For the last few days, our attention on the Ridout Road saga and Tan Chuan Jin’s colourful language has been redirected. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) revealed on 12 July 2023 that Transport minister Mr Iswaran has been assisting investigation into a case which the agency has uncovered.
PM Lee said that he had been briefed by the CPIB director, after which he had asked Mr Iswaran to take a leave of absence until the investigations are completed.
That same afternoon, Mr Wong provided more details on the probe, saying that it stemmed from an unrelated investigation on a separate matter. But as a later ST report would reveal, the earlier reports have been somewhat “watered down”.
So when the government says that someone is being investigated, he might actually have been arrested. When he is asked not to leave the country, his passport could have actually been impounded. Is this transparency? From the PMO:
“I gave Director CPIB my concurrence on 6 July 2023, following which the formal investigation began on 11 July 2023. Minister Iswaran is currently assisting CPIB with the investigations, which are ongoing. I have instructed Minister Iswaran to take leave of absence until these investigations are completed.“
I’m sure many of us are not aware of this, but it seems that the PM must give his concurrence before the CPIB can begin formal investigations. If he doesn’t approve, the CPIB can then approach the President and if he/she (in the case of Madam Halimah) concurrs, investigations can then proceed. That would of course not be a problem if the President does things independently. But what if we had a sneaky PM like Donald Trump, what’s there to stop him from firing the director of CPIB before he could even approach the President?
Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University’s School of Law said that it is “not meaningful to speculate” the full impact this investigation will have on the PAP as it has just started.
Nonetheless, he believes that the investigations will cast doubt on the PAP’s standards of integrity — a “political price” the party “almost certainly” has to pay.
Must pay a political price? I hear the NOS (Naive Opposition Supporters) cheering. But I can also hear the PLPs’ teeth clattering. If anything, these events may convert more people into PLPs. Why do I say that? Do you really think principles and ideology affect their choices inside the polling booth? Their connections and vested interests go up in smoke if papa loses. They will vote pragmatically. No need to worry about political price. There are enough kiasu, kiasi and gian png people around.
New Book!
