During a debate on the motion to build an inclusive and safe digital society in Singapore, several MPs, including Workers' Party (WP) Sylvia Lim and Gerald Giam, mentioned a "crisis in confidence" about the public's "lack of confidence" in the digital space.

In her speech, Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information, questioned the use of the term, stating that she was "not sure of the purpose of describing" the problem as such.

PAP MP Vikram Nair also disagreed with the notion of a “crisis in confidence” during his speech earlier in Parliament.

She said that members should "have a care" about what they should say in parliament and offered "a viewpoint" from the frontline agencies and officers who might have listened in to the debate.

The motion was filed to call for the House to reaffirm its commitment to adopt a whole-of-nation approach to sustain trust by building an inclusive and safe digital society.

It was passed after a seven-hour-long debate on Jan. 10, 2023.

Do not vilify any groups: Teo

Teo pointed out the mention of a "crisis in confidence" by several WP MPs during the debate, saying:

"I couldn't help but notice that among the MPs who spoke from the Workers' Party, there was this term that was repeated quite a few times."

Teo emphasised the need to consciously avoid vilifying any group, explaining that preserving relationships and finding ways to work together is crucial.

"The last thing, in this context, is for us to politicise the debate or vilify any group because you don't know when the next scam variant comes around who you need to work with to try and solve the problem," she said.

Term might not feel nice to frontline officers

Teo gave an analogy, explaining how the term may sound to the agencies and officers working to solve problems in the digital space.

She likened the situation to firefighters working to put out a fire and prevent it from spreading, with a group of bystanders directing them and pontificating.

The same bystanders then take credit when the firefighters manage to put out the fire, she said.

Calling on the MPs to "have a care," Teo urged them to use their networks and social media influence to spread awareness of tools that can help people instead of spreading "labels" to tag onto the situation.

Saying that it is a “tough fight” for the frontline workers, Teo also showed her appreciation for MP Hany Soh who pointed out that the workers’ job was “thankless”.

“So, let us cheer them on. It is not so easy.”

There is no silver bullet

In her speech, Teo said that all countries recognise that when it comes to dealing with scams, there is no silver bullet.

“There is not a single measure that you can implement and be done with it. In the trade, they call this a wicked problem,” she said.

In cyberspace, as well as in scams, you may solve one problem but may have to start again if the bad actors are driven somewhere else, she explained.

As such, an agile approach is critical.

She pointed to a “good example” of how Singapore had to quickly deal with malware-enabled scams which had previously not been seen before.

“It is very easy to say that, ‘You should have anticipated it.’ Not so easy in reality.”

Sylvia Lim's response

MP Sylvia Lim responded to Teo's speech, stating that she did not use the term to politicise the issue or create panic.

Rather, she said she wanted to reflect what she saw as the "current sentiment in significant sections of the public."

She elaborated on five reasons she said supported her opinion:

• According to IMDA's digital society report from November, 99% of persons aged 60 and above are worried about becoming scam victims.
• Several MPs have shared about residents ignoring official communications because they could not tell whether it was an authentic message from the government or a scam.
• Public education on scams may also lead to feelings of anxiety in the public.
• She has also received feedback from members of the public who expressed a desire to take their accounts offline, including retirees with the CPF transactions.
• She believes the purpose of setting up a task force on the resilience and security of infrastructure and services was to oversee matters of public confidence.

"So I would argue that there is a serious issue with public confidence, and I think it is borne out by these factors that I've mentioned," she said.

She acknowledged the work done by agencies and expressed her appreciation to them for handling "a big task" that required 24/7 effort.

However, she maintained that she is "entitled to [her] opinion, just as the Minister is entitled to her opinion."

Don't use sensational headlines: Teo

Teo thanked Lim for her clarifications but said that while everyone is entitled to their opinions, it was not a question of opinion.

She explained that she was making the case to say that for the "benefit of people who are not able to take part in this discussion," she hopes that MPs do not use "sensational, glaring headlines" following the debate.

"I would very much appreciate if we can keep our efforts focused on the actual things that will make a difference," she said. "I appreciate that. If there is alignment on this issue across the aisle, and I would also urge MPs, let's try to keep it that way."

"This is the only way we can win this war against the scammers."