Singapore Transport Minister Implicated in Corruption Case, Any Comment?

Singapore was rocked by news that a cabinet minister and a property tycoon were arrested in one of the most serious graft cases in nearly four decades.

Allegations of corruption and other misconduct by senior ruling party officials are rare in Singapore. Do you have any comments on this investigation?

Speculation about the investigation rippled through social media, and the local officials rushed to reiterate their zero-tolerance stance on graft and assure citizens they would conduct a thorough investigation.

www.cpib.gov.sg

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on the Facebook on 12th that he had instructed Transport Minister S. Iswaran to take leave of absence until the investigation is completed.

Facebook of Lee Hsein Loong

Brief introduction of S.Iwaran: Born in 1962, Indian ethnicity, entered politics in 1997 and was elected as a member of Congress. In 2011, he became the second minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In 2018, he became the Minister of Transport.

It is reported that the 79-year-old Singaporean hotel and real estate tycoon Ong Beng Seng was asked to provide information on his contacts with S.Iwaran. Wang Mingxing ranks 24th in Forbes' Singapore Rich List, and his hotel properties have nearly 40 hotels and resorts in 15 countries around the world, including Four Seasons and Hard Rock Hotel in Singapore. Hotel), etc.

S.Iwaran（left）,Ong Beng Seng（right）

According to a company announcement on last Friday: The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) also sought information on hotel owner Ong Beng Seng's association with Iswarin and issued an arrest warrant for Ong, Ong is the executive director of the company.

The announcement stated that Ong Beng Seng has been released on bail, provided the information required by CPIB, and has "fully cooperated" with the agency's investigation.

Authorities have not charged Iswaren or Ong with wrongdoing. Since the case is still under investigation," Ong Beng Seng was unable to provide more details either. while the global is quite shocked by the investigation of Singapore's ruling executives.

International implications of corruption investigations:

Singapore has long been known for its cleanliness, making the Southeast Asian financial center a darling of global investors. Transparency International named Singapore the cleanest country in Asia in 2022 and fifth globally, trailing only Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway.

Corruption_Perceptions_Index，From Wikipedia

• Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday that high standards of character and personal conduct, as well as maintaining integrity and integrity, are the fundamental reasons why Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP and empower it to form a government.

• Lee Hsien Loong also acknowledged that disposing of PAP MPs who failed to meet standards of conduct could be politically embarrassing and costly.

• Lee Hsien Loong said that no system is perfect, and when something goes wrong, the problem must be identified and corrected.

"This is a perfect storm for the PAP," said Eugene Tan, associate professor of law at Singapore Management University. "The party is facing its worst political crisis yet, and there is a real risk of erosion of public trust and confidence.

Indeed, allegations of corruption and other misconduct by senior ruling party officials are rare in Singapore. No matter what the result is, it will have a certain impact on Singapore's image and will have a certain impact on the future political ecology.

Especially this September: when Singapore will elect its next president. The ruling party's favored candidate, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, has announced his candidacy for the presidency. Other potential candidates have also expressed interest in running.

It would be a blow to the ruling party if Tharman wins only narrowly, or even if other candidates win. Analysts say such an outcome could prompt the ruling party to do more to appease popular discontent over issues such as income inequality, rising property prices and the high cost of living.