NATIONAL REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read. 12.43 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, in February 1988, the Minister for Home Affairs announced that new identity cards (ICs) will be issued to replace existing ICs which were first introduced more than 20 years ago. This new identity card will have several superior features compared to existing ICs.

Sir, as announced previously, the new IC will be of credit card size. This will overcome the difficulty experienced by many IC holders when trying to fit ICs into their wallets. Some people are known to bend or, worse, trim the existing IC to fit their wallet. The new IC will have the holder's photograph, thumbprint and personal particulars engraved on the card through a high-tech laser engraving process. This will prevent tampering of the IC by substituting the photograph, an offence which has been detected with existing ICs. The new IC will be made of a more durable plastic material. Unlike existing ICs, it will not become water-stained or discoloured after prolonged use. Furthermore, the new IC will be machine-readable, thus reducing paper work when the card holder approaches certain Government departments for services.

Sir, we also announced in February 1988 that a new re-registration age will be introduced. At present, IC holders have their first IC issued at the age of 12 and replaced at age 17. The photograph taken at age 17 remains in the IC as long as the holder does not replace the IC. However, people's facial features do change significantly after the age of 17. The Ministry of Health has advised my Ministry that a person's facial features will stabilise at about the age of 30. Hence, the new re-registration age will be at 30 years.

Sir, it has taken my Ministry several years to find a suitable replacement for the existing ICs. The search and evaluation of an alternative identification document system took some time because we want a reliable technology which can offer a more secure and durable IC. The search is now over and my Ministry has, in August this year, contracted for the supply of a new IC system which will meet all our requirements.

Members will also recall that in the Addendum to the President's Address at the Opening of the Second Session of the Seventh Parliament on 7th June this year, the Minister for Home Affairs informed the House that new ICs will be introduced this year. To do so, we need to amend certain provisions of the National Registration Act.

Sir, I will now highlight some of these amendments. Sir, clause 4 of the Bill is to enable the conversion exercise to begin at a specified date which will be announced later this year. This conversion exercise is expected to take three to five years. During the exercise, holders of existing ICs will be required to convert their old ICs to the new ICs. We will mount a public information campaign to prepare and inform the public on how to convert their ICs. To make it convenient for people, NRIC holders will be able to replace their existing ICs at community centres within their constituencies. School children due for registration will be issued with new ICs at their schools. More details on the conversion exercise will be released by my Ministry at a later date.

Sir, clause 10 of the Bill also empowers the Minister to make regulations to provide for a new re-registration age at 30 years. As I explained earlier, this will enable IC holders to have a more accurate photograph on their ICs.

Sir, the Bill will also make certain offences, such as failure to report change of address or submit returns, compoundable up to a maximum sum of $200. New offences, such as mutilation or destruction of NRICs and refusal to surrender NRICs, are created. In the latter case, ie, the refusal to surrender NRICs, it will apply to people whose NRICs have been cancelled. They will be required to surrender their ICs to the Commissioner. Presently, this is a loophole as persons who had ceased to be citizens or permanent residents can continue to use their ICs to claim privileges for which they are no longer entitled. These new offences are subject to the same penalties of $5,000 fine or 5 years' imprisonment or both as for existing offences. Penalties in force since 1966 for certain serious offences will be enhanced to deter persons from committing these offences. Hence, penalties for forging, tampering and unlawful issue or sale of NRICs will be enhanced to $10,000 fine or 10 years' imprisonment or both.

Sir, finally, a minor amendment to the National Registration Act is at clause 6. This is to extend the period allowed for people to report their change of address from 14 days to 28 days. This should make it more convenient for people who have to report a change of address.

Question proposed.

Encik Zulkifli bin Mohammed (Eunos GRC): Sir, I support this Bill on the need for converting the existing laminated identity cards to credit-size identity cards which, as the Minister has explained, will be of superior quality and also on the need for re-registration at age 30 years.

Sir, as a developing and progressive nation, it is only logical that we should take advantage of current technology to make improvements and, in this instance, to a system that was introduced 24 years ago. Although the Minister has given the assurance that the conversion exercise will be carried out smoothly and as efficiently as possible with minimum inconvenience, it is inevitable that there will still be a fair amount of public anxiety. Knowing that the IC is an important personal document, some fear that the law may catch up with them should they inadvertently fail to comply with certain requirements.

With this in mind, Sir, I have some clarifications to seek from the Minister. Taking into account that the conversion exercise will involve mass re-registration, will the publicity campaign to be embarked upon in due course provide adequately the relevant details that the general public would like to know? Secondly, Sir, bearing in mind that existing identity cards will become invalid after a certain cut-off date, what provisions have been made for Singapore citizens who are abroad to convert their existing identity cards? Finally, Sir, whether any charges will be levied for replacement in the event of loss, damage or defaced identity cards after the conversion exercise has been completed? Sir, I would appreciate the Minister's comments on these matters.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Cheng San GRC): Sir, I fully support the amendment Bill, but I would just like to ask one very small point. Given what the Senior Minister of State has said, which includes re-registration, publicity exercise, a new type of card and new machinery, I find it very difficult to believe what is said in page 6 of the Bill that "This Bill will not involve the Government in any extra financial expenditure." Perhaps the Senior Minister of State would like to comment on that statement.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, first of all, I would like to thank both Members for supporting this Bill which will give effect to the proposed change of NRIC. On the question raised by Mr Zulkifli on the details that would be made available to the public to guide them on the conversion, let me assure Members of the House that we will make every relevant detail public so that people who need to change their ICs will know exactly when and what to do. They should not in any way be inconvenienced through a lack of information.

Mr Zulkifli also asked what provisions will be made for those who are away from Singapore during the re-registration exercise. For those who are not in Singapore and are away, then on their return to Singapore, they can proceed to the National Registration Office and provide documents to show that they have been away either on work or study or they have been residing abroad during the period of the re-registration exercise. With this evidence, the NRO will carry out a conversion for them at any time when they have returned to Singapore. So people who are abroad need not worry that they would be running foul of the law by not being able to register when the conversion exercise is being carried out in their constituency. They will be given the opportunity to do so on their return.

Sir, the final question raised by Mr Zulkifli is: what are the charges for those who have to apply for a replacement IC should they lose the existing IC? With the new plastic credit card size ICs, those who apply for a replacement will have to pay a higher cost as compared to the present. The new cost will be $20 for a replacement IC. For those who subsequently lose their IC and have to apply for a replacement, there will be a surcharge levied on them which will increase each time they report a loss and a replacement is necessary. The reason is that we want people to take greater care of their ICs and not to treat this very important identification document casually so that they would be reminded by way of a heavier charge when they have to replace their lost ICs on more than one occasion.

Finally, Mr Heng's question on extra expenditure. Let me assure Mr Heng that it will cost the Government quite a large sum to embark on this exercise but the amount has already been budgeted for. As I indicated in my speech, the contract has already been signed in August of this year. So all the financial provisions for the conversion to the new credit card-size ICs have already been budgeted for.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.