Transport Minister S Iswaran has been interdicted from duty with a reduced pay of $8,500 a month until further notice, says Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in an address to Parliament on Aug 2. He adds that the government had used the current civil service practice and dealt with the case in a similar manner to how the civil service would deal with a senior officer.
On July 11, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released a statement saying that Iswaran was assisting in investigations that were related to a case uncovered by the bureau.
In his speech, the Prime Minister urged members of the house and the public to “refrain from conjecture” while investigations by the CPIB are still ongoing. Once done, the CPIB will submit its findings to the Attorney General’s chambers.
“The case will be taken to its logical conclusion. That’s always been our way,” he says.
Lee said that he was alerted to the case by CPIB on May 29. He was then briefed by the director of CPIB on July 5. CPIB would need to interview Iswaran and seek Lee’s concurrence to open a formal investigation. It was given on July 6.
Iswaran was brought in by the CPIB on July 11 and subsequently released on bail. He was also instructed by the Prime Minister to take a leave of absence.
Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, in a separate statement, said that the CPIB did not state that Iswaran had been arrested on July 12 as it wanted to gather more facts on the case.
On the resignations of the former Speaker of Parliament, Tan Chuan-Jin, and former Member of Parliament (MP), Cheng Li Hui, Lee said that he had learned of their relationship in November 2020. Tan and Cheng were, at the time, spoken to and counselled separately. They were also asked to stop their affair.
When the affair continued, Tan and Cheng were spoken separately in February 2023. At the time Tan had already offered to resign but his residents at Kembangan Chai Chee and Marine Parade had to be taken care of.
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Just a few weeks ago, the pair were found to have continued their affair, which is why they had to go “forthwith”.
On why it had taken Lee two years to deal with the matter, he admitted that he should have forced the issue sooner and "before the mid-term".
He adds that while there is no template to deal with extramarital affairs, Lee listed three situations that could've happened. First, the individuals will be spoken to, and if the relationship stops, the matter ends there with no further action needed. Second, should an individual have supervisory power over the other, immediate action will be taken. Third, if the relationship raises questions about propriety, beyond it being an extramarital affair, Lee said that the individuals will be spoken to, but the matter cannot end there.
Tan and Cheng's case fell into the third situation. As to their resignations, Lee said that he had not decided at the time whether both should have stepped down from their roles, but noted that it was "quite likely" that both of them would have "had to leave [their positions] at some point". By giving the matter some time, Lee had hoped to give the pair a “softer exit” and save them and their families embarrassment.
While he says these sorts of relationships happen from time to time, Lee noted that he was conscious of the impact on the innocent parties involved, especially the spouses and children.
He added that had there been a proper relationship involving the Speaker and an MP, there would’ve been no objections as there was no direct reporting line between both parties.
An extramarital affair, however, is “problematic” and puts other MPs and staff in an “awkward position”.
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Lee had also asked MPs and the public to show empathy and compassion for the families and give them the “privacy and space to heal”.
On the recent spate of incidents including the rental of the Ridout bungalows, the alleged corruption and the extra-marital affairs, Lee said that the way the government has handled those shows how the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) “takes responsibility over governing Singapore”.
“Let me assure members when such issues come out, we’ll deal with them transparently and properly as we have done,” he says.
He adds that the government takes a “zero tolerance” stance on matters such as any suspicion or allegations of wrongdoing, especially corruption. On personal matters, the PAP will look at each case individually and will deal with it sensitively and according ot the party’s policies.
“In any system, no matter how comprehensive the safeguards, something will still go wrong. The PAP will minimise the possibility. We work hard to bring the right people into politics and appoint them to responsible positions. We vet them carefully, test and stretch them before entrusting them with heavier responsibilities. Often they measure up but sometimes they fall short. Occasionally they transgress or commit wrongdoing,” he says.
He adds that Singapore has seen corruption before, citing several examples that go all the way back to 1966, just a year after Singapore’s independence.
“All these cases were handled by Lee Kuan Yew who was then Prime Minister, thoroughly, transparently and applying the full force of the law. That’s still how PAP deals with these cases. Not changed under my charge and won’t change under my successor either,” he declares.
“Let me assure Singaporeans that we’ll protect the integrity of our government. For the good of the country, we’ll do what needs to be done according to the law even if it’s potentially embarrassing to the party. I won’t hesitate to keep the system clean,” he adds.
On the recent spate of events, Lee acknowledged that the PAP has taken a hit but it will continue to show Singaporeans that it will continue to “uphold standards and do the right thing so that trust is maintained and the Singapore system continues to work well”.
“This is how we’ll keep Singapore safe, strong and prosperous for many years to come,” he says.
