NRIC Saga: Analysis of SM Teo's Statement
Source: The Straits Times, Published: 2025-03-06 19:20:00
Author: Not Specified
Theme: This article discusses Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean's statement in Parliament regarding the NRIC unmasking saga. It focuses on his stance on holding civil servants accountable for their actions while emphasizing the need for fairness and balance.
Core Points:
- Accountability with Fairness: SM Teo emphasizes that while civil servants involved in the NRIC unmasking incident should be held accountable, the government should not punish them excessively. He advocates for fair and balanced disciplinary actions.
- Avoiding Over-Caution: He recognizes concerns that harsh penalties could lead to public servants being overly cautious and hindering innovation.
- Responsibility of Leaders: He acknowledges that political office-holders like ministers have a responsibility for the organizations under their charge, and the Prime Minister will factor this incident into his evaluation of the relevant ministers.
- Inter-Agency Coordination: He states that interagency coordination needs to be done at the right level. Policy coordination occurs at higher levels, while implementation is handled by respective agencies.
- Vendor Oversight: He acknowledges that vendors are not perfect and can make mistakes but emphasizes that there are processes for selecting and overseeing them. Mistakes made by vendors are considered when awarding future tenders.
- Monitoring Dark Web: The government is monitoring the Dark Web for any illegal sale of NRIC numbers and has not found any evidence of such activity.
Phenomenon: The article discusses the recent incident where full NRIC numbers were mistakenly displayed on the Bizfile portal, causing widespread concern about data security and privacy.
Analysis:
SM Teo's statement reflects a balanced approach to accountability in the public sector. He acknowledges the seriousness of the NRIC unmasking incident and the need to hold individuals responsible. However, he stresses the importance of fairness and proportionality in disciplinary actions, aiming to prevent excessive caution among public servants. The statement also touches upon the broader implications of this incident, highlighting the importance of interagency coordination and vendor oversight in safeguarding sensitive data.
But can do that to opposition

Aiyah! PAP is always 假脸, 假慈悲
Use our Money to be 假好人
They are Lion Dance Dancers and Drummers
(Lots of wayang and lots of noise for Feel Good Campaign but no concrete action)
![[Image: Lion-Dancers.gif]](https://i.ibb.co/m5GKhDpx/Lion-Dancers.gif)