4-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singapore’s Law Minister, K Shanmugam, has come forward in support of US Ambassador Jonathan Kaplan following allegations made by an internal watchdog in Washington. The report claimed that the envoy had threatened staff and failed to effectively promote American interests in the city-state.
In a recent Facebook post, Minister Shanmugam revealed that he had a “very useful meeting” with Ambassador Kaplan, making him one of the first Singaporean officials to publicly address the State Department’s inspector general’s report released on Friday. The report highlighted Ambassador Kaplan’s strained relationships with certain Singaporean ministries, which reportedly hindered progress on US initiatives in the strategically significant Asia-Pacific city-state.
Expressing his personal experience, Minister Shanmugam stated, “I have always found the Ambassador proactive and helpful.” He further mentioned that Ambassador Kaplan, like many of his predecessors, has been committed to maintaining a strong relationship between the two countries.
