The Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill and the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Offences (Confiscation of Benefits) (Amendment) Bill were passed by Parliament on 9 May 2023. These introduced certain new offences, the following of which came into effect on 8 February 2024:
(a) Disclosing Singpass. It is an offence if a Singpass user discloses his Singpass particulars or allows access to his Singpass account knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the purpose is to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence. This will carry a maximum fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
(b) Obtaining or supplying Singpass. It is an offence for an individual to obtain, retain, supply, offer to supply, transmit or make available, the Singpass credentials of another person. This will carry a maximum penalty of a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, for a first offence. For a second or subsequent offence, the maximum penalty will be a fine of up to S$20,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
(c) Rash money laundering. It is an offence if a person carries out a transaction to deal with property for someone else while he has suspicion that he could be dealing with benefits of a crime, but does not make further enquiries to address those suspicions. This carries a maximum fine of up to S$250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
(d) Negligent money laundering. It is an offence if a person continues with a transaction despite obvious red flags noticeable by any reasonable person. This applies to persons acting as directors of companies and operating corporate accounts. This carries a fine of up to S$150,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
(e) Assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct. It is an offence if a person assists another to retain benefits from criminal conduct in prescribed circumstances. These circumstances mainly deal with allowing the use of one’s payment account or facilitating the transfer of money without taking reasonable steps to verify the arrangement. This carries a maximum fine of up to S$50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
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