Lose passport twice? You may not get new one
Lose passport twice? You may not get new one
Tougher penalties introduced to deter abuse of travel document
By Zakir Hussain
STIFFER penalties await those who misuse the Singapore passport under a new law passed yesterday.
For instance, a person who loses his passport at least twice may be denied a new one, a move that formalises a practice that was introduced several years ago, said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng yesterday.
If the person must travel, a temporary travel document will be issued for that specific journey.
Mr Wong said the new law was necessary to safeguard the security and integrity of the highly regarded Singapore passport in today's security environment.
'As the Singapore passport provides easy visa-free access to many countries, it is also an attractive document for abuse,' Mr Wong told Parliament.
New passport offences
# Improper use or possession of a Singapore passport, including selling or trying to sell one.
... more
He said criminals and terrorists have used altered or fake passports to travel. Suspected Bali bombing mastermind Hambali, caught in 2003, reportedly used a fake Spanish passport.
Current efforts against passport abuse have put a lid on the crime, with 74 cases last year against 116 in 2003, added Mr Wong.
But if such abuse was left unchecked, Singaporeans who travel could be inconvenienced as foreign authorities might doubt the authenticity of Singapore passports.
Singapore also had to minimise such abuse as a responsible member of the international community, he added.
Existing penalties were 'grossly inadequate', Mr Wong said.
He cited a case last year when a Singaporean was arrested for selling lost or stolen local and foreign passports to a syndicate.
He was jailed for 15 months for fraudulent possession of property because the law did not provide for the offence of selling passports.
With the new law, such offenders could face a mandatory jail term of two to 15 years plus a fine of up to $20,000.
Earlier, during the debate on the Passports Bill, Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang), chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, opposed the move denying people a passport because they lost theirs more than once.
Some lose it in circumstances beyond their control, such as when overseas, he said.
Mr Alvin Yeo (Hong Kah GRC) said appeals on such refusals should be handled in a fair and transparent manner, with people being told why they were refused a passport.
Replying, Mr Wong said such refusals were put into the law now to make the process more transparent.
People could also appeal. 'If there are good reasons why the passport was lost, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be quite generous...and give them their passport,' he said.
ICA will also be compassionate. 'If they have a good reason to travel, ICA will give them a temporary travel document and that will facilitate the entry into that one country one time,' he added.
Mr Wong noted that this approach has made Singaporeans more careful. The number of lost passports has not risen although more have been issued.
On Dr Teo's suggestion for passports to be valid for 10 years, as they were before 2005, Mr Wong said the five-year validity allows new features to be added quickly.
He noted that under the law, the minister can extend the validity by Gazette. 'We will consider doing this when our passport technology system becomes more stable,' he said.
Tougher penalties introduced to deter abuse of travel document
By Zakir Hussain
STIFFER penalties await those who misuse the Singapore passport under a new law passed yesterday.
For instance, a person who loses his passport at least twice may be denied a new one, a move that formalises a practice that was introduced several years ago, said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng yesterday.
If the person must travel, a temporary travel document will be issued for that specific journey.
Mr Wong said the new law was necessary to safeguard the security and integrity of the highly regarded Singapore passport in today's security environment.
'As the Singapore passport provides easy visa-free access to many countries, it is also an attractive document for abuse,' Mr Wong told Parliament.
New passport offences
# Improper use or possession of a Singapore passport, including selling or trying to sell one.
... more
He said criminals and terrorists have used altered or fake passports to travel. Suspected Bali bombing mastermind Hambali, caught in 2003, reportedly used a fake Spanish passport.
Current efforts against passport abuse have put a lid on the crime, with 74 cases last year against 116 in 2003, added Mr Wong.
But if such abuse was left unchecked, Singaporeans who travel could be inconvenienced as foreign authorities might doubt the authenticity of Singapore passports.
Singapore also had to minimise such abuse as a responsible member of the international community, he added.
Existing penalties were 'grossly inadequate', Mr Wong said.
He cited a case last year when a Singaporean was arrested for selling lost or stolen local and foreign passports to a syndicate.
He was jailed for 15 months for fraudulent possession of property because the law did not provide for the offence of selling passports.
With the new law, such offenders could face a mandatory jail term of two to 15 years plus a fine of up to $20,000.
Earlier, during the debate on the Passports Bill, Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang), chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, opposed the move denying people a passport because they lost theirs more than once.
Some lose it in circumstances beyond their control, such as when overseas, he said.
Mr Alvin Yeo (Hong Kah GRC) said appeals on such refusals should be handled in a fair and transparent manner, with people being told why they were refused a passport.
Replying, Mr Wong said such refusals were put into the law now to make the process more transparent.
People could also appeal. 'If there are good reasons why the passport was lost, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will be quite generous...and give them their passport,' he said.
ICA will also be compassionate. 'If they have a good reason to travel, ICA will give them a temporary travel document and that will facilitate the entry into that one country one time,' he added.
Mr Wong noted that this approach has made Singaporeans more careful. The number of lost passports has not risen although more have been issued.
On Dr Teo's suggestion for passports to be valid for 10 years, as they were before 2005, Mr Wong said the five-year validity allows new features to be added quickly.
He noted that under the law, the minister can extend the validity by Gazette. 'We will consider doing this when our passport technology system becomes more stable,' he said.
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