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Straits Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle
Find out what's new on ST website and app. SINGAPORE – The Gunners have landed. English Premier League giants Arsenal arrived in Singapore on the afternoon of July 20, kickstarting their pre-season tour in Asia. They have settled in the eastern corner of Sentosa – at W Singapore hotel – ahead of friendly matches against Italian side AC Milan (July 23) and fellow EPL outfit Newcastle United (July 27) at the National Stadium. Manager Mikel Arteta, who captained the Arsenal team during their 2015 outing to Singapore, is here with a 30-man squad which features fan favourites such as Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta signing autographs for fans at W Singapore hotel on July 20. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The travelling squad also includes new signings Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga. But notably missing was winger Noni Madueke, who just joined from Chelsea on July 18 after being part of the Blues' Club World Cup campaign. A crowd of about 50 fans, many donning jerseys and holding umbrellas, braved the unrelenting heat to catch glimpses of their favourites players as they arrived at the hotel. Arsenal's Bukayo Saka taking photos with fans at W Singapore hotel on July 20. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi signing autographs for fans at W Singapore hotel on July 20. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Vaishnavi, 28, and sisters Diyana Amir, 27, and Erina Amir, 21, had their arms perched atop the barricades in anticipation since 1.30pm. While dabbing droplets of sweat from her brow, Erina said: 'I'm looking forward to meet David Raya the most. He's one of the goalkeepers that have really come into the spotlight recently and he has been so promising.' The sisters first met Vaishnavi, who goes by one name, while supporting Arsenal's youth team at the Lion City Cup in Singapore in 2013, and watched matches together when the senior team visited in 2015 and 2018. 'It's been a very long time since we've seen them in Singapore, so we're really looking forward to this week,' Erina added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences Singapore 2-in-1 airport police robot on trial can patrol and serve as PMD with ride-hailing feature Asia Tearful relatives await news of victims in Vietnam boat capsize Singapore ComfortDelDro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore Asia Over 380,000 people affected by autogate glitch at JB checkpoint over 2 days Singapore Minor Issues: Why I didn't send my daughters to my brand-name primary school The two matches are part of the Singapore Festival of Football at the National Stadium, where fans can also watch Arsenal's players go through their paces in an open training session on July 25. Tickets for all three events are available on Ticketek . Arsenal last visited Singapore in 2018 for the International Champions Cup, where they faced Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid.
Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Singapore's largest Lego mural to celebrate SG60 unveiled at National Museum of Singapore
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The mural is one of many Lego builds showcased in the museum's new showcase - Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick. SINGAPORE - Visitors to the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) can view the country's biggest Lego mural from July 18 to August 9 - and even lend a hand to complete it. More than 7 metres long and 2 metres tall , the mural is one of many Lego builds showcased in the museum's new showcase, Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick. Other pieces include a large-scale model of iconic Singapore landmarks throughout history and favourite local dishes such as chilli crab or nonya kueh. The mural was assembled by Lego before it was sent to be displayed at the museum. The showcase also includes eight Lego artworks by students of the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), a non-profit organisation to assist the Chinese community. During the showcase's unveiling on July 17, the mural was certified by the Singapore Book of Records to be the largest Lego mural created here . Visitors will be able to complete the final section of the mural, an unfinished depiction of Singapore's unique shophouses , by adding bricks or having their digital artwork flashed on an interactive screen. Children can also try making their builds inside a Lego play box or craft a Lego orchid as a free take-home memento of their visit. 'As Singapore's oldest museum, we have always believed that history should not simply be preserved, but reimagined and retold in ways that resonate with the old and young,' said Ms Chung May Khuen, the museum's director . The Lego displays are part of a series of activities by the museum , running from July 18 to August 9, to celebrate Singapore's 60th birthday. Other items on the programme include the return of its National Day Light-up, a light show projected on the museum's facade. Nightly from 7:30pm to midnight, visitors can unwind on the museum's front lawn and watch Singapore's journey through the years told with mesmerising lights and colours. Canvas of Light: Our Nation's Journey, seen during a media preview at the National Museum on July 17. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The festivities will culminate on August 9 with a full day of National Day celebration programmes. Activities will be on all four levels of the museum, each representing a line from the 1987 National Day Parade theme song, We Are Singapore. Other highlights include a coloring competition using a template created by CDAC and a workshop where participants can build a tongkang – a traditional cargo boat that once filled Singapore's docks. Visitors can also take pictures at a photobooth built into a mirror. Families can also gather on the museum's front lawn for a picnic and a live screening of the National Day Parade 2025 from 5.30pm onwards. Admission to the Stories of Singapore: Building Our Heritage, Brick by Brick showcase is free of charge. All visitors including tourists will get free admission to the National Museum on 9 August 2025. Interested visitors can find out more at the National Museum's Facebook and Instagram pages.
New Paper
12-07-2025
- General
- New Paper
Meet the new king of the hill: How weather and hype are shaping the future of durians
Like most monarchs, the king of fruit resides in a lush, sprawling estate, tended to by a fleet of courtiers eagerly anticipating its every need. At the beginning of June, all is quiet in this particular royal nursery in the Malaysian town of Bekok. Dogs scamper between the trees and sunlight filters through in irregular beams, illuminating patches of grass where fallen durians, small and shrivelled, lie in the ignominy of unrealised potential. Had they hung on for a few more weeks, their fall might have been cushioned by nets, strung up between the trees to catch the precious cargo. But the harvest is not yet ripe for the picking. Fruit on a durian tree at VS Farms in Bekok, Johor, in early June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This durian season is shaping up to be slower than usual, the winds of change already whistling through the trees. Erratic weather has dampened the harvest, and new varieties - available only in limited quantities for now - jostle for space in the soil. The Straits Times heads across the border to find out how one farmer is preparing for the upcoming harvest. Raining on their parade Mr Chin Kuan Voon is the third-generation owner of VS Farms. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The real king of the hill, 41-year-old Chin Kuan Voon, inspects his 20.2ha estate with cautious optimism. He is the third-generation owner of VS Farms, which was founded by his grandfather in the 1950s. Like his predecessors, Mr Chin spends most of the year waiting for July to roll around. This is when durian farmers like him enjoy a big windfall, raking in enough to live off for the rest of the year. In the meantime, he does what he can to prepare. In the trees, workers perch with practised precision as they strap branches to trunks to prevent durians from falling prematurely. Organic fertiliser is packed into the ground. Fruit that do not pass muster are lobbed off, so precious nutrients are redirected to the most promising buds. A VS Farms worker tying the branches of a tree to make sure its fruits do not fall prematurely. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG As Mr Chin shows us around the farm, we come across a decapitated 30-year-old tree, flanked by the remnants of its broken branches. The farmer points to the grim scene and shakes his head. "What a pity. It's not easy to grow a 30-year-old tree." Strong winds have battered the plantation, felling four trees in the last three months. The rain, too, has been more erratic. "The weather used to be more predictable. We knew when in the year it would rain, but lately, it's raining all the time. From last year till this year, the rain hasn't stopped," he adds. The consistent downpour washes away a good chunk of Mr Chin's profits. He is expecting a smaller harvest in 2025, with a 40 per cent lower yield, by his estimates - a drop that could send durian prices creeping up by 10 to 15 per cent. Mr Chin is expecting a smaller harvest in 2025. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Other durian farmers like Mr Eric Yeap, a 46-year-old who runs seven plantations spanning a combined 53.4ha across Penang, are also bracing themselves for a leaner year, with the 2025 total falling 30 per cent from that of 2024. While early results have fallen below expectations, durian sellers in Singapore are anticipating lower prices and better-quality fruit as the season kicks into high gear. Mr Richard Go, the 50-year-old founder of Rich Star Durian in Geylang, is looking forward to the concurrent peak in the Johor and Pahang harvests, which industry insiders expect to trigger a price drop of 20 to 30 per cent. Mr Zen Ho, 42, owner of Punggol wholesaler Durian Empire, is also expecting a similar decrease. Workers unloading durians from a truck at 99 Old Trees Durian parlour in Outram. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY There is one curious upside to rogue weather. In addition to July, farmers like Mr Chin now enjoy a small bonus harvest in January too. According to Mr Tan Hai Jie, 40, general manager of Outram parlour 99 Old Trees Durian, the taste of this batch is comparable with the mid-year crop. "Because the weather is becoming hotter and hotter, we can harvest durians in January as well. Durians can flower only in hot weather. In the past, say, five years ago, the durian season was only during July," Mr Chin says. "But the weather patterns change every five years, so maybe in a few years, we'll have durians all year round." Why the Tupai King is not yet in Singapore Fruit on a durian tree at VS Farms in Bekok, Johor, in early June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Durians are shielded by formidable armour, tough as nails and studded with menacing spikes. Yet, climate change has slipped past the fruit's natural garrison, sinking its claws into the gustatory make-up of the durian's soft flesh. The once-popular D24, for instance, fell from favour among Mr Chin's clients after extreme weather, oscillating between very hot and very rainy, hardened its flesh. "When the weather is cool, D24 is delicious. But out of five or six baskets, I can use only around two durians. A lot of Malaysians don't like it because the flesh is very hard. It doesn't get enough water," says Mr Chin. The Mao Shan Wang, on the other hand, is hardier, and can survive the vagaries of climate change while retaining its signature bittersweet creaminess, he adds. Still, Ms Charlene Heng, 40, co-founder of Stirling Road parlour Durian Kia, has found that maintaining consistent quality - even among Mao Shan Wang durians - proves a challenge, with irregular rainfall resulting in uneven ripeness. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most highly sought-after durians in Singapore. Mr Chin propagates healthy durian trees by attaching young, productive stems to old trunks. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This is why Mr Chin, who grows more than 35 varieties of durian, is concentrating his efforts and resources on the three most popular profiles: Mao Shan Wang, Black Thorn and the elusive rising star, the Tupai King. New trees are grown from seeds of this variety and old ones are converted into trees that bear their qualities. To demonstrate, he leads us to a flourishing Mao Shan Wang tree and snips off a thin branch with several leaves and buds sprouting from it. Next, he makes his way over to a balding tree devoid of durians and hacks away at its bark. Carving a triangle-shaped incision into the red wood beneath, he prises it open to reveal the white core of the trunk. Into this opening is pressed the stem of the healthier Mao Shan Wang plant, bound to its new host with tape and plastic. If all goes according to plan, a new branch will start sprouting in three weeks and will, in time, bear Mao Shan Wang durians. Mr Chin demonstrating the process of budding, a method of plant propagation, at his farm in Bekok. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Mao Shan Wang seeds are very small, so this is the more efficient way of obtaining its prized fruit, he explains. In 2025, however, this perennially popular durian is facing stiff competition from a younger upstart. The new pretender to the throne is the Tupai King, a variety discovered in Penang around 20 years ago by Malaysian farmer Chew Chee Wan. It was registered with the country's Agriculture Department in 2021 under the name Tupai 226. Despite its rugged appearance, it fetches a pretty penny: Mr Chew sells it for around RM120 (S$36) a kilogram, more than twice what he charges for Black Thorn or Mao Shan Wang (both RM55). Singaporeans may have to wait a bit longer to taste it on home soil, though. Penang farmer Mr Yeap, who has 50 Tupai King trees - out of 2,000 trees - does not export his most expensive product to Singapore because the eight-hour journey from Penang will affect its quality. Neither does Mr Chew, 57, who has his hands full with domestic reservations and no Tupai King durians left to spare. Mr Chin is also holding back for now, because his Tupai Kings are not mature or attractive enough. It is for this reason that many Singapore retailers have decided to give this rising star a miss. "Generally, Tupai King is good only when it is harvested from old tree farms. However, right now, there are a lot of Tupai Kings grown on younger trees, which are not as flavourful and rich as the more mature fruits," says Mr Edwin Ng, 40, co-owner of Vlack Durians in Bukit Batok. Ms Heng adds that such durians are too pricey and difficult to source at the moment. "It may be better to wait until supply improves and prices reach a more reasonable level to match demand." She also warns customers not to let hype cloud their judgment. Some of the durians available here may not be the genuine article even if they bear the "Tupai King" label. Most parlours in Singapore do not stock the rare Tupai King variety. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY The new durian is prized for its unique flavour profile: bittersweet depth, nutty undertones and subtle fermented notes. It is not much harder to grow than Mao Shan Wang, and durian aficionados like Mr Chin and Mr Tan were not blown away by its taste. So, why is it so much more expensive? "Marketing" is Mr Chin's simple answer. That, and the fact that there is just a handful of these varieties on the market, as most farmers started cultivating this durian only in recent years. Though the durian - which can fetch up to RM200 - could become his new golden goose, Mr Chin is not about to convert all his trees into Tupai King hybrids. "You can't just sell expensive durians. You need to give people variety." His personal favourite is any durian grown on an old tree - in other words, one that has been around for over a decade - and consumed on-site, in the balmy serenity of his farm, which he insists makes a difference. To prove his point, a Mao Shan Wang durian is cracked open and fresh golden squares parcelled out. As promised, this durian is perfumed with an alcoholic kick that typically evaporates after an hours-long journey transports the fruit to the city, with its hotter, drier climate. Try it for yourself this August. Non-profit group My Community is organising a 12½-hour tour to Mr Chin's farm as part of its annual festival (go to The organisation wants to help Singaporeans better understand the genesis of this beloved fruit. "It's an opportunity for us to understand how the farming process works. Maybe then we'll appreciate the work of the farmers a bit more and think twice before wasting fruit," says My Community founder Kwek Li Yong, 35.
Straits Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
The rise of Tupai King, the rage of weather: How durian season is changing
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Fresh durian at the 99 Old Trees Durian farm in Bekok, Johor, in early June. JOHOR/SINGAPORE – Like most monarchs, the king of fruit resides in a lush, sprawling estate, tended to by a fleet of courtiers eagerly anticipating its every need. At the beginning of June, all is quiet in this particular royal nursery in the Malaysian town of Bekok. Dogs scamper between the trees and sunlight filters through in irregular beams, illuminating patches of grass where fallen durians, small and shrivelled, lie in the ignominy of unrealised potential. Had they hung on for a few more weeks, their fall might have been cushioned by nets, strung up between the trees to catch the precious cargo. But the harvest is not yet ripe for the picking. Fruit on a durian tree at VS Farms in Bekok, Johor, in early June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This durian season is shaping up to be slower than usual, the winds of change already whistling through the trees. Erratic weather has dampened the harvest, and new varieties – available only in limited quantities for now – jostle for space in the soil. The Straits Times heads across the border to find out how one farmer is preparing for the upcoming harvest. Raining on their parade Mr Chin Kuan Voon is the third-generation owner of VS Farms. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The real king of the hill, 41-year-old Chin Kuan Voon, inspects his 20.2ha estate with cautious optimism. He is the third-generation owner of VS Farms, which was founded by his grandfather in the 1950s. Like his predecessors, Mr Chin spends most of the year waiting for July to roll around. This is when durian farmers like him enjoy a big windfall, raking in enough to live off for the rest of the year. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Fruit that do not pass muster are lobbed off, so precious nutrients are redirected to the most promising buds. A VS Farms worker tying the branches of a tree to make sure its fruits do not fall prematurely. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG As Mr Chin shows us around the farm, we come across a decapitated 30-year-old tree, flanked by the remnants of its broken branches. The farmer points to the grim scene and shakes his head. 'What a pity. It's not easy to grow a 30-year-old tree.' Strong winds have battered the plantation, felling four trees in the last three months. The rain, too, has been more erratic. 'The weather used to be more predictable. We knew when in the year it would rain, but lately, it's raining all the time. From last year till this year, the rain hasn't stopped,' he adds. The consistent downpour washes away a good chunk of Mr Chin's profits. He is expecting a smaller harvest in 2025, with a 40 per cent lower yield, by his estimates – a drop that could send durian prices creeping up by 10 to 15 per cent. Mr Chin is expecting a smaller harvest in 2025. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Other durian farmers like Mr Eric Yeap, a 46-year-old who runs seven plantations spanning a combined 53.4ha across Penang, are also bracing themselves for a leaner year, with the 2025 total falling 30 per cent from that of 2024. While early results have fallen below expectations, durian sellers in Singapore are anticipating lower prices and better-quality fruit as the season kicks into high gear. Mr Richard Go, the 50-year-old founder of Rich Star Durian in Geylang, is looking forward to the concurrent peak in the Johor and Pahang harvests, which industry insiders expect to trigger a price drop of 20 to 30 per cent. Mr Zen Ho, 42, owner of Punggol wholesaler Durian Empire, is also expecting a similar decrease. Workers unloading durians from a truck at 99 Old Trees Durian parlour in Outram. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY There is one curious upside to rogue weather. In addition to July, farmers like Mr Chin now enjoy a small bonus harvest in January too. According to Mr Tan Hai Jie, 40, general manager of Outram parlour 99 Old Trees Durian, the taste of this batch is comparable with the mid-year crop. 'Because the weather is becoming hotter and hotter, we can harvest durians in January as well. Durians can flower only in hot weather. In the past, say, five years ago, the durian season was only during July,' Mr Chin says. 'But the weather patterns change every five years, so maybe in a few years, we'll have durians all year round.' Why the Tupai King is not yet in Singapore Fruit on a durian tree at VS Farms in Bekok, Johor, in early June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Durians are shielded by formidable armour, tough as nails and studded with menacing spikes. Yet, climate change has slipped past the fruit's natural garrison, sinking its claws into the gustatory make-up of the durian's soft flesh. The once-popular D24, for instance, fell from favour among Mr Chin's clients after extreme weather, oscillating between very hot and very rainy, hardened its flesh. 'When the weather is cool, D24 is delicious. But out of five or six baskets, I can use only around two durians. A lot of Malaysians don't like it because the flesh is very hard. It doesn't get enough water,' says Mr Chin. The Mao Shan Wang, on the other hand, is hardier, and can survive the vagaries of climate change while retaining its signature bittersweet creaminess, he adds. Still, Ms Charlene Heng, 40, co-founder of Stirling Road parlour Durian Kia, has found that maintaining consistent quality – even among Mao Shan Wang durians – proves a challenge, with irregular rainfall resulting in uneven ripeness. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most highly sought-after durians in Singapore. Mr Chin propagates healthy durian trees by attaching young, productive stems to old trunks. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG This is why Mr Chin, who grows more than 35 varieties of durian, is concentrating his efforts and resources on the three most popular profiles: Mao Shan Wang, Black Thorn and the elusive rising star, the Tupai King. New trees are grown from seeds of this variety and old ones are converted into trees that bear their qualities. To demonstrate, he leads us to a flourishing Mao Shan Wang tree and snips off a thin branch with several leaves and buds sprouting from it. Next, he makes his way over to a balding tree devoid of durians and hacks away at its bark. Carving a triangle-shaped incision into the red wood beneath, he prises it open to reveal the white core of the trunk. Into this opening is pressed the stem of the healthier Mao Shan Wang plant, bound to its new host with tape and plastic. If all goes according to plan, a new branch will start sprouting in three weeks and will, in time, bear Mao Shan Wang durians. Mr Chin demonstrating the process of budding, a method of plant propagation, at his farm in Bekok. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Mao Shan Wang seeds are very small, so this is the more efficient way of obtaining its prized fruit, he explains. In 2025, however, this perennially popular durian is facing stiff competition from a younger upstart. The new pretender to the throne is the Tupai King, a variety discovered in Penang around 20 years ago by Malaysian farmer Chew Chee Wan. It was registered with the country's Agriculture Department in 2021 under the name Tupai 226. Despite its rugged appearance, it fetches a pretty penny: Mr Chew sells it for around RM120 (S$36) a kilogram, more than twice what he charges for Black Thorn or Mao Shan Wang (both RM55). Singaporeans may have to wait a bit longer to taste it on home soil, though. Penang farmer Mr Yeap, who has 50 Tupai King trees – out of 2,000 trees – does not export his most expensive product to Singapore because the eight-hour journey from Penang will affect its quality. Neither does Mr Chew, 57, who has his hands full with domestic reservations and no Tupai King durians left to spare. Mr Chin is also holding back for now, because his Tupai Kings are not mature or attractive enough. It is for this reason that many Singapore retailers have decided to give this rising star a miss. 'Generally, Tupai King is good only when it is harvested from old tree farms. However, right now, there are a lot of Tupai Kings grown on younger trees, which are not as flavourful and rich as the more mature fruits,' says Mr Edwin Ng, 40, co-owner of Vlack Durians in Bukit Batok. Ms Heng adds that such durians are too pricey and difficult to source at the moment. 'It may be better to wait until supply improves and prices reach a more reasonable level to match demand.' She also warns customers not to let hype cloud their judgment. Some of the durians available here may not be the genuine article even if they bear the 'Tupai King' label. Most parlours in Singapore do not stock the rare Tupai King variety. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY The new durian is prized for its unique flavour profile: bittersweet depth, nutty undertones and subtle fermented notes. It is not much harder to grow than Mao Shan Wang, and durian aficionados like Mr Chin and Mr Tan were not blown away by its taste. So, why is it so much more expensive? 'Marketing' is Mr Chin's simple answer. That, and the fact that there is just a handful of these varieties on the market, as most farmers started cultivating this durian only in recent years. Though the durian – which can fetch up to RM200 – could become his new golden goose, Mr Chin is not about to convert all his trees into Tupai King hybrids. 'You can't just sell expensive durians. You need to give people variety.' His personal favourite is any durian grown on a old tree – in other words, one that has been around for over a decade – and consumed on-site, in the balmy serenity of his farm, which he insists makes a difference. To prove his point, a Mao Shan Wang durian is cracked open and fresh golden squares parcelled out. As promised, this durian is perfumed with an alcoholic kick that typically evaporates after an hours-long journey transports the fruit to the city, with its hotter, drier climate. Try it for yourself this August. Non-profit group My Community is organising a 12½-hour tour to Mr Chin's farm as part of its annual festival (go to ). The organisation wants to help Singaporeans better understand the genesis of this beloved fruit. 'It's an opportunity for us to understand how the farming process works. Maybe then we'll appreciate the work of the farmers a bit more and think twice before wasting fruit,' says My Community founder Kwek Li Yong, 35.
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Private sector urged to stop using NRIC numbers as passwords, with new advisory issued
The Government has been taking steps since January to ensure the proper use of NRIC numbers in the private sector. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Private sector urged to stop using NRIC numbers as passwords, with new advisory issued SINGAPORE - A new guide to stop the use of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers as passwords in the private sector was issued on June 26, with organisations advised to stop this practice 'as soon as possible'. The advisory by the Personal Data Protection Commission and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore has been posted on both their websites, said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) in a statement on June 26 . The Government has been taking steps since January to ensure the proper use of NRIC numbers in the private sector, and is working with the finance, healthcare and telecommunications sectors, among others, in the coming months to develop targeted guidance, the ministry added. Private sector organisations currently may require a person to use their NRIC number as a password to access information intended only for them in certain documents, such as insurance records . This is unsafe because the person's NRIC number may be known to others, allowing others to impersonate them and have access to their personal data or records, MDDI said. This is different from organisations using NRIC numbers to identify a person over the phone or online. Private sector organisations are advised to move away from using full or partial NRIC numbers to authenticate a person's identity 'as soon as possible', MDDI said. This includes stopping the use of NRIC numbers as default passwords or partial NRIC numbers that are combined with a date that is easily obtainable, such as date of birth, in documents like password-protected files sent via e-mail. If it is necessary to authenticate a person, MDDI suggested that organisations use methods such as asking the person to use strong passwords, use a security token or have a fingerprint identification system. 'The government remains committed to protecting citizens' personal data and ensuring its secure use for rightful purposes,' added MDDI. The issue of privacy of NRIC numbers arose in December 2024, when users of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's new Bizfile web portal raised concerns after realising that people could search for and view the full NRIC numbers of others, without having to log in. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
