CNA Explains: What are the implications of Singapore unmaski...

SINGAPORE: The government said over the weekend that it will be changing the practice of masking National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers, which means citizen's NRIC numbers may be publicly known. It had intended to make the change only after explaining to citizens the rationale but before it could do so, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) went ahead and launched a new portal with a search function that produced people's names and full NRIC numbers, raising concern and anxiety on the ground. The NRIC is a document which Singaporeans have to register for within a year of turning 15, or when someone becomes a citizen or permanent resident, mandated under the National Registration Act of 1965. Those born before the year 2000 have NRIC numbers prefixed with "S", while those born after the turn of the millennium have NRIC numbers starting with "T". For thos...