that was open” to seek help.

    To find out how Scoot dealt with the stranded passenger, read here.

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