Other Members of Parliament from West Coast will temporarily assume the responsibilities of Transport Minister S Iswaran while he is unable to fulfill his duties during the ongoing investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), stated Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (July 12).
Addressing journalists, Mr. Wong acknowledged that since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had instructed Mr. Iswaran to take a leave of absence, he would be unable to carry out his ministerial responsibilities. Furthermore, considering the circumstances, it would also be challenging for him to fulfill his duties as a Member of Parliament. As a result, the other MPs from West Coast GRC will cover Mr. Iswaran's parliamentary obligations.
On Wednesday morning, the CPIB announced that Mr. Iswaran was assisting with their investigation into a case that the agency had uncovered. However, the specific details regarding the nature of the investigation were not disclosed.
Prime Minister Lee also directed Mr. Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the investigation is concluded. In his absence, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat will assume the role of Acting Minister for Transport.
In addition to his position as Transport Minister, Mr. Iswaran is also the minister-in-charge of trade relations at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). The ministry stated that other political officeholders would temporarily handle Mr. Iswaran's portfolio during his leave of absence. As investigations are ongoing, MTI declined to provide further comments.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee assured residents of West Coast division that he, along with the other MPs from the region, would assume Mr. Iswaran's duties, including meet-the-people sessions. Their priority is to continue serving the residents and ensuring their needs are met.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong addressed questions regarding the timing of the announcement of Mr. Iswaran's leave of absence compared to the CPIB's investigation into the rental of Ridout Road state properties involving Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Mr. Wong emphasized that the two cases were distinct. The Ridout case received public and parliamentary attention, prompting the ministers to request an independent review, which led to the CPIB investigation. The investigations concluded that the ministers had not engaged in any wrongdoing or corruption, and the findings were publicly disclosed and discussed in parliament.
In contrast, Mr. Iswaran's case was initiated solely by the CPIB without any public complaint. The agency discovered the matter during its preliminary findings and investigations, leading to the decision to interview Minister Iswaran as part of further investigations.
CPIB had previously informed Mr. Lee about an unrelated investigation, and they updated him on the matter in May. Deputy Prime Minister Wong stated that he was also kept informed at that time. Last week, on July 5, CPIB updated Mr. Lee on their findings and requested to interview Mr. Iswaran. The following day, Mr. Lee agreed with the director of CPIB to initiate formal investigations, which commenced on the stated date.
While understanding public concerns and the desire for more information, Mr. Wong emphasized that the ongoing CPIB investigations prevented him from providing additional details. He urged everyone to allow the investigation to proceed and refrain from further speculation.
Mr. Wong highlighted that the CPIB investigation demonstrated Singapore's commitment to maintaining a clean and incorruptible system of government. The government's firm stance against corruption remains unchanged, and cases will be thoroughly investigated, irrespective of their potential impact. Transparency and accountability will be upheld, even if they may be challenging or detrimental to the People's Action Party (PAP) government.
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