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Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC political broadcast: SPP calls for transparency, accountability and commitment while PAP lists its greatest hits for the ward

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4 years ago

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The Singapore People’s Party (SPP) and People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates contesting at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC appealed to voters on Friday (4 July) night in some of the first constituency political broadcasts of GE2020 which aired in a national broadcast.

The SPP team for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC comprises the party’s secretary-general Steve Chia, Melvyn Chiu and Williiamson Lee. The fourth member of the team, Osman Sulaiman, was not present.

During the broadcast, Mr Chia outlined six main points to voters on what they can expect from SPP if they make it into Parliament, starting with the party’s commitment to being full-time MPs if elected as well a promise to hold public officers to greater accountability.

Mr Chia said, “We will become MPs who will always be available to you to attend to your concerns.”

He later said, “Parliament is the place where laws are being made. There is a need for more conversations and debates on policies and issues that affect you… we want to hold public officers to greater accountability.”

Mr Chia went on to ask voters, “Do you really one to give PAP another 70% of the vote?” noting that his party believes that the people want diversity of views and a balanced parliament to “protect against power abuse”.

Mr Chia then said that the PAP has “failed to solve” many growing concerns such as stagnating wages, rising cost of living, depreciation of HDB flats, and competition for employment with foreign talent.

He said about jobs, “We are not being xenophobic here but we believe that a balanced approach should be taken so that Singaporeans do not feel short changed.”

He also highlighted the issue of income inequality, saying, “Ministers are paid millions while the

gross median wage of Singaporeans remain at just over $4,500 per month last year. There is no job security and there is no minimum wage to fall back on. Why?”

He noted that SPP is proposing a minimum wage law that would protect workers.

Moving on, Mr Chia talked about transparency and accountability, pointing out the still-unrevealed amount in the national reserves as well as the often debated salary of Temasek CEO Ho Ching’s annual salary.

“This is just one of many governance issues that needs to be addressed and the only way to answer that is to ask the hard questions in Parliament,” said Mr Chia, hinting that SPP would do just that.

Finally, Mr Chia stressed on the point that other opposition parties have talked about before, which is that they “believe that the Constitution should not be easily amended to suit the objectives of the PAP“.

“It is thus crucial that we deny PAP the power to rubber-stamp policies and change the Constitution to suit their advantage,” he added.

He continued, “Together with other non-governing parties, we seek to deny PAP a two-thirds majority in Parliament.”

Conversely, SPP’s opponents and incumbents focused their constituency political broadcast by talking about what they have done for the ward over the years.

The four-men PAP team comprises incumbent MPs Ng Eng Hen, Chee Hong Tat, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Mr Chong Kee Hiong.

Mr Ng Eng Hen, who spoke first for the group, highlighted the elderly fitness stations and playgrounds as well as new covered-walkways, renovated markets, lift replacements, and the new 3-generation mega recreational park that is due to be completed within a year. He also mentioned the new community club built in Bishan and the upgrading of existing ones in Toa Payoh West and Thompson.

He then went on to address the country’s COVID-19 recovery. He said, “I want to speak honestly and plainly when I say that the next few months will be difficult as the COVID 19 outbreak has affected our economy badly.”

“The PAP government has promised to do all it can to reduce retrenchments and has taken extraordinary measures to draw out more than 50 billion dollars from our reserves to help companies keep their workers through wage support self-employed persons too are included in these schemes,” he added.

Mr Ng also warned that despite all the help, some businesses and companies may not survive while vulnerable residents may lose their jobs.

He then promised the PAP’s assistance. He said, “Together we must help residents through this difficult period. Especially with those with financial difficulties, we promise our assistance.”

The other PAP candidates went on to mention various existing programmes that they have implemented from the Estate Upgrading Program in Thompson, Fulton and Pemimpin estates to Equal Start which provides enrichment classes for children, the Block Ambassador Program and the Quick Action Aid.

Mr Chee specifically talked about the National Jobs Council’s creation of jobs for Singaporeans, saying that they intend to bring their services “closer to residents” by setting up SG United Jobs & Skills centres in both Bishan and Toa Payoh to organise job fairs and job related services.

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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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24 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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