FAILURE TO REPORT CHANGE OF ADDRESS

FAILURE TO REPORT CHANGE OF ADDRESS: 14.

Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many people have been convicted for failing to report their change of addresses to the National Registration Office during the past five years; (b) what are the common reasons for their failing to so report; and (c) what action has been taken against people who use their identity cards with old addresses to borrow money from illegal moneylenders.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, under section 8 of the National Registration Act, a NRIC holder is required to report his change of place of residence within 28 days. Over the last five years, 250 persons have been convicted under this section.

Sir, Police does not track the reasons for people failing to report change of address. Anecdotal feedback, however, suggests that the common reasons are:

(i) the lack of knowledge of legal requirements;

(ii) this was overlooked because of busy work schedule;

(iii) person is living on a temporary basis outside the residential address because of family or marital problems; or

(iv) person has no fixed place of abode.

Sir, Police is aware that there are debtors who intentionally avoid changing their address so as to evade loansharks.

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As such, while conducting operations against unlicensed moneylenders, Police will also investigate debtors who fail to report the change of their residence or who abuse the change of address facility.

Sir, to reduce the likelihood of innocent households being harassed by unlicensed moneylending syndicates due to abuse of the change of address system, ICA is undertaking a review of the existing procedures for reporting the change of address to deter abuse. We will announce the details after the review is completed. In the meantime, those who have evidence or reasons to believe that someone has wrongfully used their addresses should lodge a report with ICA or the Police so that the authorities can look into the matter.