INSOLVENCY AND PUBLIC TRUSTEE'S OFFICE (Publishing of personal information)

INSOLVENCY AND PUBLIC TRUSTEE'S OFFICE

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(Publishing of personal information): **

1.

Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law if he will direct the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office not to publish full names and identity card (IC) numbers in the newspapers so as to protect the privacy of personal information such as IC numbers.

Prof. Jayakumar: By its nature, bankruptcy proceedings have to be conducted in public view with no uncertainty over the identity of the persons involved.

When a person is adjudged a bankrupt, the Official Assignee who administers the bankrupt's estate has a duty to advertise the bankruptcy of the person with his full name and NRIC No. for a number of reasons. Firstly, it would enable persons holding on to the bankrupt's assets to ascertain the bankrupt's identity and surrender these assets to the Official Assignee for distribution to the creditors. Secondly, it serves to inform the creditors and the general public not to extend any fresh or further credit to the bankrupt or to enter into any transactions with the bankrupt which may be set aside or be made void to the detriment of the lender. Thirdly, it will ensure that persons with similar names are not wrongly identified as being insolvent and dealt with as such by other parties.

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