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S’poreans to speak up against Burma’s sham elections

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14 years ago

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As Burma prepares itself for its General Elections, which have been criticized worldwide for being neither free nor fair, the Free Burma Campaign (Singapore) is lending its voice to the criticism with an event at Speakers’ Corner on 30 October.

From the Free Burma Campaign:

Join us at Speakers’ Corner on Saturday, 30 October 2010 from 4pm to 4.45pm to say “NO TO BURMA’S SHAM ELECTIONS” .

Come for a photo session and get your voice heard with a large placard that reads “No to Burma’s Sham Elections”. As a gesture of solidarity, do wear a red shirt for the event.

The Burmese Junta is determined to push through with elections on 7 November 2010. This is being done despite electoral laws that clearly do not allow a free and fair election.

Long-time dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest while many political prisoners are still held in prison. Meanwhile, the Burmese people are living in constant fear of  torture and harassment under the military regime.

Join us as we stand in unity with the people of Burma. Let us come together to say “No” to the planned election – a sham election that does not represent the true voice of the people.

No to Burma’s Sham Election!

Our Facebook event page – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155688537800050

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From The Guardian, 13 August:

Burma will hold its first elections in two decades on 7 November, the ruling military junta has announced, amid growing international criticism that the poll will be neither free nor fair.

In a brief statement, the regime announced on national television only that “multi-party general elections for the country’s parliament will be held on Sunday 7 November”.

The poll presents a massive logistical challenge for authorities who have less than three months to organise nationwide polls for a country of more than 50 million people, separated by mountains, poor roads, and resistance armies, during Burma’s wet season.

So far nearly 40 parties have registered for the election, though 11 are regime or proxy-regime parties.

Finding support for parties opposed to the ruling junta is difficult, democracy activists have said.

Cho Cho Kyaw Nyein is one of “Burma’s princesses”, one of three daughters of former prime ministers who lead the newly formed Democratic party.

“People are very scared of politicians. They don’t want to come near or mingle with us. They always say it is safe to stay away from the politicians because otherwise they will be bullied by the government,” she told The Guardian.

Most opposition parties are targeting only a few seats, while the 26 parties representing ethnic minorities will contest only seats where they have substantial populations.

The military will contest every seat and is understood to have a massive war chest of election funds, raised mainly through selling off state assets.

“We are no match compared with the Solidarity party from the government,” Kaung Myint Htut from the Democracy Congress party said.

“We don’t have enough budget, we don’t have the people, we are no match.”

The international community has grown increasingly frustrated by the secrecy surrounding Burma’s election preparations, and the country’s draconian new electoral laws.

“A lack of cooperation at this critical moment represents nothing less than a lost opportunity for Myanmar,” the UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, said this week.

The United States, European Union and other states have imposed sanctions on Burma’s military rulers for their failure to pursue genuine democratic reforms.

“We certainly do not have any expectation that what proceeds in Burma will be anything that remotely resembles a free, fair or legitimate result,” US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said last month.

The last elections in Burma, held in 1990, were won overwhelmingly by the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The result, which gave more than 80% of parliamentary seats to the NLD, was never accepted by the military, and Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the two decades since under house arrest.

This time new electoral laws exclude Aung San Suu Kyi by banning anybody serving a custodial sentence from participating.

In protest, the NLD is boycotting the election and is urging other groups not to participate, arguing that taking part in the poll will legitimise and formalise military rule in the country that has not know democracy since 1962.

The elections will also enact a controversial new constitution for Burma, one that guarantees 25% of the seats in parliament and reserves key ministries for the military.

Since no elections have been held in south-east Asia’s poorest country in 20 years, no one under the age of 38 has ever voted before.

Almost 50% of Burma’s electors will be first-time voters in November, and many are cynical the result has already been fixed.

A poll of more than 1,000 young people, by Burmese civil society organisation Egress, found 78% believed the result of the election would be manipulated by the ruling military regime, but that they still intended to vote.

Fifteen per cent believed the elections would be “useless” in moving Burma towards democracy.

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Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

2 days ago

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4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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Current Affairs

Chee Soon Juan questions Shanmugam’s $88 million property sale amid silence from Mainstream Media

Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP raised concerns about the S$88 million sale of Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill, questioning transparency and the lack of mainstream media coverage. He called for clarity on the buyer, valuation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

23 September 2024

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On Sunday (22 Sep), Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), issued a public statement on Facebook, expressing concerns regarding the sale of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Astrid Hill.

Dr Chee questioned the transparency of the S$88 million transaction and the absence of mainstream media coverage despite widespread discussion online.

According to multiple reports cited by Dr Chee, Mr Shanmugam’s property was transferred in August 2023 to UBS Trustees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which holds the property in trust under the Jasmine Villa Settlement.

Dr Chee’s statement focused on two primary concerns: the lack of response from Mr Shanmugam regarding the transaction and the silence of major media outlets, including Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

He argued that, given the ongoing public discourse and the relevance of property prices in Singapore, the sale of a high-value asset by a public official warranted further scrutiny.

In his Facebook post, Dr Chee posed several questions directed at Mr Shanmugam and the government:

  1. Who purchased the property, and is the buyer a Singaporean citizen?
  2. Who owns Jasmine Villa Settlement?
  3. Were former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong informed of the transaction, and what were their responses?
  4. How was it ensured that the funds were not linked to money laundering?
  5. How was the property’s valuation determined, and by whom?

The Astrid Hill property, originally purchased by Mr Shanmugam in 2003 for S$7.95 million, saw a significant increase in value, aligning with the high-end status of District 10, where it is located. The 3,170.7 square-meter property was sold for S$88 million in August 2023.

Dr Chee highlighted that, despite Mr Shanmugam’s detailed responses regarding the Ridout Road property, no such transparency had been offered in relation to the Astrid Hill sale.

He argued that the lack of mainstream media coverage was particularly concerning, as public interest in the sale is high. Dr Chee emphasized that property prices and housing affordability are critical issues in Singapore, and transparency from public officials is essential to maintain trust.

Dr Chee emphasized that the Ministerial Code of Conduct unambiguously states: “A Minister must scrupulously avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest between his office and his private financial interests.”

He concluded his statement by reiterating the need for Mr Shanmugam to address the questions raised, as the matter involves not only the Minister himself but also the integrity of the government and its responsibility to the public.

The supposed sale of Mr Shamugam’s Astrid Hill property took place just a month after Mr Shanmugam spoke in Parliament over his rental of a state-owned bungalow at Ridout Road via a ministerial statement addressing potential conflicts of interest.

At that time, Mr Shanmugam explained that his decision to sell his home was due to concerns about over-investment in a single asset, noting that his financial planning prompted him to sell the property and move into rental accommodation.

The Ridout Road saga last year centred on concerns about Mr Shanmugam’s rental of a sprawling black-and-white colonial bungalow, occupying a massive plot of land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which he oversees in his capacity as Minister for Law. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, also rented a similarly expansive property nearby.

Mr Shanmugam is said to have recused himself from the decision-making process, and a subsequent investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no wrongdoing while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean confirmed in Parliament that Mr Shanmugam had removed himself from any decisions involving the property.

As of now, Mr Shanmugam has not commented publicly on the sale of his Astrid Hill property.

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