Pritam Singh, the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) and Leader of the Opposition, has raised concerns about Cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan renting properties at 26 and 31 Ridout Road. The WP, as well as Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People's Action Party (PAP) including Murali Pillai, Sitoh Yih Pin, and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, have filed questions regarding this matter.
Singh's questions, addressed to the Prime Minister, focus on the government's reasons for not addressing the public allegations related to the lease of the Ridout Road properties to the Law Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister. He also inquires about measures in place to ensure that the ministers did not have access to privileged information regarding the lease and whether there are any rules or policies to prevent such situations.
Pillai's questions revolve around the steps taken to market, tenant, and renew the tenancies of the properties, the Law Minister's involvement in decisions related to the rental, and the measures in place to ensure fair bidding without any bidder having an advantage.
Sitoh's questions, directed to the Law Minister, seek information on the Singapore Land Authority's (SLA) standard tenancy operating procedures, whether they were followed, and the rental rates for the properties.
Zhulkarnain's questions pertain to the circumstances under which the properties were rented to the ministers and how the SLA marketed the properties for lease.
The WP has expressed its intention to study the matter further, and other WP MPs may also file questions as more information becomes available. The party has called on the SLA to release all relevant and material facts, such as the guide rent for the properties, to facilitate a comprehensive debate in Parliament.
In response to media queries, the SLA stated on May 12 that both Shanmugam and Vivian were renting the properties in full compliance with the relevant procedures. Shanmugam rented 26 Ridout Road in June 2018 after it had been vacant for over four years. He was the only bidder and offered a higher rent than the undisclosed guide rent. He renewed the tenancy in June 2021. Vivian rented 31 Ridout Road in October 2019 after it had been vacant for over six years. He was the highest bidder with a rent above the undisclosed guide rent and renewed the tenancy in October 2022.
The SLA will provide more details on this issue during the next parliamentary session in July 2023.
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