http://digbig.com/4hace
Dominique Loh
"Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has unveiled its next generation of passports, which will include biometric data and new security features. Singaporeans can apply for the new passports from as early as August this year. On the front cover, it is still the familiar look of the Singapore passport, but with the inclusion of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's logo. Flip open the new BioPass and you will find the visa pages have been given a facelift.
The Esplanade has been blended with the city skyline and Singapore's national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, is at the top right hand corner. ICA says it is still reviewing the price of the new passport, but it is likely to cost more than the present passports, which are S$60 over the counter and S$50 for an Internet application. The most significant addition to the new passport is the polycarbonate page, which is a plastic-like material. It contains an embedded microchip, which will have the passport holder's facial and fingerprint information.
The first group of people to use the new BioPass will be government officials and Singapore Airlines personnel, who are part of the phase one trial, which starts April 29."
