6-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a turn of events that has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing corruption case against former transport minister S. Iswaran, the embattled politician was hospitalised for respiratory illness during a recent trip to Melbourne, Australia. Iswaran, who is facing a litany of corruption charges, was subsequently discharged from Cabrini Malvern, a private hospital in the city’s southeastern suburbs, on the afternoon of March 5th.
The Straits Times has learned that Iswaran’s original visit to Australia, planned from February 16th to March 4th, was primarily intended to assist his son in settling into university life. However, the former minister’s unexpected bout of ill health necessitated an extension of his stay until March 19th. The Attorney-General’s Chambers confirmed on March 4th that the defence had filed an application seeking an extension of Iswaran’s trip, which was promptly granted by the State Courts.
Cabrini Malvern, the medical facility where Iswaran was treated, is operated by Cabrini Health, a Catholic, not-for-profit private health service located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The Straits Times has reached out to Dr. Tim Cheung, a respiratory and sleep specialist who attended to Iswaran, seeking further details regarding the former minister’s condition.
A visit by ST to Cabrini Malvern on March 5th revealed that the hospital is situated approximately 5 kilometres from Monash University, where Iswaran’s son commenced his studies in February, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile. The university’s orientation week fell between February 19th and 23rd, with the semester officially commencing on March 3rd.
In a previous interview with ST in 2022, Iswaran had disclosed that he and his former teacher wife have three children – a daughter, then aged 21 and attending university, and two sons, aged 19 and 15 at the time. His daughter is currently residing and working in Melbourne.
Iswaran’s ties to Australia run deeper still, as he holds a first-class honours degree in economics from the University of Adelaide, where he met his Australian wife during his student years.
The former minister’s recent health setback has unfolded against the backdrop of a high-profile corruption case that has rocked Singapore’s political landscape. Iswaran stands accused of 24 counts of obtaining, as a minister, items valued at over $200,000 from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, the man credited with bringing Formula One to Singapore in 2008. These items allegedly included tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix, football matches in Britain, and various musicals.
Several of the charges are related to alleged incidents that occurred between 2015 and 2021, involving Iswaran purportedly obtaining tickets to a football match between West Ham United and Everton, as well as shows such as Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. Additionally, he faces a charge of obstructing the course of justice on or around May 25th, 2023.
According to court documents, Iswaran allegedly made a repayment of $5,700 – the cost of his business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore on December 11th, 2022, which he had purportedly taken at Mr. Ong’s expense – through the Singapore Grand Prix organizers.
Following his court appearance on January 18th, 2024, Iswaran issued a statement asserting his innocence and vowed to focus on clearing his name. The former minister, who was elected as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC in 1997 and served for 26 years before being promoted to full minister in the Prime Minister’s Office in 2011, resigned from the People’s Action Party in January and stepped down from his roles as transport minister and West Coast GRC MP.
