Governance & integrity — Topics

10 Jan 2022

Grassroot Leaders Who were Convicted Appointed by People’s Association

The Minister defended the role and trustworthiness of grassroots leaders (GRLs) appointed by the People’s Association, noting their extensive community contributions, including during crises like COVID-19.
He argued that the premise of the question unfairly singles out GRLs and undermines their long-built trust, stating there is no evidence they are more involved in crime than the general public.
The government has sound appointment processes, including observation periods and due diligence, though no system can predict future criminal behavior.
GRLs accused or convicted of crimes that undermine their role are suspended or immediately removed from their appointments.

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10 Jan 2022

Resignation of Ms Raeesah Khan and Members in Committee of Privileges

Speaker announced that Ms Raeesah Khan resigned her seat in Parliament on 30 November 2021, making her seat vacant under the Constitution.
The Speaker noted that Mr Zaqy Mohamad was nominated to the Committee of Privileges to replace Mr Masagos Zulkifli regarding a complaint against Ms Khan.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad will serve on the Committee until it reports on the matter referred to it.
The Speaker then called for Oral Answer questions from Mr Yip Hon Weng.

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3 Nov 2021

Investigations into Whether Singapore-based Individuals or Financial Institutions were Implicated in Pandora Papers Disclosures

The Minister for Finance, representing the Prime Minister, assured Parliament that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) takes the Pandora Papers disclosures seriously and will investigate any Singapore-based entities or individuals implicated.
MAS noted that while two foreign-incorporated trust companies with Singapore subsidiaries were mentioned, its initial assessment found no significant concerns regarding the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls of Singapore financial institutions, though it is engaging with relevant institutions to assess if tighter controls are needed.
The Minister emphasized that Singapore has clear regulatory requirements for financial institutions to identify beneficial owners and scrutinize unusual transactions, and highlighted that two trust companies mentioned in the papers had already been subject to MAS enforcement actions before the disclosures.

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3 Nov 2021

Announcement by Speaker

The Speaker announced the nomination of Mr Edwin Tong and Ms Rahayu Mahzam to the Committee of Privileges to replace Mr K Shanmugam and Ms Indranee Rajah.
The appointment is in connection with a complaint against Ms Raeesah Khan of Sengkang GRC and will remain effective until the Committee reports on the matter.
The Speaker then called for Questions for Oral Answer.

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2 Nov 2021

Data on Suspected and Actual Instances of Foreign Interference in Last 10 Years

The Minister for Home Affairs declined to provide specific annual statistics on suspected or actual foreign interference cases, citing national security reasons and bilateral considerations.
The Ministry previously disclosed some foreign interference incidents and case studies during the debate on the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill, which the Workers' Party supported as necessary.
Some past cases were handled under existing laws like the Internal Security Act, while others required the new powers proposed in the Bill for effective response.

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2 Nov 2021

Ensuring Due Diligence Checks are done in Singapore's Financial Services Sector Following Pandora Papers Leak

Murali Pillai questioned what steps MAS will take to ensure Singapore-based professionals, trust companies, and financial institutions are properly conducting due diligence to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and tax evasion following the Pandora Papers leak.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, speaking for the Prime Minister, deferred the answer to a future sitting, referring to an official report on investigations into whether Singapore-based entities were implicated in the Pandora Papers disclosures.

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2 Nov 2021

Ensuring Jobs Support Scheme Payments are Used Directly for Wage Support and Not for Executive Directors' Remuneration or Bonuses

The Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) was designed to reimburse employers for wage support based on actual CPF contributions, and the government does not track whether companies used the funds for executive bonuses, as the scheme’s structure inherently links payouts to wages paid to employees.
IRAS has an anti-gaming framework that denied or adjusted 1,889 cases and reported 10 for investigation as of August 2021, while the CPF Board audits contributions and allows employees to verify payments via alerts, with no government intervention in executive remuneration.
The government encourages good corporate governance, suggesting that grants not be included in performance-based remuneration, and studies the balance between public recognition and anonymity when considering publishing lists of companies that returned JSS funds.

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1 Nov 2021

Measures to Prevent Forgery of Witness Statements and Dependence on Single Police Officer's Submission of Witness Statements

The Minister outlined that statements recorded by an Investigation Officer are reviewed by supervisors, with field book entries checked regularly, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers provides an additional layer of scrutiny to ensure credibility and reliability.
Technological solutions such as real-time electronic signatures and future full digitalization with locked statements are being implemented to reduce errors and prevent tampering, though the Minister acknowledged that individual misconduct cannot be entirely prevented.
The Minister emphasized that the court process holistically examines all evidence, including forensic data and CCTV, making it unlikely for forged statements to materially affect outcomes, as confirmed by AGC’s review of the reopened coroner’s inquiries.

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1 Nov 2021

Corporate Registers (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill

The bill amends the Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnerships Act to strengthen the transparency of corporate structures.
It updates rules for registers of controllers, nominee directors, and shareholders for companies, foreign companies, and LLPs.
The changes align Singapore’s laws with Financial Action Task Force recommendations to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.
The bill was introduced by the Second Minister for Finance and is scheduled for a second reading in January 2022.

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1 Nov 2021

Personal Explanation by Member

Raeesah Khan admitted she did not accompany a sexual assault survivor to the police station as she claimed in an August 3 parliamentary speech, and she retracted the anecdote, apologizing to the survivor, the House, the police, and others.
Khan explained she shared the story without consent and fabricated details to avoid revealing her own membership in a women's support group, where she is also a survivor of sexual assault.
The Leader of the House, Indranee Rajah, questioned Khan about inconsistencies in her statements across multiple parliamentary sessions, confirming the falsehoods.
Rajah raised a point of order, stating Khan lied three times and failed to substantiate allegations, which unjustly cast doubt on the police and harmed survivors' credibility.
The Speaker referred the matter to the Committee of Privileges, with Rajah and Minister K Shanmugam recusing themselves due to involvement.

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1 Nov 2021

Deployment of Riot Police at Jalan Tukang Westlite Dormitory on 13 October 2021

The Police responded to a call at Jalan Tukang Westlite Dormitory on 13 October 2021 regarding aggressive workers, dispatching Jurong Police Division patrol officers and placing additional units on standby, though they were not deployed and no arrests were made.
Minister Desmond Tan stated that the Special Operations Command (SOC) was activated twice in the last five years for public order incidents, but generally, the Police do not disclose specific units deployed or operational details.
MPs asked about the specific SPF units activated, their roles, enforcement actions, the frequency and conditions of riot police deployments in the past five years, and whether the dormitory incident warranted such deployment, with the Minister clarifying that deployments depend on the incident's nature and scale.

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5 Oct 2021

Impact of Corrupt Transactions Involving Former LTA Deputy Group Director on Standards and Safety of Thomson-East Coast and Cross Island MRT Lines

Sylvia Lim asked about the impact on standards and safety of the Thomson-East Coast and Cross Island MRT Lines due to corrupt actions of a former LTA deputy group director.
Minister S Iswaran referred to his previous reply on the matter in a parliamentary session on 13 September 2021, citing a written answer regarding companies involved.
The debate highlighted concerns about integrity in public infrastructure projects and the need for transparency in addressing corruption cases.

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5 Oct 2021

Coroners (Amendment) Bill

The Second Minister for Law moved to amend the Coroners Act to streamline procedures and introduce greater flexibility by making the Coroner’s mandatory viewing of a body discretionary and allowing the Minister to exempt certain deaths from the Act’s provisions.
The proposed changes aim to expedite the release of bodies to families and save resources, with safeguards like RFID and QR code tags ensuring correct identification, and to accommodate foreign state requests for body repatriation in specific circumstances.
Concerns were raised by Members of Parliament about potential compromises to investigations, risks of political interference, and the need for the Minister to consider public interest, with the Minister assuring that safeguards and case-by-case assessments would prevent misuse.

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4 Oct 2021

Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill

The debate centered on the necessity of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) to protect Singapore’s sovereignty from covert foreign interference, with the government arguing for swift legislative action due to evolving threats, while opposition parties raised concerns about potential overreach and insufficient oversight.
Key disagreements included the appeal mechanism, with the government defending a Reviewing Tribunal chaired by a Supreme Court Judge as necessary for handling sensitive intelligence, whereas the Workers' Party proposed appeals to the High Court for stronger judicial oversight, which was rejected.
Amendments proposed by the Workers' Party to increase transparency—such as requiring public disclosure of FICA designations and reasons—were mostly rejected, though the government committed to publishing key decisions, with exceptions for national security.

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4 Oct 2021

Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill

The government, led by Minister K. Shanmugam, introduced the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill to counter online hostile information campaigns and foreign influence through local proxies, citing growing threats from state actors and the need to protect Singapore's sovereignty and political processes.
The bill grants authorities powers to designate individuals and entities as Politically Significant Persons (PSPs), issue directives to remove or label content, and demand information from platforms, with appeals handled by a tribunal rather than the High Court, sparking concerns over judicial oversight and potential abuse of power.
Workers' Party MPs proposed amendments to increase transparency, narrow the scope of "political ends," and shift appeals to the High Court, while the government agreed to some changes but defended the bill's necessity, balance, and alignment with international practices.

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4 Oct 2021

Allegation of Police Behaviour towards Victim of Sexual Assault

Minister K Shanmugam responded to allegations made by MP Raeesah Khan about police behavior towards a sexual assault victim, emphasizing the seriousness with which the government views such claims and the need for investigation.
The Minister requested specific details from Ms Khan, such as the police station, date, and officer descriptions, to facilitate an inquiry while aiming to protect the victim's confidentiality and avoid re-traumatization.
Ms Khan declined to provide the requested details, citing confidentiality with the survivor, despite clarification that sharing the police station and month would not breach confidentiality.
The Police have been instructed to investigate further, including interviewing Ms Khan and the relevant officers, and to refer any misconduct allegations to the Internal Affairs Office, as no matching case was found in records so far.

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13 Sep 2021

Proposal to Enhance Audit Processes Training and Introduce Harsher Penalties in Light of Public Officers Fabricating or Altering Documents for Audits

Lawrence Wong reported five cases of document irregularities by public officers over the past five years, emphasizing that such misconduct is taken seriously despite being a small fraction of total audit submissions.
Public officers receive continuous training, including the Finance and Procurement Academy and annual Code of Conduct quizzes, with whole-of-government platforms sharing audit findings and best practices.
Penalties for integrity-related misconduct include dismissal and demotion, with police reports filed in serious cases to deter future lapses.

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13 Sep 2021

Root Causes of Repeated Lapses Highlighted Auditor-General's Report for FY2020/2021 and Measures to Strengthen Governance

The Auditor-General’s Report for FY2020/2021 highlighted repeated lapses in IT controls, procurement, and contract management, attributed to gaps in processes and human factors such as manual steps prone to error and inadequate monitoring of contractors.
The government is taking corrective actions by implementing technical solutions to automate IT tasks, enhancing internal audit capabilities with data analytics, and consolidating oversight of construction projects and facilities management through dedicated centers.
Public agencies are strengthening governance by integrating risk management into operations, ensuring consistent audit practices, and the Public Service leadership is committed to setting a strong tone and culture to address and prevent future lapses.

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13 Sep 2021

Proposal to Release Figures on Singapore’s Existing Carbon Emissions that GreenGov.SG's Projections and Targets are Based on

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment to release the existing carbon emission figures that underpin GreenGov.SG’s projections and targets.
The Government confirmed that GreenGov.SG was launched in July 2021 with expanded sustainability targets covering more public sector facilities.
A GreenGov.SG report detailing the public sector’s sustainability performance, including carbon emissions, will be released in due course.

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13 Sep 2021

Update on Cases Referred to Independent Review Panel and Work Done since its Formation to Strengthen Systems and Processes of Home Team

The Independent Review Panel (IRP) has been convened six times to review cases involving serious misconduct allegations against Home Team officers that are not criminal, with all internal investigations found thorough and fair.
Following IRP recommendations, the Police reviewed training and procedures for managing difficult subjects, handling persons-in-custody at hospitals, and case filing, while CNB improved its internal investigation protocols.
The current IRP Chair is retired senior district judge Richard Magnus, and while key findings and changes are made public through the AGO, internal disciplinary matters are not fully disclosed unless criminal conduct is involved.

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