There is another group of people who are at a disadvantage when looking for a job: Those who have loans or credit card bills, and have difficulty paying them, but are not necessarily bankrupt ("Restrict employers' right to ask for job seekers' criminal history" by Mr Francis Cheng; July 26).

A friend who worked in a government agency was investigated for a false allegation. But before the investigation was over, his employment was terminated simply because he had huge debts which he had struggled to service.

My cousin used to work in a bank, in a position that did not involve handling money.

But the bank requested a credit report from Credit Bureau Singapore or from business information provider Dun & Bradstreet.

My cousin was not bankrupt, and was paying his debts, but the report showed that his debt was a huge one. He decided to resign.

Credit reports can make or break a person's job search. It can be used to discriminate against employees.

Shah Pakri