Bank account holders restricted for suspected scam mule activities not prevented from accessing daily expenses: Goh Pei Ming
A new anti-scam law passed in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 9) will give the police powers to request service providers, including banks and telcos, to restrict or disable the accounts of suspected scam mules.The Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill was passed unanimously after a debate on the proposed measures, where several MPs raised concerns over its implementation.One important point was whether affected bank account holders could have access to funds for their basic livelihoods, as well as if an expedited appeal mechanism would be introduced.Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming said in his closing speech that individuals issued Account Disabling Orders (ADO) and Service Limitation Orders (SLO) can appeal to the police for lifting the orders.He assured that such appeals will be accessed "fairly and as quickly as possible", and more details on the appeal mechanism will be shared later.