Governance & integrity — Topics

16 Aug 2016

Safeguarding Public Monies Given to Town Councils

The Ministry of National Development expressed deep concern over Aljunied-Hougang Town Council's pervasive financial control failures, citing 185 issues identified by KPMG and a lack of progress in remediation, with a full review of past payments ordered by the Court of Appeal due soon.
Parliament discussed amendments to the Town Councils Act to strengthen oversight, including penalties for non-cooperation and clearer powers to compel information, with the review aiming for completion by year-end.
The debate highlighted ongoing disputes between town councils over appointing auditors and accessing documents, with the Ministry emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in handling public funds.

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15 Aug 2016

Publication of Results of Public Opinion Surveys by Government Agencies or Statutory Boards

Chen Show Mao questioned the Minister for Communications and Information about when government agencies or statutory boards do not publish public opinion survey results and the number of surveys published versus unpublished from 2010 to 2015.
The government does not track statistics on the surveys conducted by various agencies or which are published, indicating a lack of centralized data on publication practices.
Agencies like REACH periodically release survey data on topics such as the Budget, National Day Rally, CPF changes, and public transport, with findings available on REACH's website.

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15 Aug 2016

Media Authority's Due Diligence and Oversight Processes in Provision of Financial Support

Leon Perera questioned MDA's due diligence and oversight in providing $15 million in financial support to RGM Entertainment and RGM Group in 2010 and 2011, asking about processes, lapses, and subsequent improvements.
MDA checked RGM's track record, projected returns, and co-investment partners before investing, but in 2011, it discovered difficulties in recovering funds and suspected wrongdoing, leading to reports to CAD and legal action.
CAD found RGM's principal forged bank statements to hide missing funds, resulting in criminal charges, a jail sentence, and the winding up of RGM entities.
Following the incident, MDA discontinued equity co-investments due to complexity and risk, shifting to a grant-based model with disbursement tied to project deliverables and enhanced governance measures.
MDA strengthened oversight by tightening grant criteria, implementing an online grant management system, commissioning direct project audits, and establishing whistle-blowing hotlines for reporting potential wrongdoing.

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15 Aug 2016

Breaches of Cooling-Off Day Regulations

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Prime Minister for statistics on individuals investigated for online advertising breaches on Cooling-Off and Polling Days, how the Elections Department (ELD) is alerted, and its investigation priorities.
The Prime Minister's representative, Chan Chun Sing, explained that ELD assesses breaches based on intent, reach, and impact, and has investigated over 100 cases since 2011, typically issuing warnings, but referred serious breaches during the 2016 Bukit Batok By-Election to the police.
ELD identifies potential breaches by monitoring declared campaigning sites, online platforms, and feedback from candidates or the public, with a focus on deliberate and serious violations despite prior advisories.

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15 Aug 2016

Tender Evaluation Method in Procurement of Manpower Services at Restructured Hospitals and Institutions

The Ministry of Health does not centrally mandate a specific tender evaluation method, allowing public healthcare institutions flexibility to design their procurement processes while adhering to national principles of transparency, fair competition, and value for money.
Institutions predominantly use the Price-Quality Method (PQM) for manpower and outsourced service tenders, but the weightage for quality versus price is adjusted based on service complexity, typically ranging from 60% to 80% for quality, rather than a fixed 70/30 split.
Contract durations and the proportion of tenders awarded under PQM vary by institution and service type; the Ministry did not provide specific data on the minimum duration or percentage of PQM-compliant contracts over the last three years.

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15 Aug 2016

Election Reporting by Mainstream Media on Cooling-off Day

Chen Show Mao asked about the limits and requirements for mainstream media’s election reporting on Cooling-Off Day and differences compared to licensed online news sites.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim clarified that both mainstream media and licensed online news sites must report factually and cannot publish election advertising on Cooling-Off Day and Polling Day.
The law treats mainstream and online news sites equally regarding election reporting, requiring factual reporting and prohibiting promotional material during the restricted period.

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15 Aug 2016

Overpayment of Allowances to Volunteer Special Constabulary Officers

The Singapore Police Force overpaid $2.63 million in allowances to Volunteer Special Constabulary officers from 2008 to 2015 due to a procedural error where the Permanent Secretary approved the rate increase without the required Ministerial approval under the Police Force Act, though the amount was justified as reflecting the policy intent to fairly compensate volunteers for out-of-pocket expenses.
The Minister for Home Affairs retrospectively authorized the payments and amended regulations to regularize the overpayments after consulting the Attorney-General’s Chambers, emphasizing that no substantive wrongdoing occurred and that the officers involved were advised to be more careful in future.
The Minister defended the allowances as reasonable and necessary to support the volunteers’ critical contributions to public safety, initiated a review of the current rate, and rejected concerns about encouraging lax civil service processes by focusing on correcting the administrative error rather than penalizing the volunteers.

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15 Aug 2016

Functions of Nanyang Polytechnic International

The Acting Minister explained that Nanyang Polytechnic International (NYPi) was created to handle overseas activities and revenue generation as a fully-owned subsidiary of NYP, with no personal financial gains for its board or staff, and clarified that the Auditor-General's findings related to corporate governance lapses rather than fraud.
The Minister detailed that NYP's error was treating NYPi as an internal department rather than a separate legal entity, leading to improper subsidization, and emphasized that corrective measures are being implemented to establish a proper governance framework.
Dr Intan Mokhtar raised follow-up questions about potential disruptions from the $8.38 million in excess funding, steps to inform future board members on governance, and whether actions were taken against those with "vested interests."
The Minister responded that no disciplinary action was warranted as no fraud or third-party leakage occurred, and instead, the focus is on improving governance across polytechnics and ensuring transparency in NYPi's subsidies.
NYP is in the process of drafting a new governance framework to be approved by October, with the Ministry briefing all polytechnics and institutes to prevent similar lapses.

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15 Aug 2016

Consultancy Services for Construction of Bin Centre at Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall

The Minister explained that the consultancy for the bin centre was a contract variation for the broader redevelopment, procured as a lump sum to manage complex multi-institutional needs and limit cost escalation, with total consultancy costs at 8.7% of project costs, within industry benchmarks.
The consultant conducted extensive feasibility studies for site selection, structural works, traffic and pedestrian flows, odour control, and sensitive design, leading to construction cost savings of $420,000 through value engineering.
The Ministry acknowledged the Auditor-General's concern about documentation for the fee assessment but noted the AGO did not find the consultant overpaid, and stated that a fixed lump-sum contract would still be used if the project were done again due to the project's complexity.
In response to questions, the Minister clarified that facade design was part of the broader consultancy scope considering historical aesthetics, and while the AGO's percentage rule is reasonable for typical construction, it could reasonably be deviated from for this unique, non-construction-focused consultancy.

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11 Jul 2016

Clarification of Alleged Cooling-off Day Violations

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked the Prime Minister to clarify what constitutes "regular propagation, promotion and discussion of political issues" and when personal political views shared online cease to be protected from Cooling-off Day restrictions.
Chan Chun Sing, speaking for the Prime Minister, explained that while individual cases cannot be commented on due to ongoing police investigations, election advertising is prohibited on Cooling-off and Polling Days to allow voters to reflect.
The Elections Department uses a practical approach to enforce this, considering the intent of posts (e.g., promoting a candidate or party) and their reach and impact, especially from individuals who regularly discuss political issues.
The law permits personal political views shared privately (e.g., via email or SMS to friends) on a non-commercial basis, but public posts like blogs or social media updates that advocate for a candidate or party are considered illegal election advertising.
The Elections Department focuses on monitoring and action based on the factors of intent, reach, and impact, rather than attempting to monitor every individual post, due to the vast scale of online activity.

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11 Jul 2016

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill

The Minister moved to amend the Bretton Woods Agreements Act to allow MAS to provide grants to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), funded by Singapore’s share of IMF gold sales profits, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Amendments introduce safeguards requiring Parliamentary approval for grants, Gazette publication of financial assistance details, and collective action with at least one other government, while consolidating MAS’s existing powers for loans and deposits.
MPs supported the Bill but raised questions on reserves impact, sustainability of PRGT, rationale for low threshold for collective action, constitutional safeguards involving the President, potential write-offs of loans, scope of “other financial assistance,” and public transparency beyond the Gazette.
The Minister clarified that gold sales proceeds would not affect official foreign reserves, PRGT lending capacity is sustainable for two decades, IMF loans carry low credit risk due to preferred creditor status, and MAS will ensure public accountability beyond just Gazette publication.

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11 Jul 2016

Government's Actions after Disclosure in Panama Papers

Dr Lim Wee Kiak questioned the Ministry of Finance on its actions after the Panama Papers disclosure, including whether Singapore companies or individuals were named and the government's stance on Singapore being labeled a tax haven.
The Senior Minister of State for Finance confirmed that one Singapore-incorporated company and some individuals/entities with Singapore links were named, but emphasized that offshore vehicles are legal and authorities are reviewing for actual wrongdoing, with regulatory bodies reminding intermediaries to report suspicious activities.
The government reiterated Singapore's commitment to financial integrity, its adherence to international standards, and its readiness to assist foreign investigations, while noting that naming specific individuals or entities during ongoing reviews would be inappropriate.

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11 Jul 2016

Measures to Prevent Medical and Dental Clinics from Over-provision of Services under Community Health Assist Scheme

The Minister of State for Health outlined that MOH provides guidelines, conducts regular audits, and investigates complaints to prevent over-servicing under CHAS, having recently suspended two clinics for errant practices.
Seah Kian Peng expressed concerns from residents about rising prices and questioned the effectiveness of controls, suggesting a more proactive approach given the use of public funds.
The Minister responded that while complaints exist, no clear evidence of over-charging has been found due to variations in GP practices, and only a small number of clinics are under investigation relative to the total.
Leon Perera raised a specific concern about GPs charging consultation fees for follow-up visits when claiming CHAS subsidies, and the Minister advised submitting details for investigation if such practices occur.
The Minister emphasized that MOH will take action against misconduct if found through audits, but also encouraged patient-clinic engagement and transparency in charges to address misunderstandings.

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8 Apr 2016

Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017

The debate on the Estimates of Expenditure for FY2016-2017 began with the procedural order for consideration in the Committee of Supply.
Mdm Speaker chaired the session, overseeing the formal start of the budget debate.
The discussions focused on the proposed government expenditure for the financial year from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.
The proceedings highlighted the importance of parliamentary scrutiny of public spending plans.
The debate reflected Singapore’s commitment to transparent and accountable fiscal governance.

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6 Apr 2016

Online Voting Using SingPass for Singaporeans based Overseas

The Government has studied online voting for overseas Singaporeans using SingPass but identifies challenges such as authentication, preventing impersonation, ensuring voting secrecy, system reliability, and security risks like hacking.
SingPass can partially address authentication issues but cannot fully overcome other challenges like voting secrecy, audit difficulties, and vulnerability to cyberattacks, as highlighted by the Minister.
The current method of postal voting is considered simpler and more transparent to maintain election integrity, with the Government cautioning against internet voting due to unresolved risks.

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5 Apr 2016

Cases of Fraud in Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme

IRAS investigated 488 cases of fraud under the PIC scheme since its inception as of 31 December 2015.
Eight cases have been prosecuted with convictions, involving $213,000 in cash payouts, and three cases are pending trial.
None of the 11 court cases involve consultants as subjects of proceedings.

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4 Apr 2016

Disciplinary Actions and Preventive Measures Related to Hepatitis C Outbreak at SGH

The Minister for Health stated that disciplinary actions were taken against 12 SGH leaders and four MOH directors, resulting in warnings, stern warnings, and financial penalties for failures in infection control and reporting, but declined to disclose individual names or specific reasons to foster a learning culture over blame.
In response to the Hepatitis C outbreak, SGH and MOH implemented corrective measures including retraining staff, enhancing infection control processes, and engaging external consultants to review clinical procedures.
MOH established a National Outbreak Response Team and simplified disease notification processes to strengthen the healthcare system's ability to detect and respond to future infectious disease outbreaks.

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24 Mar 2016

Punishment for SAF Officers Involved in Exercises that Lead to Deaths or Injuries

Minister Ng Eng Hen explained that in the 2012 case where a National Serviceman died from an allergic reaction to smoke grenades, the Coroner found the reaction was unlikely to have been predicted, so the Attorney-General’s Chambers decided not to prosecute the two SAF officers criminally.
The officers were instead charged under military law for breaching safety regulations and punished with fines and delayed promotions, which the Minister said was consistent with similar offences and resulted in a setback to their careers.
The Minister emphasized that SAF’s safety standards are high and that prosecutions in civilian courts occur when there is evidence of reckless or negligent acts, as seen in two other cited cases where officers were fined or jailed.
In response to a supplementary question, the Minister noted that promotion delays are based on the severity of the offence and that the Government Proceedings Act provides necessary protection for security forces to act without undue fear during operations and training.
The Minister stated that while tragic, the case was handled through independent judicial processes, and any changes to liability laws should be debated by Parliament, balancing accountability with the need to maintain effective training and operations.

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14 Mar 2016

Corruption Trend

The number of corruption complaints and cases investigated in Singapore remained stable from 2010 to 2014, with the latest annual statistics to be released in April 2016.
The Corruption Reporting Centre at Whitley Road was established to provide a convenient public access point for reporting corruption, as complaints made in person are three times more likely to result in investigations.
The new centre is co-located with CPIB's Heritage Gallery and aims to encourage more public reporting by making it easier to submit information on suspected graft cases.

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14 Mar 2016

MOE's Directive for Schools Not to Take in Transfer Students without Required Cut-off Points

The Ministry of Education explained that its directive to limit transfers to students who meet a school's cut-off point aims to ensure a fair, transparent, and objective admissions process, addressing past complaints about unfairness.
Officials noted that while over 800 successful transfers occurred, flexibility remains for exceptional cases, such as medical or special needs, and Principals can consider qualified appeals within the guidelines.
MPs raised concerns about the sudden policy announcement timing, the balance between flexibility and transparency, and whether the PSLE score has become the sole decisive factor, with MOE committing to better communication and retaining a holistic system that includes non-academic pathways like DSA.

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