SINGAPORE - In order to combat digital threats from bad actors, Singapore’s cyber-security watchdog will have greater oversight over any computer system that is critical to the nation and at high risk of cyber attacks.
The Bill, passed on May 7, also encompasses temporary systems set up to support the distribution of vaccines or to host key international summits and other high-profile events.
Separately, more than 10 questions were asked in Parliament on road safety enforcement efforts in the aftermath of a fatal crash in Tampines that resulted in two deaths and drew a public outcry.
In 2023, the number of fatal road accidents went up by 12 per cent from 2019.
Here are the key takeaways:
12 per cent rise in fatal road accidents from 2019 to 2023
There were 131 fatal road accidents in 2023, a 12 per cent increase from 117 in 2019, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
The top causes of such accidents between 2019 and 2023 were drivers’ failure to keep a proper lookout and their failure to control their vehicles adequately, he said.
Annually, an average of 29 fatal accidents, or 27 per cent, were speeding-related, added Associate Professor Faishal.
These statistics from the Home Affairs Ministry were shared in Parliament in response to questions from MPs following a fatal crash in Tampines that killed a woman, 57, and a 17-year-old junior college student on April 22.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said there were no accidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities from 2019 to 2023 at the junction in Tampines where the crash happened.
Why it matters:
The fatal accident in Tampines in April made headlines and drew a public outcry.
A 42-year-old driver of a black car, who was caught on dashboard camera footage allegedly sideswiping a white car before a junction, was handed four charges, including dangerous driving causing death.
According to the Traffic Police’s annual statistics report, traffic accidents claimed the lives of 136 people in 2023, a 25.9 per cent jump from the 108 deaths in 2022. This is the highest since 2016, when there were 141 deaths.
The report, released in February, also showed increases in the number of fatal accidents involving speeding, drink driving and running the red light.
Additionally, since the start of 2024, at least four traffic accidents have involved children.
Questions have since been raised in Parliament on enforcement efforts to prevent such accidents from happening, as well as the causes of such accidents.
New law expands the authorities’ oversight of critical computer systems
The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill will require owners of critical information infrastructure (CII) to disclose cyber incidents as long as their services are affected. These include outages or attacks within their own premises and, soon, even those within their supply chain.
When the changes are in force, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) can impose similar regulations on operators that are deemed to run “systems of temporary cyber-security concern”, such as computers behind high-key international events here, which can be targeted by bad actors, said Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary.
CSA can also regulate under two new categories entities that may not be deemed critical, but hold sensitive information key to Singapore’s interests.
These entities – dubbed foundational digital infrastructure or entities of special cyber-security interest, which can include autonomous universities – will be subject to “light touch” regulations, said Dr Janil.
Why it matters:
The changes seek to ensure regulators are not blindsided by the rising trend of third-party cloud service providers and outsourced digital services.
Dr Janil said the definition of “computers” will be expanded to include virtual systems that are increasing in usage.
CII owners have the option of moving to commercial cloud solutions, such as those offered by Amazon Web Services or Alibaba Cloud, while still bearing responsibility for any cyber-security lapses. In turn, they must make clear to third-party vendors that they have to comply with Singapore’s rules.
CSA also seeks to regulate computers behind high-key events like large-scale vaccine distributions or international summits, as they have often been targeted by fraudsters.
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Patients to be charged retroactively for upgrading from lower- to higher-class ward
If a patient stays in a lower-class ward in public hospitals to secure more subsidies for treatments and then upgrades to a higher-class ward later, the level of subsidies will be adjusted retroactively, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
This move aims to discourage patients from selecting lower ward classes to secure more subsidies for more costly treatments – such as surgery and treatment in the intensive care unit – at the beginning of their stay, and then switching to higher ward classes once these treatments are completed.
Many of these patients are not of lower income and could have chosen the higher ward class from the outset. That is why if a patient upgrades, the level of subsidies will be adjusted retroactively, Mr Ong said.
In April, two readers had written to The Straits Times Forum to say it is unfair to charge retroactively when a patient transfers from a lower-class ward to a higher-class one.
Flexi-work rules alone will not result in jobs here being outsourced
New rules on flexible work arrangement requests will not on their own erode Singapore’s competitiveness and cause jobs to be shifted elsewhere.
There is already a prevailing global trend to outsource roles abroad based on business needs, and Singaporeans need to keep their skills relevant and productivity high to remain competitive, said Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang.
Ms Gan, who is also Minister of State for Education, was responding to questions eight MPs filed on the guidelines’ economic impact and safeguards against errant employers, among other topics.
“We should not pretend that without flexible work arrangements, there’ll be less offshoring,” Ms Gan said in a subsequent exchange with Ms Cheryl Chan (East Coast GRC).
Nominated MP Raj Joshua Thomas sought to clarify what employers should do if workers under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) opt for a flexi-load arrangement with lower salary for less time worked. The model sets out minimum pay for various job levels in certain sectors and occupations.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, who joined the exchange, said the spirit of the PWM should shape how employers implement the upcoming guidelines.
