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SDP “erects a bogeyman” about the 10 million population target, then declares “success”, says PAP’s Heng Swee Keat

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4 years ago

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People’s Action Party (PAP)’s First Assistant Secretary-General Heng Swee Keat said on Friday (3 July) that the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) “erects a bogeyman” just to “declare success”, after SDP claimed that it had “successfully extracted an assurance from the PAP” not to increase the population to 10 million.

Earlier on Wednesday (1 July), SDP’s chief Chee Soon Juan raised the issue of 10 million population target in the General Election (GE) debate, claiming that Mr Heng was “toying with the idea” of increasing Singapore’s population to 10 million.

His point was then refuted by PAP’s candidate Vivian Balakrishnan, who also took part in the debate. The National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) also issued a statement, stating that the 10 million population target is “untrue”.

Mr Heng came up to clarify on his position after the GE debate, denying that he ever targeted a 10 million population. In response, SDP took to Facebook saying that it has managed to get the PAP to say no to the 10 million population target.

The PAP issued a press statement hours later, accusing Dr Chee of twisting the facts to claim that SDP had “achieved victory” by extracting a promise from the PAP that it had no intention to increase the population to 10 million.

“The ‘1 No’ is a key plank in the SDP’s election campaign. Its falsehood renders the campaign pointless, and calls into question the integrity of the whole party,” the PAP stated.

Speaking to members of the media at a hawker centre in Bedok today, Mr Heng – who held the Deputy Prime Minister position before Parliament dissolved – said that the SDP “erects a bogeyman” to “declare success”, adding that political candidates ought to have honesty and integrity.

“[You] erect a bogeyman and then after that you declare success. I personally feel all along that integrity is very important,” he remarked.

Mr Heng continued, “The reason why so many of our businesses have been doing well overseas is that Singaporeans are known to have integrity, so we must keep honesty and integrity in our system. And we must expect that of all candidates.”

When he was asked on why the PAP chose to address the SDP’s claim now, Mr Heng said he “[doesn’t] know [why] people are choosing to spread falsehoods”.

“What is very important is for Singaporeans to judge whether you are saying something serious, or you are just spreading statements like this with no basis whatsoever. I really don’t understand. This is not the right kind of politics.

“We must be sincere and honest in seeking to serve our people. The country is facing major challenges ahead. So let’s not get distracted, let’s focus on the key issues at hand. Let’s see how we can create a better life for all Singaporeans,” he asserted.

Heng Swee Keat didn’t specify Govt aims 10 million population, but he cited Liu Thai Ker

Although it is true that Mr Heng did not specifically mention the Government had aimed to increase Singapore’s population to 10 million people, he did mention – in The Straits Times’ report on 29 March 2019 – that “Singapore’s population density is not excessive” and that “other cities are a lot more crowded” than Singapore.

The Straits Times’ report reads, “He cited former chief planner Liu Thai Ker, who said in 2014 that Singapore should plan for 10 million people for it to remain sustainable in the long term.”

In reference to that, SDP in its statement on Thursday said that “the average person reading the report would conclude that Mr Heng was is, indeed, toying with the idea of a 10 million population as indicated by Dr Chee”.

Former Director of Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD), Yoong Siew Wah also commented on the GE debate in his latest article to TOC, noting that Mr Balakrishnan could have shown “more civility” by clarifying the public misconception of the 10 million population target as it was “already a public knowledge” and “not a rumour”.

“He could have strongly emphasised that it was not the intention of the Government to target a 10 million population for Singapore and that certainly not from Heng Swee Keat.

“Otherwise this can easily spiral into something so titanic that it could be like a double-edged sword hanging over the PAP election campaign,” said Mr Yoong.

Singapore population increases by 1.74 million last 20 years

Based on the Government-owned website Singstat, Singapore’s population has largely increased by 87,242 on average per year in the past 20 years. From 1999 to 2019, the country’s population has increased by 1,744,846.

This means that Singapore would certainly exceed the 6.9 million population if the Government decides to continue to increase the population at the same rate as in the last 20 years.

In fact, at this rate, the country would attain 6.7 million by 2030, which is not that significantly below the 6.9 million figure.

 

 

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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.

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13 hours 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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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

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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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