Question:
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many people have been caught with a forged Singapore identity card (IC) or a forged Singapore passport in the past three years; (b) whether there is a rising trend of such cases; and (c) how does the Ministry intend to tackle the rise in forged ICs and passports which are being offered on anonymous messaging applications such as Telegram.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. From 2019 to 2021, the number of persons convicted for the possession of forged identity cards and forged passports was 51 and five respectively. There has not been a rising trend of such cases.
2. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, or ICA, monitors online platforms for possible abuse of ICA-issued documents. It is aware of chat groups on online messaging platforms which advertise the sale of forged ICs and passports. ICA will take enforcement action wherever possible.
3. Anyone with information on persons or platforms claiming to sell forged documents may also inform ICA through its website.
4. ICA would like to remind the public that the possession of forged ICs and passports are offences under the National Registration Act and Passports Act respectively. If convicted, offenders are liable for a fine not exceeding $10,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or both.
