A slew of scandals puts Singapore’s government on the back foot
Its response is to insist that the system is working as intended
Yet uncomfortable disclosures in recent weeks have put it on the defensive. Singaporeans are dismayed at the party that has been in charge for even longer than the city state has been independent.
In mid-July the transport minister, S. Iswaran, was arrested along with a tycoon, Ong Beng Seng, who brought Formula One racing to Singapore. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (cpib) is looking into the relationship between the two men.
Singapore ruling party 'takes a hit' over recent scandals, prime minister says
Singapore's prime minister on Wednesday said his ruling party had "taken a hit" over a spate of scandals including a graft probe and senior lawmakers' resignations, which shocked the city-state otherwise known as a haven of political stability.
In his first remarks to parliament on the issue, Lee Hsien Loong told lawmakers that Transport Minister S. Iswaran, who is under investigation by the country's anti-graft agency, has been barred from duty and given reduced pay of S$8,500 a month until further notice. He said such incidents involving ministers are rare, and that the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has "zero tolerance" for corruption.
Singapore is due to hold elections by 2025. While the PAP has maintained a grip on power since 1959, voters, already bruised by high living costs, have raised eyebrows at the graft probe and resignations of two senior PAP lawmakers on account of an "inappropriate relationship". The lawmakers, including the house speaker, resigned last month. When asked why their relationship was kept under wraps since late 2020, Lee said, "I should have forced the issue earlier".
related:
Singapore rocked by rare political scandals
A string of political scandals in Singapore casts doubt on when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong can hand over the leadership reins
Singapore, known for its political stability, has been rocked by a string of rare political scandals.
Last week, a senior minister was arrested in a corruption probe, the first in four decades to be implicated in such an investigation. And on Monday, two lawmakers - one of them once tipped as a potential prime minister - resigned after it was revealed they were in an extramarital affair.
It has shocked residents of the city-state, which prides itself on its reputation for clean governance and has the highest paid leaders in the world. Analysts say the unfolding scandals could dent support for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 and holds a large majority in parliament. They also say it casts doubt over when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong can hand over the reins of leadership.
Singapore’s ‘squeaky clean’ image takes a beating as scandals rock the government
SEPTEMBER 11: Prime Minister and People’s Action Party (PAP) Secretary General, Lee Hsien Loong (L) and Dr Koh Poh Koon (R) celebrate after winning their seat for Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC) on September 11, 2015 in Singapore.
But the Southeast Asian nation is now caught up in a series of high profile incidents that has entangled its political elite. This is the “most severe crisis” facing Singapore as the latest events “have and could further erode the public’s trust and confidence” in the government, Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at Singapore Management University, told CNBC.
“The ruling party is now looking vulnerable as it never did in recent memory,” he added. “It now has a mountain to climb. How it recovers will matter immensely.”
Singapore PM defends scandal-tainted party
Singapore's head of government mounted a vigorous defense of his long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) on Wednesday, even as he acknowledged it had "taken a hit" after a rare spate of political scandals.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong vowed, however, to "show Singaporeans that we will uphold standards and do the right thing, so that trust is maintained, and the Singapore system continues to work well." Singapore has capitalized on its reputation for clean government to attract massive foreign investments and turn the Southeast Asian city-state into a financial and commercial hub.
But that reputation has been threatened by two major furors: a cabinet minister's arrest amid a corruption probe; and two PAP legislators resigning because of an affair.
Before that, two heavyweight cabinet members were investigated for allegedly getting favors in their rental of sprawling colonial-era bungalows but were subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing.
Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin resigned from PAP & Parliament
File photo of Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui, posted on Mr Tan's Facebook page in February 2016. Mr Tan was elected Speaker in September 2017. (Photo: Facebook/Tan Chuan-Jin)
Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui have resigned from parliament and the People's Action Party (PAP). Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has accepted the resignations, said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Monday (Jul 17), although it did not specify or elaborate on the reasons behind the resignations.
In his letter of resignation, Mr Tan said the recent incident involving his use of unparliamentary language in the House has added to the hurt he has caused his family. "I have let them down. We have spoken about my personal conduct before," he wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister, dated Jul 17.
Ms Cheng, MP for Tampines GRC, said in her letter to the Prime Minister that she is "very sorry to be resigning in these circumstances". "(I) would like to apologise to the party, as well as to my residents and volunteers." Ms Cheng, 47, has been MP for Tampines GRC since 2015 when she made her political debut. She is not married.
A Singapore Cabinet Minister Faces the Country’s Most Serious Graft Probe Since 1986
S. Iswaran, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, speaks during a Singapore Airlines news conference in Singapore on Jan. 29, 2018. Ore Huiying—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he instructed Transport Minister S. Iswaran to go on leave as the city-state’s anti-graft agency started a probe, the first involving a cabinet minister in almost four decades.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau uncovered a case and asked to open a formal investigation that would involve interviewing Iswaran and others, Lee said in a statement on Wednesday, without specifying the reasoning for the investigation or the target. “CPIB acknowledges the interest by members of the public in this case because a minister is being interviewed,” the anti-graft agency said in a statement. “CPIB will investigate this case thoroughly with strong resolve to establish the facts and the truth, and to uphold the rule of law.”
In 1986, then-Minister for National Development Teh Cheang Wan was investigated for accepting bribes totalling $1 million from two private companies for helping them retain and buy over a piece of state land for private development. He committed suicide on 14 December 1986, before he could be formally charged in court. Teh left behind a letter addressed to then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew expressing his remorse at what had happened and his view that he should “accept full responsibility” and “pay the highest price for his mistake”.
Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin apologises to Jamus Lim for ‘unparliamentary language’
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin said the recording of the session had been circulating, and he had to listen to it as he did not recall the occasion. PHOTO: GOV.SG
Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin has apologised to Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim for using “unparliamentary language” that was caught on a hot mic during a Parliament sitting in April.
Mr Tan said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning that the recording of the session had been circulating, and he had to listen to it as he “did not recall the occasion”.
Mr Tan is heard muttering “****ing populist” on the microphone during the first day of debate on the President’s Address on April 17, after Associate Professor Lim finished a speech of about 20 minutes on doing more to help the lower-income groups here. The opposition politician suggested in his speech the establishment of an official poverty line.
related: Vivian Balakrishnan apologises to PSP's Leong Mun Wai after ‘illiterate’ comment circulates online
Parliamentary debate on rental of 26 & 31 Ridout Road
They submitted their reports to Prime Minister Lee, who accepted the two reports and ordered that both be published and tabled in Parliament as a Miscellaneous Paper.
If you don't want to trawl through the 44-page paper, here's a tl;dr (too long; didn't read).
26 & 31 Ridout Road: Rental of the 2 properties by Ministers
26 Ridout Rd (S$26,500 a month for rental) & 31 Ridout Rd (S$19,000 a month for rental)
Investigations, including by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to two ministers who rented state properties for their personal use. It emerged in early May that Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had rented two black-and-white colonial bungalows at 26 and 31 Ridout Road.
Interest in the matter arose after opposition politician and Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam questioned if the ministers were "paying less than the fair market value". In the CPIB report released on Wednesday (Jun 28) following a month-long review, the agency said it found no preferential treatment given to the ministers and their spouses. There was also no disclosure of privileged information in the process of the rental transactions, and no evidence to suggest any abuse of position by the ministers for personal gain, said CPIB in the report.
On May 23, Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan called for an independent review. Two reports, by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and the CPIB, were released on Wednesday, alongside a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. The CPIB report detailed that Mr Shanmugam pays S$26,500 a month for the rental of 26 Ridout Road, and Dr Balakrishnan paid S$19,000 a month for the rental of 31 Ridout Road. Dr Balakrishnan's rent was revised to S$20,000 in 2022 due to "prevailing market conditions".
related: Ministers 'conducted themselves properly', avoided conflicts of interest, says Teo Chee Hean
Vivian Balakrishnan apologises to PSP's Leong Mun Wai after ‘illiterate’ comment circulates online
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (left) apologised to NCMP Leong Mun Wai for comments he made in Parliament on Sept 14, 2021. PHOTOS: MCI/YOUTUBE
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has apologised to Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai for remarks the minister made in Parliament.
Dr Balakrishnan, in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 15), said: "I called Mr Leong Mun Wai today to apologise for my private comments to a colleague in Parliament yesterday. "I disagree with him on the issue, but I should not have said what I said. Mr Leong has accepted my apology."
During a marathon debate on two motions on jobs and livelihoods in the House on Tuesday, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Mr Leong had several exchanges after Dr Tan delivered his speech. At one point, after Mr Leong had spoken, a voice could be heard saying "he's illiterate". Later, after another exchange between Dr Tan and Mr Leong, a microphone picked up someone saying: "Seriously, how did he get into RI?... Must have been a lousy school." It is understood that these remarks were made by Dr Balakrishnan.
Deputy speaker of Parliament guilty of professional misconduct
Christopher de Souza, deputy speaker of Parliament and MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. (PHOTO: Christopher de Souza/Facebook)
Deputy speaker of Parliament Christopher de Souza, a lawyer by profession, has been found guilty of professional misconduct by a disciplinary tribunal.
The Straits Times reported on Tuesday (6 December) that the Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC was found guilty of not making full and frank disclosure to the court when he was aware that his client, Amber Compounding Pharmacy and Amber Laboratories, had breached the conditions of a search order. The tribunal found that de Souza, 46, had instead helped his client prepare and file an affidavit which did not exhibit certain documents that would have revealed the client had breached conditions.
According to The Straits Times, the case involved Amber obtaining several documents through a search order in 2018. The company used some of these documents to make reports to investigative agencies, and this breached its undertaking not to use them without further order. According to the report, an internal email showed de Souza was aware of Amber's breaches even before his firm Lee & Lee took over the suit. Despite knowing this, he helped Amber representative Samuel Sudesh Thaddaeus file an affidavit on 28 January 2019 that did not reveal the breaches.
