Singapore's border checkpoints to get technology boost

Producer: Yvonne Gomez
First broadcast: 28 April 04, Radio Singapore International

From next year, motorcyclists entering Singapore from Malaysia may need to have their eyes scanned.

Iris scanning is expected to tighten border controls, to reduce instances of passport fraud, catch wanted criminals and keep out suspected terrorists.

For a reaction to this, Yvonne Gomez spoke to Dr Andrew Tan, a security analyst at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore.

AT: These methods of identification cut down on fraud, for example. It prevents people from using false passports and assuming false identities from getting into the country. So that helps to cut down on illegal migration, or the ability of criminals and terrorists to slip into the country.

YG: In your opinion, what makes iris-scanning superior to other forms of biometric assessment?

AT: Apparently, it is possible for every person to be uniquely identified using the iris of the eye, which has a very unique signature which identifies a person. For that reason, it is very difficult for people to assume other identities, like using a false passport.

YG: This threat of terrorism has always been around, but emerged on the world s stage more prominently after 9-11, but why is that this technology is only being introduced now? Why hasn t it been introduced before and why are the authorities waiting until next year instead of introducing it immediately?

AT: I think the technology is still being developed. The research into it, I think, was accelerated after 9-11. there is also the question of cost, and the training involved. It s not surprising that it has taken time for it to be installed and be properly tested to ensure that it works. The technology is still very new, actually, so while it was available or being developed before 9-11, those events have accelerated its developments. And it does take time to actually implement it, and to ensure that the necessary training is provided. We must remember that 9-11 happened only about 2 ½ years ago. It does demonstrate that the Singapore government is clearly very concerned about homeland security, and this is part of a whole series of very rigorous measures that are being put into place to better protect Singapore against terrorist attacks, as well as better prepare Singapore to deal with the kinds of threats that arise from such activities.

YG: What about the loopholes in this system? How can the iris-scanning process be breached, in your opinion?

AT: It does look as if it s going to be very difficult to breach the system, given that each person has a unique signature contained in the iris. It s going to be very, very difficult for people to breach the system. I guess the way around it to ensure you re not any terrorist suspect list. If you re not on any list, then there won t be any way of knowing whether you re a terrorist or not, even if you are who you claim to be in terms of your travel documents.

YG: Earlier you spoke about passport fraud, so what sort of people do you think are going to be kept out, with a system like this?

AT:Well, those who are clearly on any terrorist list would be kept out, including known criminals. But of course, if they are aware of this, they won t bother to come in, in the first place. They will send someone else who has a clean record. So that is something that is impossible to counter.

YG: Does a system like this require the cooperation of the Malaysians, given that it is going to be implemented at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, which border Malaysia?

AT: I think, eventually, it would be good if the rest of the region had the same level of technology, as well as common procedures for immigration and visas and all that. When you have common procedures and technology and common ways of dealing with the issue of transnational crime and transnational terrorism, it ll make it much harder for transnational criminals and terrorists to operate.

YG: During the SARS outbreak, we had the thermal scanners, and they didn t actually slow anyone down at all the various checkpoints. Do you think something like this iris-scanning is actually going to slow down the whole process at the checkpoints?

AT: I don t think it will, because they authorities would implement this in a way that would not hamper normal economic activity. That s why I think it is taking this much time for it to be implemented, because it has to be done carefully, in a way that would not unduly inconvenience travelers.