WP and PAP: Counting the costs of scandals

The recent revelations of extramarital affairs within the parties have left the public troubled, with questions about what to expect of their leaders and members, and the standards for politics in Singapore.

By Gillian Koh, Published The Straits Times, 21 Jul 2023

The dust has far from settled. But after leaders of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Workers’ Party (WP) recently addressed the questions hanging over the conduct of their members, we at least have more information to help make sense of these politically tumultuous times.

The WP leaders addressed the issue of the “inappropriate exchange” between its parliamentarian, Mr Leon Perera of Aljunied GRC, and its member, Ms Nicole Seah who contested in East Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election – they did indeed have an extramarital affair.

They have resigned from the party, which in effect means that Mr Perera will also no longer be a Member of Parliament.

The ruling PAP has also lost two of its MPs due to similar transgressions – Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, who resigned as Speaker of Parliament, and Ms Cheng Li Hui, who left her Tampines GRC seat.

How do we assess the parties’ responses, and what will these developments mean for the political ecosystem going forward?

Loss of representation

For the Workers’ Party, it is the loss of a second of only 10 duly elected MPs after GE2020, the point being that each one of these was presumably a hard-fought victory.

If it did mean as much as we imagine then it is difficult to fathom why better judgment did not prevail over Mr Perera.

In the case of the resignation of the People’s Action Party MPs, the matter of personal indiscretions and lying to party leadership were equally egregious, if not more so, given Mr Tan’s position.

But the WP as an opposition party has had to struggle harder to establish credibility, build trust, and wrest seats from the PAP.

Arguably, the price paid by the WP is far costlier; the loss in representation of an alternative voice – more significant to us.

Affairs, a cause for resignation?

On another point, the PAP that has built its reputation on high standards of probity, propriety, and personal conduct, has also been bruised by developments in its camp over the past few weeks.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is the PAP secretary-general, said it had saddened him “to discover that these two PAP MPs have fallen short of the high standards of propriety and personal conduct that we expect from all PAP MPs”.

Given that Mr Tan was Speaker, this means that the ability to remain impartial in the House was, at least technically, compromised well before the hot mic incident criticising WP MP Jamus Lim took place. What needs to be established is whether it had indeed been compromised in relation to his treatment of fellow parliamentarian Cheng.

On the other hand, the WP did not address the issue of the extramarital affair directly at its media conference announcing the resignations.

Instead, the message was more about the fact that Mr Perera and Ms Seah had not been honest with the leaders when they were asked whether there was any basis to the allegations about their affair.

WP secretary-general Pritam Singh revealed only that the WP leaders did persist in asking Mr Perera and Ms Seah if there was any truth to the allegations, but he did not provide a definitive statement on his party’s stance on extramarital affairs among its members and parliamentarians.

What Mr Singh did refer to was the pain that the Perera-Seah affair must have caused the families concerned and when such affairs happen, identifying with that as a married man himself.

Hence, there was the empathy for the affected families and an appeal to the public to let the matter rest now. When asked, he did not suggest that there was a party line on such affairs, but offered a line on party discipline and accountability to the leadership as the central issue at hand.

He also delivered a more general statement that he wanted his party’s parliamentarians to do Singapore proud and be committed to serving Parliament and Singaporeans well.

It would be useful to learn in the coming days if this is the correct reading of the differences in how the parties view the issue: Is private conduct, such as that engaged in by the four party members, something that is cause for formal discipline within the parties? Is it only a problem if it bleeds into formal public duty or is it a non-negotiable?

Leaders chasing leads, managing the damage

On the detailed management of the problems, in the PAP’s case, the parliamentarians involved admitted to the extramarital affair but lied about terminating it. Questions have been raised as to why such leeway was given since its discovery after the 2020 General Election, and even after February 2023, when firm action is expected by the public, given the PAP’s no-nonsense reputation.

PM Lee has tried to explain it and we can expect more to be said in a ministerial statement when Parliament sits in early August.

In the WP’s case, the members denied it right up to the point when the evidence was made public. And it is of concern to think that Mr Perera was going to victimise his driver, not only by sacking him but checking on legal action in relation to what was presented as a baseless allegation.

After all, we are to believe that Mr Singh and his senior colleagues seemed to have been taken in by claims by Mr Perera that the whistleblower, his driver, was a disgruntled employee, and did not question the latter directly.

In addition, perhaps in due course, we will learn if Ms Seah told the party about the affair when she is said to have confessed it to her family after it ended, or truly kept its leaders in the dark.

Recovery and doing better for parties and nation

Supporters of both parties will be disappointed, but because the next general election is still a while away, there is a lot that the parties can do to rebuild their reputation, their standing with voters, not only by the quality and lived-out values of their candidates but also through how the candidates have engaged and served them, practically.

Meanwhile, it was good that WP chairman Sylvia Lim spoke specifically about how the constituents in Aljunied GRC, where she is an MP, will continue to be served. It assures them that this has been thought about.

It is not new territory of course as MPs in Sengkang are already filling the gap left by the resignation of Ms Raeesah Khan for misleading Parliament in alleging misconduct by the police. Mr Faisal Manap from Aljunied GRC is doing double-duty in Sengkang GRC for minority representation there.

In terms of the future of Aljunied GRC, there is worry about how the issue of costs for improper payments by Ms Lim in relation to historical town council matters in Aljunied GRC will affect her standing, and how the investigations on Mr Pritam Singh in relation to the Raeesah Khan issue is going to affect him too.

This seems perilous.

We do not know yet how this could affect the representation of and service to Aljunied constituents but surely the WP will be considering various scenarios in its forward-planning.

Surely this is the time for the WP’s volunteers and also prospective candidates to rise up. It is unlikely that the battle-hardened WP will waste a crisis. WP secretary-general Singh did say that the search for good candidates is ongoing. Given what has happened, volunteers hoping to stand will be far more cautious in making a decision to put themselves forward, and the leaders, equally careful in their choices.

While case histories will always be instructive, will the WP’s internal codes of conduct be revised to institutionalise its expectations of parliamentarians?

The PAP is undoubtedly impacted by the recent arrest of Transport Minister S. Iswaran by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). If he is proven guilty, it will also deal a big blow to the ruling party, from losing an anchor minister in the West Coast GRC.

With the unequivocal line of its party secretary-general on honesty and personal conduct in recent days, there could be no doubt about the expectations and level of scrutiny that citizens will place on party leaders and their every action going forward.

It has various codes of conduct but yet again, all parts – rules, values, the right people, and peer pressure – have to be in place for a strong political ecosystem to prevail.

Generally, those who wish to be our representatives in Parliament will be reminded to do so for the right reasons, that matters of personal conduct are important in Singapore; that honesty between party members and leaders, parliamentarians and citizens, spouses and family members, is expected.

These are teachable moments for politics and governance in Singapore and if absorbed for what they are, will serve us well in the future, when the hurt is over.

Raeesah Khan lying in Parliament: Workers' Party attempts at cover-up backfires spectacularly

Workers' Party leaders, Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap told Raeesah Khan to Stick to the LIE she had told Parliament: Committee of Privileges

Raeesah Khan insists Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh had told her to keep up her lie and 'Take it to the GRAVE'

By Lim Yan Liang, Assistant News Editor, The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2021

Three senior Workers' Party (WP) MPs had told their party colleague Raeesah Khan to stick to the lie she had told in Parliament on Aug 3, the Committee of Privileges heard this week.

Ms Khan and two other party members said she was told by WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, WP chairman Sylvia Lim and WP vice-chairman Faisal Manap at an Aug 8 meeting that there was no need for her to clarify herself or for the truth to be told.

Following that meeting, she texted her secretarial assistant and a WP volunteer: “I just met Pritam, Sylvia and Faisal... they’ve agreed that the best thing to do is to take the information to the grave.”

These were among a number of revelations contained in a special report that the committee presented to Parliament on Friday (Dec 3), and which was published on Parliament’s website, alongside footage of the committee’s hearings over the past two days.

Ms Khan and her former assistant Loh Pei Ying gave evidence to the committee on Thursday and Friday, while the volunteer, Mr Yudhishthra Nathan, did so on Friday. Ms Khan’s former legislative assistant Lim Hang Ling testified on Thursday.

Ms Khan, who resigned from the party and as an MP for Sengkang GRC on Tuesday, told the committee chaired by Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin that the WP leaders had told her to keep to the lie.

"My interpretation (of the meeting with WP leaders on Oct 3) was that that there would be no consequences for me to continue the narrative that I had begun in (Parliament) in August," she said in the recorded footage.

The committee said in its report: "If Ms Khan and the WP could get away with it, there was no need to clarify the lie. If the matter was brought up again, there would also be no need for her to clarify and there was no need for the truth to be told."

The report comes a day after Mr Singh told a press conference that the party leaders had decided to give Ms Khan time to deal with the matter, as she had also told them she had been a sexual assault victim herself, and had not told her family about it.

In her Aug 3 speech, Ms Khan said she had accompanied a 25-year-old rape victim to a police station to make a report, and that the officer who interviewed the victim had made inappropriate comments about the victim's dressing and the fact that she had been drinking. But Ms Khan never accompanied the victim to a police station.

She later admitted that the victim had shared the account in a support group for women, which Ms Khan herself was in, and said she did not have the victim's consent to share the story.

In her evidence to the committee, Ms Khan also disputed statements made by Mr Singh at his press conference on Thursday (Dec 2), where, among other things, he told reporters that he had directed Ms Khan to take responsibility and admit to her lie in Parliament, and that she had contradicted this order.

No one from WP advised her to tell the truth, Ms Khan told the committee. There was also no order for her to clarify the matter.

When the committee put to her on Thursday that Mr Singh said he had ordered her to clarify the matter in Parliament in October, Ms Khan replied: "I'm hearing this for the first time."

She said that on Oct 3, a day before the Oct 4 Parliament sitting, Mr Singh had visited her at her home and said that if she kept to her narrative on the untruths which she had said on Aug 3, there would be no judgment by him.

"Ms Khan understood... that Mr Pritam Singh was advising her to continue to lie, should the matter come up the next day during the parliamentary session.

"Mr Pritam Singh did not ask Ms Khan to clarify and state the truth in Parliament," said the committee.

"To the contrary, Ms Khan was advised that she can continue to lie."

On Oct 4, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam had asked Ms Khan to provide more details about the alleged incident, saying the police had since checked their records and found no cases that fit her description.

In reply, Ms Khan maintained that her account was true but repeatedly declined to reveal any further details – including the police station they went to – citing confidentiality. She added that she had not been successful in contacting the victim.

On the same day, Ms Khan met Mr Singh and Ms Lim at the Leader of the Opposition’s office in Parliament, where the three discussed the matter.

“Neither Mr Pritam Singh nor Ms Sylvia Lim asked Ms Khan why she had lied again earlier, in answering questions asked by the Minister for Home Affairs,” said the report. “Nor did they suggest that Ms Khan clarify the truth in Parliament.”

Ms Khan was also directed by Mr Singh and Ms Lim to ignore requests by the police for information, after the authorities sent her an e-mail on Oct 7 asking her to assist with investigations into the case she had raised.

The two WP leaders told Ms Khan that the police could not compel her to speak to them.

When asked whether she was concerned that she was ignoring a legitimate request from the police, Ms Khan told the committee that she was, but that she had been unsure about what to do.

"I was concerned, but I was not sure what to do. When I asked for advice, that was the advice that was given to me (by Mr Singh and Ms Lim)," said Ms Khan.

On Oct 12, Ms Khan attended a meeting called by Mr Singh. At the meeting, which Ms Lim also attended, the three discussed the matter and came to the view that the matter would not be dropped and was not going away. As such, Ms Khan should come clean and tell the truth.

“At this meeting, Ms Khan asked if disciplinary action will be taken against her and the answer given to her was no,” said the report.

Ms Khan then made a statement in Parliament on Nov 1, clarifying that she had lied on Aug 3 and on Oct 4.

In her evidence to the committee, Ms Khan said she was “shocked and surprised” to learn that the WP had formed a disciplinary panel the next day to look into her lies to Parliament.

She went before this disciplinary panel on Nov 8 and on Nov 29.

Ms Khan told the Committee of Privileges that she would have come clean to Parliament in October and assisted police in their inquiries and told them the truth if the WP leadership had told her to do so.

“She had done neither because they had told Ms Khan that there would be no judgment if she did not clarify the truth in Parliament,” said the report.

“She took that to mean that she should continue to lie.”

The committee also asked Ms Khan about Mr Singh’s statement at the WP press conference that she would be expelled from the party if she did not resign of her own accord.

Ms Khan said this was not said to her. The WP leaders had suggested she resign for her well-being and because she had lost the support of her fellow Sengkang GRC MPs, she added.

Aide, volunteer say Workers' Party leaders were not upfront about being told Raeesah Khan lied in Parliament

By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 4 Dec 2021

Unlike what the Workers' Party leaders have claimed, former Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan was not the sole actor in allowing her lie in Parliament to go uncorrected, two party members told a Parliament committee looking into the matter.

In fact, the leaders had asked her to "take the information to the grave", and by not being transparent about their own role, they have been highly unfair to the erstwhile MP, Ms Loh Pei Ying and Mr Yudhishthra Nathan added.

Ms Loh, who was Ms Khan's secretarial assistant, and Mr Yudhishthra, a WP member assisting Ms Khan, were testifying before Parliament's Committee of Privileges.

The committee on Friday (Dec 3) night released a special report on its investigation into Ms Khan's conduct, including video testimonies of Ms Khan, Ms Loh and Mr Nathan recorded over two days of hearings on Thursday and Friday.

Ms Loh has been a party member for 10 years and was WP chief Pritam Singh's secretarial assistant. Mr Nathan has been a volunteer since 2013, became a member in 2016 and had been in the council of the WP youth wing.

They corroborated Ms Khan's testimony to the committee that WP leaders had asked her not to confess about having lied. Both knew by Aug 7 that what Ms Khan said in Parliament on Aug 3 was not truthful after she confessed to them.

Ms Loh said she was assuaged that the party's leaders knew that Ms Khan had lied in Parliament. However, she soon realised they wanted Ms Khan to batten down and keep to her untruthful story, instead of coming clean to the House, she said.

When Ms Khan again repeated her lie in Parliament on Oct 4, Ms Loh said she was shocked and was scared for her. It turned out that Mr Singh had met Ms Khan a day earlier to talk about it, and indicated that he would leave it to her to decide if she wanted to tell the truth in Parliament. He also told Ms Khan that he would not judge her. This was related to Ms Loh and Mr Nathan by Mr Singh, during a meeting on Oct 12.

Asked about the matter by the committee, Ms Loh said she was disappointed with what Mr Singh had said to Ms Khan. Mr Nathan said he felt Mr Singh had been rather indecisive.

When the party set up a disciplinary panel to look into Ms Khan's conduct on Nov 2, both Ms Loh and Mr Nathan were shocked, given the role the leadership had played.

Ms Loh said she felt the panel composition - Mr Singh, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Faisal Manap - was self-serving, as they were the very people who had advised Ms Khan on what to do and played a part in allowing the matter to drag on.

Mr Nathan felt any inquiry should have been done earlier, since the panel's members already knew of Ms Khan's lies since Aug 8.

He added the panel had contributed to an uninformed, biased and jaundiced view of the incident, because it had invited WP members and volunteers to give their views on the incident without revealing that Ms Khan had acted with the guidance of the senior WP leaders now making up the panel.

Eventually, Ms Loh and Mr Nathan met the panel on Nov 25, and told the three WP leaders they should give the public a full account of what had happened. They said not disclosing the full events would be highly unfair to Ms Khan.

Ms Loh told the Parliament Committee what Mr Singh had said on Thursday was not completely true.

"Ms Khan's mistake and the extent of her mistake is lying in Parliament on three occasions. But beyond that she is not a sole actor in how things transpired, and when she could, when she felt the need to come clean, she had informed leadership of the matter," she said.

"In case anyone thinks I am coming in with an agenda, I just want to clarify that I've been a member of WP for 10 years and I've given the cause a reasonable amount of my personal time and my youth."

Tearing up, she added: "I'm very aware of the ramifications of what I've shared... it pains me greatly. But to me, beyond anything else, it's important to be truthful to my country. I'm genuinely very afraid of what will happen after."

Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan admits to lying in Parliament about allegation that police mishandled rape case; Sengkang MP Raeesah resigns on 30 Nov 2021

WP MP Raeesah Khan referred to committee after admitting she lied to Parliament about sexual assault case

Raeesah Khan should not have shared account with untruths in Parliament: Pritam Singh

By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 2 Nov 2021

Workers' Party (WP) MP Raeesah Khan will have to appear before the Committee of Privileges, after she admitted to lying in Parliament about details of a sexual assault case that she alleged was mishandled by the police.

On Monday (Nov 1), she apologised in Parliament to the Singapore Police Force and retracted an anecdote she had shared of the alleged incident.

In explaining why she had made up details of that case, Ms Raeesah, 27, said she lacked the courage to admit that she was part of a support group for women, where the story was shared, as she herself had been a victim of sexual assault at the age of 18.

Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said Ms Raeesah (Sengkang GRC) had lied to Parliament on three occasions, after clarifying details of the matter with the WP MP when she finished her statement.

She raised an official complaint against Ms Raeesah for breaching her parliamentary privilege, and asked for the matter to be referred to the Committee of Privileges, which looks into any complaint alleging breaches of parliamentary privilege. Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin agreed to do so.

Ms Raeesah had told the House during a debate on empowering women on Aug 3 that she had accompanied a 25-year-old rape victim to a police station to make a police report three years ago, and the police officer who interviewed the victim had allegedly made inappropriate comments about her dressing and the fact that she was drinking.

On Monday (Nov 1), she admitted that she had not accompanied the victim to the police station. Instead, she said the victim had shared the account in a support group for women, which Ms Raeesah herself was a part of, and that she did not have the victim's consent to share the story in Parliament.

"I did not share that I was a part of the group, as I did not have the courage to publicly admit that I was part of it. I attended the support group because I myself am a survivor of sexual assault," she said.

Ms Raeesah said she was sexually assaulted as an 18-year-old while studying abroad. The experience continues to traumatise her to this day, she added.

"Unlike the survivor whose anecdote I shared in this House, I did not have the courage to report my own assault. Yet, as a survivor, I wanted so deeply to speak up and also share the account I had heard when speaking on the motion, without revealing my own private experience.

"I should not have shared the survivor's anecdote without her consent, nor should I have said that I accompanied her to the police station when I had not. It was wrong of me to do so."

Ms Raeesah also apologised to the survivor whose story she had shared, Parliament, her Sengkang constituents and residents, the WP, and her family.

Ms Indranee noted that Ms Raeesah had confirmed that did not have any details of the police case and was thus unable to substantiate her allegation when she made her statement in August.

Her actions had resulted in “a cloud hanging over the police” and caused them to devote time and resources to investigate the alleged incident. It also does a “great disservice” to the survivors of sexual assault and rape victims, Ms Indranee added.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh said Ms Raeesah should not have shared in the House an account that contained untruths.

The WP secretary-general noted that the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act gives an MP significant freedom of speech, to the extent that what is said in Parliament cannot be impeached or questioned outside Parliament.

“However, this freedom of speech does not extend to communicating untruthful accounts, even if an MP’s motives are not malicious,” Mr Singh said. “(Ms Raeesah) shared with me that she wanted to set the record straight in Parliament. This was the correct thing to do.”

Ms Indranee said she was raising the complaint to the Committee of Privileges with great reluctance as she had sympathy for Ms Raeesah’s personal circumstances.

“But as Leader of the House, I also have a responsibility and that is to ensure that in this Chamber, all MPs discharge their duties faithfully, accountably and responsibly. Any breaches of privilege have to be dealt with,” she said.

The eight-member Committee of Privileges is chaired by the Speaker of Parliament. Its other members are Ms Indranee, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, National Development Minister Desmond Lee, Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC) and WP MP Dennis Tan (Hougang).

Ms Indranee said she and Mr Shanmugam would recuse themselves as she had made the complaint, while his ministry was involved.

Under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, Parliament can take action against MPs found to have breached their parliamentary privileges. The punishments include a jail term not extending beyond the current session of Parliament; a fine of up to $50,000; suspension; a reprimand from the Speaker; or any combination of the above.

MPs can also have their privileges and immunities suspended, which means they can be liable to civil proceedings for anything they said in Parliament.

Next GE will decide if Singapore can sustain a good, stable Govt: PM Lee Hsien Loong at the PAP65 Awards and Convention 2019

Keeping Singaporeans' faith in the PAP
He tells PAP to get ready for tough fight, with next election about Singapore's future
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 11 Nov 2019

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday set out what is at stake for the next general election, saying it will decide if Singapore can sustain a good and stable government that can safeguard Singaporeans' lives and well-being.

Addressing 2,500 People's Action Party (PAP) activists at what could be the last major party gathering before the general election, he told them to be prepared for a tough fight.

PM Lee, the PAP's secretary-general, called on activists to continue working hard to convince Singaporeans to give the ruling party the mandate to lead the country again in the upcoming election, which will take place amid an uncertain global environment.

There is a lot to lose if Singapore's politics turn unstable or dysfunctional, he said, adding that the upcoming polls are "not just about the PAP doing a bit better or a bit worse", but whether Singapore can be different from other countries for a long time to come.

"The next election is about the future of Singapore," he said. "Soon, it will be time for battle again."



The general election must be held by April 2021, but is widely expected to be called next year.

PM Lee began his speech by highlighting what the PAP Government has done since the last general election to improve people's lives, from increasing pre-school and tertiary subsidies and rolling out the Merdeka Generation Package to help manage the cost of living, to creating better jobs and improving the public transport network.

He then set out the challenging external environment Singapore has to navigate, and outlined what the party has to do to retain the electorate's trust, from giving people hope for the future to ensuring unity and social cohesion.

Externally, Singapore is likely to come under more pressure from the United States and China to take a side, as tensions between both powers grow, PM Lee noted.

Nearer to home, while relations with Malaysia and Indonesia are good, there remain difficult issues to resolve, he said. These include water with Malaysia and airspace arrangements with both countries.

PM Lee stressed that aside from a capable government, strong domestic support is crucial in managing these external issues. "The unity of Singaporeans is our first line of defence," he said at the PAP convention at the Singapore Expo.

"Others will be watching us closely to see if the PAP wins a strong mandate, especially at a time of leadership transition."



He said the PAP will have to maintain the "deep reservoir of trust" it has with Singaporeans - a compact he said the party had built up by being upfront about unpopular but necessary policies, and delivering what it promised.

He also reiterated the rationale for potential hot-button issues at the next general election, including raising the goods and services tax some time after the election and amendments to the Constitution to ensure the president is from a minority group from time to time.

On changes to the elected presidency, he said minority ethnic groups now have an assurance that their place in Singapore's society will always be safeguarded.

"Overall, from a short-term perspective, this issue is a political minus for the Government, for the PAP," he said. "But this is part of governing. I am convinced that we did the right thing. We must never, ever be afraid to do what is right for Singapore."

Beyond race and religion, the country also has to guard against fault lines like a disconnect between the masses and the elite, he said. The PAP's strength stems from having the people's mandate, he added, urging party activists to always keep in close contact with the people, understand their issues and put their interests first.

He said the PAP has to make sure the system always works for ordinary Singaporeans so that they will embrace it.

Highlighting the party's "symbiotic relationship" with the unions as a key way it stays close to workers, he said the PAP will always serve and represent workers' interests.



PM Lee then stressed that the electorate's trust in the PAP has to be sustained in every generation.

The party's fourth-generation team, led by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, has taken shape, he said, adding that it has a very difficult task and deserves full support across the party.

"Back them. They are our team, they are Singapore's team," he said.

The country, he added, needs the best team to take it forward. "That team is the PAP."

MRT tunnel flooding incident: Khaw Boon Wan's ministerial statement in Parliament on 7 November 2017

Transport Minister Khaw outlines plans to prevent flooding of MRT tunnels again
Pump system being improved, pay of top staff to be reviewed and Taipei experts to conduct audit
By Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2017

The design of the Bishan water pump system is being improved, the pay of top management will be reviewed and experts have been roped in from Taipei Metro as part of efforts to prevent the Oct 7 MRT tunnel flooding and similar incidents from happening again.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday took Parliament through the events of Oct 7, which he described repeatedly as "sad" and "embarrassing".

In a two-hour debate, during which SMRT chief executive Desmond Kuek and several of his senior colleagues sat grimly in the Parliament gallery, Mr Khaw also outlined an action plan to prevent a recurrence of the flooding.

First, all float switches controlling pumps in the storm water sump pit have been replaced with heavier-duty models which can handle "water with more sediments".

Parallel float switches have also been installed so that no one switch determines the activation of the pumps. On Oct 7, a malfunctioning override switch prevented all three pumps from kicking in.

A new radar sensor system has been added to independently monitor water levels in the sump pit.

These measures came in response to the tunnel flooding which shut down a large stretch of the North-South Line for about 20 hours and affected 250,000 commuters on Oct 7 and 8.



Next, Mr Khaw revealed the SMRT board will "review the remuneration of its senior management, from the CEO through the relevant chain of command". "This is as it should be," he said, adding that new SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming - whom Mr Khaw recommended for the post - told him of the board's intent.

"It is the responsibility of management to set the right culture of professionalism and excellence. It begins from the top. And if there is poor culture, the CEO is responsible," he said, in an oblique reference to Mr Kuek's statement that there were "deep-seated cultural issues" within his company.

SMRT vice-president Ng Tek Poo, who was in charge of the team responsible for upkeeping the anti-flood system, has been suspended.

Six other managers were also suspended in relation to the maintenance lapses in the network's anti-flood system. They included another vice-president who was Mr Ng's predecessor, a chief engineer and a deputy director.

SMRT has also roped in experts from Taipei Metro to conduct an "independent review of its operations, to flush out any gaps, and recommend improvements in the areas of system management, engineering and maintenance".

Mr Khaw revealed that ST Kinetics chief technology officer Richard Kwok will head SMRT's audit team from Dec 18. Mr Kwok's team will report to the SMRT board, and he will also lead a Joint Readiness Inspection team which will report to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT "joint board technical committee".

"The tighter audit system will help to identify any deficiencies so that they can be addressed early before faults occur," Mr Khaw said.

Fifteen MPs questioned Mr Khaw after his statement, seeking more clarity on issues ranging from audits on SMRT to its culture.

In response to a question filed by Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, Mr Khaw said the incident did not merit a public inquiry.

"While investigations by LTA will take a few more weeks to complete, the facts of the Oct 7 incident are not complicated, and the cause of the incident is clear," Mr Khaw said. "My ministry will therefore not be convening a committee of inquiry."

Workers' Party MPs sued by own Town Council AHTC over $33 million in improper payments; High Court trial in October 2018

* Workers' Party MPs Court Case against Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) -October 2018







Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) taking WP leaders to court to account for $33 million it paid
The MPs deny town council's allegations and say they acted in best interests of residents
By Danson Cheong and Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2017

Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) is taking some of its most senior councillors - including Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang and party chairman Sylvia Lim - to court to account for more than $33 million in payments made to its former managing agent and service provider.

AHTC alleges that the payments it made to managing agent FM Solutions and Services (FMSS) and service provider FM Solutions and Integrated Services, from July 15, 2011, to July 14, 2015, are null and void as the town councillors had acted in breach of their fiduciary duties - a charge they strongly deny.

AHTC initiated the legal action under the direction of an independent panel it appointed in February to help recover improper payments, as first reported by The Straits Times yesterday.

It is demanding that Mr Low, Ms Lim, FMSS owner How Weng Fan and FMSS give an account of the $33,717,535 in payments.

AHTC wants "equitable compensation" for any sum that has been wrongfully paid out.

At the very least, it wants Mr Low and Ms Lim to be liable for a sum of $1,261,773 - which it claims was the difference in fees between the "inflated rates" charged by FMSS and the rates it would have paid under CPG Facilities Management, the previous managing agent.



AHTC claimed that Mr Low and Ms Lim had acted in bad faith and misled other town councillors in order to justify installing FMSS as the managing agent without a tender. They then "set up and/or allowed a system" that made it possible for FMSS and its officers to "benefit themselves".

"No town councillor could have reasonably approved the system, without being in breach of his or her duties," said AHTC.

The town council, represented by lawyer David Chan from Shook Lin & Bok, set out its demands in a statement of claim filed in the High Court.

The independent panel that directed the action is chaired by Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam and includes Senior Counsel N. Sreenivasan and KPMG managing partner Ong Pang Thye.

The WP MPs have denied the allegations.

Speaking to the media last night, Mr Low thrice said that his conscience is clear.

"We acted in good faith and in the best interests of residents - the residents can see for themselves," said Mr Low, who was flanked by Ms Lim and town council chairman Pritam Singh, also a defendant in the suit.

Ms Lim and Mr Singh said they welcomed the opportunity to tell their side of the story in court.

Town Councils Act amended: Law passed to strengthen town council governance on 10 March 2017

Regulations part of wide-ranging changes to clarify town councils' role, boost financial management
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 11 Mar 2017

Town councils that fail to submit their audited financial accounts on time would have committed an offence under a new law passed by Parliament yesterday.

Another offence introduced in the new Town Councils Act is failing to keep a record of the conflicts of interest declared by town councillors and employees when dealing with, say, contracts.

A town council will also run afoul of the law when it carries out commercial activities, such as organising trade fairs, which are not part of its core functions.

The penalties include a fine of up to $5,000 when town councils fail to comply.

The regulations are part of wide-ranging changes that Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said would clarify a town council's role, improve governance and strengthen financial management.



His ministry will also have greater regulatory oversight of town councils, a change opposed by the Workers' Party (WP).

Mr Lee said the changes will boost the transparency and public accountability of town councils.

The new law follows a review of the Town Councils Act that was mooted in 2013, following heated parliamentary debates on the running of town councils and the handover of Aljunied GRC, which the WP took over from the People's Action Party after the 2011 polls.

The amendments are the most sweeping since town councils were introduced in 1989.

In explaining their importance, Mr Lee said town councils serve more than 3.2 million residents and collectively manage over $1.6 billion in public funds. This is a sharp rise from 2.4 million residents and $300 million in the early 1990s, he noted.

People's expectations of town councils have also risen. "As public institutions entrusted with millions of dollars received from residents and the Government, town councils should be held to the same standards of governance as charities and public-listed companies," he said.

The robust debate involving 14 MPs lasted three hours. Eventually, all nine WP MPs voted against it.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council general manager under CPIB probe; Victor Wong charged with corruption for accepting bribes worth $107,000

By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 30 Dec 2016

The general manager and secretary of Ang Mo Kio Town Council has been removed from his duties and is under investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Mr Victor Wong, who works for CPG Facilities Management, the managing agent of the town council, was asked to go on leave by his company after the town council received a complaint about him in September, town council chairman Ang Hin Kee told The Straits Times yesterday.

He added that the case had been referred to the CPIB and Mr Wong was removed from his positions at the town council last month.

An acting general manager, Mr Lim Kian Chiong, has been appointed to replace him, according to a notice published last month in the Government Gazette.

Mr Lim is also an employee of CPG Facilities Management, which is contracted to manage the estate.

Mr Ang, who is an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, said the town council received a complaint in September about Mr Wong concerning "the way he handles contracts and dealings in the town council".

He added that the complaint "arose out of his dealings which relates to probable behaviour needing investigation done by CPIB".

"Needless to say, the town council ourselves will render all the assistance needed to ensure zero tolerance for corruption," said Mr Ang.

"There's responsibility on the part of our contractors to do the job properly. If they do it inappropriately, then we will take follow-up actions with regard to getting them replaced (and) sending the case for investigation, making sure the necessary steps are taken."

Workers' Party's proposal on Elected Presidency similar to Bullshit

Parliament debates WP call for senate and referendum
By Danson Cheong, The Straits Times, 9 Nov 2016

The House saw a spirited debate yesterday after the Workers' Party (WP) proposed a popularly elected senate and called for a referendum on its ideas. Its first major statement on changes to the elected presidency being debated in Parliament came under fire from no less than a dozen People's Action Party MPs.

The WP, which has opposed the elected presidency since it was introduced 25 years ago, wants a return to the old system in which Parliament appoints the president.

The president's current custodial powers over the national reserves and key public sector appointments would instead be vested in an eight-member senate, said WP chairman Sylvia Lim.



Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Education Janil Puthucheary gave the most forceful rebuttal at the end of the sitting:

"They did not submit this proposal to the Constitutional Commission, they did not submit it for public scrutiny or public debate. At the last minute, when the vote is tomorrow on this motion before us, we hear of this extraordinarily radical proposal to take apart our president, make it symbolic and elect another eight people who are effectively the custodial presidents."