Tougher laws to punish misuse of SIM cards come into effect on Jan 1

Tougher laws to police the use of SIM cards could see subscribers jailed for up to three years if the cards are used in a crime.

- Samuel Devaraj

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Dec 30 said the new laws under the Law Enforcement and Other Matters Act will come into effect on Jan 1, 2025.

Subscribers who give away SIM cards registered in their names must take reasonable steps to find out the identity and location of the recipient of the SIM card or the recipient's purpose for obtaining it.

Under the new laws, they would be found liable if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the SIM cards would be used to commit or facilitate a crime. Offenders can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

The ministry said criminal syndicates have turned to local SIM cards to get around measures that were introduced in 2022 to block overseas scam calls and SMSes.

The number of local mobile lines involved in scams and other cybercrimes had quadrupled from 2021 to 2023.

MHA said there were difficulties in prosecuting people found to be transferring or possessing local SIM cards without legitimate reason previously. But under the new laws, middlemen and scammers can now face punishment.