Clarification by Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This clarification concerns a query raised by Ms. Sylvia Lim regarding an Apple security notification warning that her mobile phone may have been targeted by state-sponsored hacking. Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam confirmed that Singapore state agencies, specifically those under his ministry and the Security and Intelligence Division, had not hacked her phone. He argued that serious security threats should be reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs for investigation rather than being publicized in Parliament, which suggests a desire for publicity. The Minister highlighted that while Members of Parliament are high-value targets for foreign entities, the government maintains a general policy of neither confirming nor denying such matters. He concluded that this specific response was an exception and that future inquiries regarding state-sponsored hacking would follow the standard protocol of non-disclosure to protect national security.
Transcript
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. Minister K Shanmugam.
3.30 pm
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise to clarify a question that Ms Sylvia Lim asked. She said that she had received a threat warning from Apple that her phone could be under threat of hacking by state-sponsored agencies and she asked for confirmation that her phone has not been hacked by Singapore state agencies. I think this happened a bit earlier.
Sir, I can tell Ms Lim that her phone has not been hacked by Singapore's state agencies in the time available between when she raised it in Parliament and now, in the last "x" number of minutes or so. I speak for agencies under MHA and I had quick check with Security and Intelligence Division (SID).
I think if one is serious about such threats, the proper way to do it – if you are serious about finding out whether your phone has been hacked and by whom – is to come to MHA. We will do a thorough investigation. If you raise it in Parliament, then, we must assume the intention is to publicise the fact, rather than actually get to the bottom of it. It is obvious then why it is made public.
We would like to see the precise notification from Apple. Is it a general notification that they send to a number of people? Or was it a specific notification? And if it is a specific notification to Ms Lim's phone, MHA will be very interested and particularly with a state-sponsored agency, because this is something that we are extremely concerned about.
She is a Member of Parliament. All Members of Parliament are potential targets. And we would like to know and we would like to get to the bottom of it as to who is trying to get into her phone.
Also, the normal practice that we take is that we do not confirm or deny. Because Members of Parliament have no immunity in this sense. Members of Parliament are high-value targets for foreign agencies as our own experience and the experience of other countries have shown, even as late as last year in Australia and so on. And it is the duty of our security agencies to be very aware of whether Members of Parliament or Ministers or senior civil servants or those around them or their families are being approached or suborned.
And it is in the interest of Singapore and the security of Singapore that state agencies are on top of the game.
So, I do not intend, in future, to confirm or deny. But I can say specific to the question asked by Ms Lim, I think in the context of the question having been asked, I decided that we will answer this question.
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Notice of Motion.