12-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Other Members of Parliament from West Coast will step in to handle the responsibilities of Transport Minister S Iswaran as it would be challenging for him to carry out his duties while being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), stated Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Jul 12).
During a press briefing, Mr Wong pointed out that since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had instructed Mr Iswaran to take a leave of absence, he would be unable to fulfill his ministerial obligations.
“At the same time, it will be difficult for him also to undertake many of his MP duties, and so the other MPs from West Coast GRC will cover his MP responsibilities.”
On Wednesday morning, CPIB announced that Mr Iswaran was cooperating with their investigation into a case that had come to light. However, the nature of the investigation was not disclosed. Mr Lee stated separately that the investigation would involve interviews with Mr Iswaran and other individuals, conducted by CPIB.
In the absence of Mr Iswaran, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will act as the transport minister, as per the Prime Minister’s instructions.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee assured the residents of West Coast division that he and the other MPs from the region would take charge of Mr Iswaran’s duties, including meet-the-people sessions.
“We would like to assure residents of West Coast division that we will continue to serve them and ensure that their needs are supported,” he wrote.
DISPARITIES WITH RIDOUT
Mr Wong addressed questions regarding why Mr Iswaran was asked to take leave and why this information was made public at this juncture, as compared to the CPIB investigation into the rental of Ridout Road state properties involving Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Mr Wong acknowledged that Mr Iswaran’s case was announced in the wake of the Ridout debate in parliament.
“But the two cases are very different,” stated the Deputy Prime Minister. In the Ridout case, the matter was brought up in public and in parliament, according to Mr Wong.
He added that the two ministers had also requested an independent review of the situation, which Mr Lee agreed to, leading to CPIB’s investigation. The subsequent investigations concluded that there were no instances of wrongdoing or corruption on the part of the ministers. The findings were published, and a comprehensive explanation of the matter was given in parliament.
In contrast, Mr Iswaran’s “case is completely driven by CPIB from the beginning” and “there was no public complaint,” clarified Mr Wong.
“It was CPIB that discovered the matter through their initial findings and investigations, and they felt that there was a need to interview Minister Iswaran as part of further investigations.”
Mr Wong revealed that CPIB had been conducting an unrelated investigation on a separate matter earlier and updated Mr Lee on this investigation in May. He also mentioned that he was kept informed during that time.
CPIB continued their investigations and updated Mr Lee on their findings last week on Jul 5, requesting an interview with Mr Iswaran.
Within a day, Mr Lee, in consultation with the director of CPIB, agreed to launch formal investigations, which commenced yesterday, added Mr Wong.
“I know Singaporeans are concerned and have many questions about this case. I’m unable to provide more information than what I’ve just said because the CPIB investigations are ongoing,” he said.
“So I ask everyone that we allow the investigation to take its course and refrain from any further speculation at this juncture.”
SINGAPORE’S WAY OF OPERATING
Mr Wong regarded the CPIB investigation as “concrete proof of how we do things in Singapore.”
“We have always upheld a clean and incorrupt system of government, and our track record on this over the decades is clear and evident to all,” he stated.
“And this is the foundation of the people’s trust in the PAP (People’s Action Party) government. The Prime Minister and I are fully committed to keeping and preserving this trust.”
The government will maintain a stringent, zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and investigate any cases that arise, affirmed Mr Wong.
“And regardless of the eventual outcome, we will ensure that the facts are pursued to their logical conclusion,” he continued.
“We will be transparent and forthcoming, and we will not sweep anything under the carpet, even if it may be potentially embarrassing or damaging to the PAP or the government.”
