SINGAPORE — A property agent has been fined S$27,000 for breaching the Personal Data Protection Act.

Kuan Chow Sheng, 32, today (Oct 20) pleaded guilty to nine charges of failing to check the Do Not Call Register, and had 18 other charges taken into consideration for sentencing.

The Personal Data Protection Commission had received 235 complaints from 219 complainants in February and March this year on Kuan, who sent SMSes via nine telephone numbers using a bulk SMS broadcasting software. The SMSes advertised two condominiums in Singapore and a London mixed development.

Kuan was fined S$3,000 for each charge. In arguing for such a sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim had said a low fine would undermine the effectiveness of the Do Not Call registry. She also said a deterrent sentence was needed as the real estate industry had the highest number of complaints on violation of Do Not Call obligations.

Kuan’s lawyer, Mr Lee Heng Eam, had appealed for a low fine, saying his client had acted in a moment of folly. He was tied up caring for his wife and two young children at the time of the offences and had trusted in someone called James from a company claiming to provide a database in compliance with Do Not Call rules.