Someone wrote a letter to the newspaper expressing concern about the home address shown in the NRIC card. There was a reply from the Ministry of Home Affairs stating why this information is necessary.
I believe that the home address of a person should be public information, unless the person has a special reason to keep it private (and that should be an exception). For an orderly society, we need to know the names of our neighbours and their backgrounds. This should not be a secret.
If someone needs the privacy, then he (or she) should find a place outside a city to stay; maybe in a cave.
I am aware that a person may be harassed by loan sharks. If the loan sharks behave illegally, they should be dealt with according to the law - and privacy is not the solution. Similarly, other people should not infringe on privacy - even if they know where a person lives; and if there is infringement, it should also be dealt with according to the law.
We know the residence of the President, Prime Minister and the ministers. So, the residences of citizens should also be public, although we can allow for exceptions (if there are good reasons).
Do you agree with my views?
I believe that the home address of a person should be public information, unless the person has a special reason to keep it private (and that should be an exception). For an orderly society, we need to know the names of our neighbours and their backgrounds. This should not be a secret.
If someone needs the privacy, then he (or she) should find a place outside a city to stay; maybe in a cave.
I am aware that a person may be harassed by loan sharks. If the loan sharks behave illegally, they should be dealt with according to the law - and privacy is not the solution. Similarly, other people should not infringe on privacy - even if they know where a person lives; and if there is infringement, it should also be dealt with according to the law.
We know the residence of the President, Prime Minister and the ministers. So, the residences of citizens should also be public, although we can allow for exceptions (if there are good reasons).
Do you agree with my views?
8 comments:
Came across a case where a woman got her wallet pick-pocketed in a store, and was unaware till she reached home.
Her apartment was ransacked like a war zone, losing cash and valuables,
the thief using both the IC address and her door keys to enter her home.
She used her easi link card hug around her neck to take bus home, a journey lasting one hour 15 mins, enough time for thief to do his business.
From HuangHW,
Regarding the topic of loan sharks, I find the government's approaching rather wrong and disturbing.
Instead of targeting the loan sharks making the demanding of pay-back from people who have taken money from the loan sharks, they are saying make sure the loan sharks get the right address - so that they can harrass these people?
Is it only an offence if the loan sharks go after the wrong people?
We should make all loan shark activities illegal. i.e. loaning is illegal, trying to get money back even from the person who has made the loan is illegal.
Then, the activity will die down since the loan shark has no way of getting back a loan.
president and PM residence add are known to public because they have guards at the front gate 24 /7 , and who will dare to harass with armed guards at their front gate .
In foreign countries , anybody who owe loan sharks money , the authorities will inform them tat loan shark are illegal and they do not have to repay any money owe to loan shark .
In singapore , i make a police report of loan shark harassment , i fully repaid the loan shark and they still keep harass for more money and threaten to come my house , make a police report and i ask the officer should i still keep paying the loanshark as i have fully paid up the amount , guess wat the officer say ? you talk to the loan shark and check with them !!! No wonder citizen losing faith with the police force !!
Home address on NRIC should be private. Police or other government agencies can easily access the address through their computer system i.e. type in the NRIC number. This is one more step against loan sharking who target innocent parties. But anyway, we can say all we want, it will take a GE to convince the Govt to do something else, nothing will be done as present resources are spread too thin to take care of Ministers' Salary, MRT problems, Flood problems i.e. Current problems and not future problems. After getting a haircut on their Salary, do you think they will have the motivation or initiative to take care of low birth rate, public transport efficiency, high HDB cost, high food cost, high number of foreigners? What change? Nothing much. Life goes on after GE2011. Given their high salary, Sgp Govt should publicize their achievements on a half or yearly basis. There is a possibility a Minister sitting at the Ministry doing nothing for the next 5 years without anyone knowing about it. For the case of the $750m for PUB, what's the Minister involvement in this? As a layman, he was only visible in responding to floods outbreak and parliament discussion. Beyond that, it was the independent committee & PUB who are currently doing the work.
Hi juyuan,
Burlgars ransacked the homes of the victims every once in a while. They go to unoccupied homes. They do not need to get the address of the victim from a stolen NRIC.
If a person borrowed money from a loan shark and has to hide from the loan shark, it is better to stay elsewhere, on a temporary basis, and not report the change of address to NRIC.
Here are all the wrong actions that appear to be happening regularly in Singapore:
1) People borrow money from loan sharks with the intent of running away
2) Loan sharks charge exorbitant rates of interest to cover this risk
3) Loan sharks have to resort to extreme measures, such as vandalising the homes.
Surely there are better ways to help people in financial needs (except for gambling debts), without resorting to loan sharks?
If the adequate assistance are in place, it should be possible for strong action to be taken against loan sharks.
The activities of loan sharks shows a bad situation in Singapore - which cannot be overlooked.
Why our police cannot catch the big time loansharks but always goes after the runners an small fly. Loansharking has been so common an our police force has no clue who are the big timers are. That's pathetic!
If you say the background of neighbours should be public, why do you support the view that the Workers' Party keep quiet about the rumours on Mr Yaw? Ain't you contradicting yourself? Furthermore, Mr Yaw's and the WP's integrity are at stake.
And by the way, loan sharks are illegal, so they is no way choose to behave legally.
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