Update 24 May 2024: Lee Hsien Yang ordered to pay S$200,000 each to Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan for defamation
The judge found that Mr Lee Hsien Yang had "acted with malice" in posting the offending words on his Facebook page about the ministers' rental of state properties in Ridout Road
Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, has been ordered by the High Court to pay S$200,000 (US$147,880) each to ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan for defaming them over their rental of state properties in Ridout Road.
In a judgment released on Friday (May 24), Justice Goh Yihan explained his reasons for awarding the damages to the two ministers, who had filed separate defamation claims against Mr Lee. The lawsuits were initiated over comments Mr Lee made on his Facebook page on Jul 23, 2023, suggesting that the ministers had acted corruptly by having the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment in the rental of the Ridout Road properties.
Mr Lee, who is not in Singapore, also charged that "trust in the PAP has been shattered", pointing to then-PM Lee Hsien Loong's "failure of leadership". The Facebook comments came after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released findings a month prior, stating that there had been no wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to the two ministers. Mr Lee did not appear in court to defend himself against the allegations.
Pofma orders issued to Kenneth Jeyaretnam, FB user and online site over Ridout Road rentals
The Pofma correction orders were issued over false statements regarding the rentals of 26 Ridout Road (left) and 31 Ridout Road. PHOTOS: ST FILE
An opposition politician, a Facebook user and the website Jom have been asked to put up corrections under the law against fake news over articles and social media posts that contain false statements about the Ridout Road saga.
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) on Sunday said Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong had issued the instructions to Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Facebook user Thamil Selvan.
The orders are in relation to an article published by Mr Jeyaretnam titled “Will SLA issue a statement denying the rumours that they have awarded any contracts to Shanmugam’s son’s company?” on July 2 on his website The Ricebowl Singapore, as well as Mr Thamil’s Facebook post on July 1. Mr Tong also issued a correction direction to online publication Jom, said MinLaw and the Ministry of Communications and Information in a joint statement on Sunday.
What happened in Parliament on Shanmugam & Vivian renting Ridout Road properties
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).
Shanmugam and Vivian should have taken a leaf out of Chiam See Tong’s book
Mr Chiam, who was at one point the sole opposition parliamentarian in the House, showed Singaporeans the value of having principles and sticking up for principles when he gave up a terrace house, costing him “more than a million dollars.”
Despite the gruelling six-hour Parliamentary session yesterday (3 July), in which Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan’s explained how they came to rent the state-owned bungalows along Ridout Road, some are asking whether the whole saga could have been avoided if the ruling party politicians had taken a leaf out of opposition giant Chiam See Tong’s book. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean cited the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which cleared the Ministers of corruption, criminal wrongdoing, conflict of interest or being given preferential treatment, while Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong vouched for his Ministers and said that both ruling party politicians had done nothing wrong.
As the sitting wore on, opposition politicians in Parliament raised concerns about the perception of a conflict of interest even if there was no actual or potential conflict. Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said that no one is accusing the Ministers of corruption but questioned the optics of how the rental transactions were struck. Similarly, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) secretary-general Leong Mun Wai said he believed in the Ministers’ integrity but raised the perception of conflict of interest. Mr Shanmugam, at one point during the sitting, said that conflict of interest cannot be a subjective viewpoint based on perception.
When WP MP Jamus Lim asked whether there were any actions by the two ministers that they believe, in hindsight, could be perceived as a conflict of interest, Mr Shanmugam said that the question essentially is, “if others perceive you to be in conflict, therefore you are in conflict, therefore you’re in breach of the ministerial code”. Asserting that the government cannot run on the basis that an officer is in conflict as long as a member of the public perceives him to be in conflict, he added that this would mean that the Health Minister could be in conflict if he undergoes surgery at a hospital or the Home Affairs Minister could be in a conflict if he files a police report in his capacity. While many Singaporeans have accepted the explanations provided by the Ministers and the findings of the CPIB report, some have asked whether this whole controversy could have been prevented.
Ridout Road issue not about allegations of corruption, but optics: Pritam
Among the issues that the Workers’ Party (WP) chief raised in Parliament on Monday was the decision in 2017 by Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam to ask the then deputy secretary of the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) for a list of state properties available to the public for rent. This was before Mr Shanmugam had appointed a property agent to represent him to rent the colonial bungalow at 26 Ridout Road, at the same time recusing himself from the “chain of command”. “The fact of the matter here is, I don’t believe anybody is making an allegation that the minister is corrupt (or) somebody is corrupt in the system... Singaporeans are not making that point. I think it’s quite clear to me,” Mr Singh said.
“The issue I think we’re having to deal with here is the ministerial code of conduct, and a specific course of action that was taken by the minister when he instructed his (deputy secretary) to get some information,” he added. “It is quite incongruous, in the eyes of many, for a minister to be asking a civil servant details which pertain to information for his personal use,” Mr Singh later said in an exchange with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who rose up to speak several hours into the parliamentary session. “Does the Prime Minister not agree that actually, this is an issue that has been flagged out, and that there is a better way to address a problem of a similar nature when it crops up?”
related:
Shanmugam, Balakrishnan explain why they rented bungalows, undertook major renovation works
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam (left) and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam had decided to rent the black-and-white bungalow at 26 Ridout Road as he was putting his family home up for sale, he told Parliament on Monday (July 3), adding that he was not making money from the arrangement.
“Taking into account property tax, because the family home is now non-owner occupied, and income tax on the rental proceeds, there is a net deficit. I top up the deficit,” he said during a ministerial speech he delivered during a Parliamentary debate over the properties at 26 and 31 Ridout Road. Questions regarding these bungalows, occupied by Mr Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan respectively, arose in early May after a series of online articles by opposition politician and Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who asked if the ministers were “paying less than the fair market value” for the properties.
Last week, findings from separate probes by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean cleared both ministers of any wrongdoing in relation to the rental of the properties. On Monday, Dr Balakrishnan also made a ministerial speech on the issue, where he said that he and his wife decided to move into 31 Ridout Road because they wanted a home that could house three generations of their family, including their children and grandchildren.
related:
Shanmugam reveals why he moved from GCB to rental black-and-white house on Ridout Road
Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam rented a state property at Ridout Road after deciding to put his Good Class Bungalow family home up for sale, Parliament heard on Monday (July 3).
Speaking to Members of Parliament the 64-year-old also shared that he did not make any money while renting out his house to live in the black-and-white bungalow. Shanmugam’s speech comes after weeks of public speculation around the Singapore Land Authority’s (SLA) leasing of the state properties to Shanmugam and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.
An investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to both ministers. Another review, led by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, also found that the process of renting out the black-and-white bungalows at 26 and 31 Ridout Road did not deviate from prevailing guidelines set by SLA. The findings were released to the public on June 28.
related:
July 3 Parliament sitting: 4 ministerial statements on Ridout Road bungalow rentals
The black and white bungalows on Ridout Road will take the spotlight at the next Parliament sitting on Monday (July 3), with several Members of Parliament (MPs) having filed questions and four ministers due to make speeches on the rentals.
Of 157 questions filed for written and oral responses, 29 are related to the state-owned colonial bungalows rented by Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Based on the parliamentary order paper released on Friday, four ministerial statements will be delivered on the topic as well. Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, is set to speak about the review of the two bungalows' rentals, while Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong will talk about the rental of state properties.
Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Shanmugam will also be delivering ministerial statements on the rental of their respective properties. On Wednesday, findings from a review by Mr Teo and a probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) into the two ministers' rental of the Ridout Road bungalows were released. Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan were cleared of all wrongdoing, with the CPIB probe finding no preferential treatment given to the duo and their spouses.
Ridout Road properties to be addressed in parliament; 4 ministers to deliver statements on rentals
A general view of Parliament House in Singapore on Sep 23, 2022. (File photo: CNA/Try Sutrisno Foo)
Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will deliver a ministerial statement on the review of the rentals of 26 and 31 Ridout Road while Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong will speak on the rental of state properties. Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan will deliver statements on the rentals of 26 Ridout Road and 31 Ridout Road respectively.
On Jun 28, the results of investigations into the matter – including by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau – found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to the two ministers. CPIB also said in its report that there was 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.
Four ministers to speak on Ridout Road bungalow rentals in Parliament on Monday
The ministers will address 23 questions filed by MPs on 26 Ridout Road (top left) and 31 Ridout Road (bottom right). ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Four ministers, including Mr K. Shanmugam and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, will deliver ministerial statements on the rental of two Ridout Road bungalows when Parliament sits on Monday.
Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will speak on the review of rentals for 26 and 31 Ridout Road, while Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong will speak on the rental of state properties. Mr Shanmugam, who is the Minister for Law and Home Affairs, and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who is the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will deliver separate statements.
On June 28, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released details of its probe into the rentals of No. 26 Ridout Road, by Mr Shanmugam, and No. 31 Ridout Road, by Dr Balakrishnan. The CPIB, which had been directed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to investigate the matter, found no evidence of corruption or criminal wrongdoing by both ministers in the rental of these state properties. SM Teo also released a separate report on the same day to address wider potential process or policy issues beyond the scope of CPIB’s investigations.
related: Did Shanmugam and Vivian benefit from privileged info? 7 questions answered by Ridout Road probe
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".
Colonial Mansions Are A Waste Of Land: We Can Build HDBs There Instead!
In a city-state like Singapore, where land is scarce and every square inch matters, the preservation of colonial mansions is questionable. Recent news about ministers renting Colonial Mansions at Ridout Rd has highlighted to us how much space such relics of the past take.
Colonial mansions, remnants of a bygone era, stand as a symbol of Singapore’s history under foreign rule. While some argue that these buildings hold cultural and heritage value, the continued preservation of these estates, often with limited public access, is a waste of public resources. The vast amounts of land they occupy could be utilized for more pressing needs that directly benefit Singaporeans, such as affordable housing.
It is disheartening to see these huge estates sitting empty while numerous families struggle to find suitable accommodations.
Has the Men-in-White turn Black
Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested on Tuesday as part of a probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
The anti-graft agency said the minister is out on bail currently and his passport has been impounded. As part of the same probe, property tycoon Ong Beng Seng was also arrested on the same day in relation to his interactions with Mr Iswaran.
Hotel Properties Limited -- founded by Mr Ong -- said no charges have been filed. The Singapore-based businessman is out on bail of S$100,000 and is travelling today. He will surrender his passport to the CPIB when he returns.
related: How did CPIB come about and what powers does it have in investigating corruption in Singapore?
First prize for President hopeful Ng Kok Song
Mr Ng Kok Song aged 75 accompanied by his fiancee Sybil Lau aged 45 at the Elections Department on July 19, 2023. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The combined ages of Mr Ng Kok Song aged 75 and his fiancee Sybil Lau aged 45, won the First Price drawn by Singapore Pools on 2 Aug 2023.
