A person found guilty of the wrongful possession, communication or use of confidential data can be fined up to $2,000, and jailed up to two years.
The MOH said the information was in the possession of a US citizen named Mikhy K Farrera Brochez, who had been remanded to prison in Singapore in 2016, convicted of numerous fraud and drug-related offenses.
That's when Brochez was deported, after serving a 28-month prison sentence on "numerous fraud and drug-related offences". A workstation specifically configured and locked down to prevent unauthorised information removal was designated for the processing of sensitive information from the HIV Registry.
An American man has leaked the confidential data of 14,200 people diagnosed with HIV in Singapore, the city-state's health ministry said on Monday.
The leak comes just months after Singapore revealed the worst cyberattack in its history after hackers infiltrated the government health database.
The HIV-positive status of 14,200 people in Singapore, as well as their identification numbers and contact details, has been leaked online, authorities in the southeast Asian city state said Monday.
"We are working with relevant parties to scan the Internet for signs of further disclosure of the information", it said, adding that Brochez now was under police investigation and local authorities were seeking assistance from their foreign counterparts.
Mr Gan said his ministry will continue to strengthen and review its system to ensure that it is secured. "Police will not hesitate to take stern action, including prosecution, against those who have breached the OSA", said a spokesman.
In September past year, he was convicted of abetting Brochez to commit cheating, and also of providing false information to the Police and MOH.
"We are working with relevant parties to scan the internet for signs of further disclosure of the information". The records were stolen sometime before 2016, but released after Brochez was deported from Singapore. He was sentenced to 24 months in jail but has since filed an appeal which will be heard in March.