SINGAPORE, Dec 19 – The Singapore government yesterday apologised for the public anxiety caused by the unmasking of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers on a new portal, citing a lapse in coordination as the cause of the incident.

Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo reportedly said the government takes public concerns seriously and had not intended for the policy change to roll out in this manner.

"We are very sorry to have caused them much anxiety,” she was quoted telling a press conference by Singapore-based CNA.

"We had wanted to give them better protection, and this required a change in our policy involving the use of NRIC numbers, because the current situation leaves us vulnerable.”

Chia-Tern Huey Min, chief executive of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra), also apologised.

The issue arose after Acra launched the updated Bizfile portal, which made full NRIC numbers searchable.

This followed a July directive from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to move away from partially masked NRIC numbers, as these provide a false sense of security.

Chia-Tern acknowledged the lapse in coordination, saying Acra had misunderstood the directive and believed it should unmask NRIC numbers on the portal. She emphasised that the organisation should have been more cautious given the sensitivity of such information.

"As the owner of the Bizfile portal, Aacra should have been more mindful that many Singaporeans have long treated their NRIC numbers as private and confidential information, and would not want to have their full NRIC numbers searchable on the new portal.

"We should also have taken more deliberate care to ensure that such information, deemed sensitive by many, is provided only when needed,” Chia-Tern reportedly said.

Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah clarified that the directive to cease using partially masked NRIC numbers did not mean unmasking them entirely. She said the misunderstanding by Acra highlighted the need for clearer communication.

Acra, as Singapore’s business registry, maintains the Bizfile portal to ensure transparency in corporate dealings and guard against illicit activities.