Parliament to debate Bill on TraceTogether data use on Monday

[SINGAPORE] A law to formalise assurances that data from the Covid-19 TraceTogether contact tracing programme can be used to look into only serious offences including murder, terrorism and rape, if needed for criminal investigation, is set to be debated in Parliament on Monday (Feb 1).

According to the agenda set in the Order Paper issued by the Clerk of Parliament on Friday (Jan 29), the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment) Bill will be introduced by the Minister for Law.

It will be introduced on a Certificate of Urgency, which means that the proposed law is urgent enough to be put through all three readings in one parliamentary sitting, instead of separate sessions.

The law will specify that personal data collected through digital contact tracing solutions, which comprise the TraceTogether and SafeEntry programmes, can be used only for contact tracing, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) had said on Jan 8.

An exception, however, is if there is a "clear and pressing" need to use that data for criminal investigations into seven categories of serious offences.

The move follows a public outcry after Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan on Jan 4 revealed that under the Criminal Procedure Code, police can obtain any data under Singapore's jurisdiction for the purposes of criminal investigations, including TraceTogether data.

It appeared to contradict statements the government had made earlier last year - that TraceTogether data would be used only for contact tracing in Singapore's fight against the pandemic.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) also filed an adjournment motion for Monday's Parliament session on the topic of the preservation of Dover Forest in Ulu Pandan.

The issue gained attention in recent weeks after the Housing Board's announcement that new built-to-order flats will be offered this year in estates that included Ulu Pandan.

That had likely meant the forest would be replaced with housing, as per its zoning in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan 2014.

Other issues on the agenda include Singapore's vaccination programme, potholes and landslips reported on public roads recently, and the Ministry of Education's policies and guidelines on students with gender dysphoria.

Nine new Nominated MPs are also set to take their oaths of allegiance on Monday, after they were appointed by President Halimah Yacob for a 2½ year term on Jan 21.

THE STRAITS TIMES