Latest news with #politicalintegrity
Bloomberg
29-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Singapore Premier Warns Lawmakers on Perceptions of Impropriety
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong told ruling party lawmakers to be vigilant in their interactions to avoid perceptions of impropriety. In a letter laying out so-called Rules of Prudence for the People's Action Party's parliamentarians after the May 3 national election, Wong said they should separate their public political position from private, professional or business interests, and be wary of potential conflicts. He also told them to be 'shrewd in assessing the motives of people' who try to get close to them.
CNA
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Chee Soon Juan calls for reforms to electoral system, says SDP will not retreat despite GE2025 losses
SINGAPORE: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan reiterated his call for electoral reforms on Sunday (May 18), in his first public remarks since the party's losses at the 2025 General Election. "Rather than retreating, what we're going to be doing is embarking on this renew, rebuild, reignite campaign," he told reporters ahead of an appreciation dinner for SDP members. The opposition party lost in all four constituencies it contested in the election. Dr Chee narrowly missed out on becoming a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament after obtaining 46.82 per cent of the vote in Sembawang West SMC. The straight fight between Mr Chee and Ms Poh Li San of the People's Action Party (PAP) was the third-closest contest of the election. On Sunday, Dr Chee outlined three major initiatives that the party would be working on, the first of which was an online petition on electoral reforms. The petition highlighted six "urgent and meaningful" changes that would ensure Singapore's political system "reflects the highest standards of transparency, accountability and democratic integrity". It called for the Elections Department to be removed from the Prime Minister's Office, to "end gerrymandering" and abolish the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system. The petition also said there should be a minimum three-week campaign period, a six-month gap between the announcement of new electoral boundaries and the dissolution of parliament, and a review of the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act in Singapore to allow media to be free and independent. Dr Chee said this year's polls were "very much a smash-and-grab election" by the ruling PAP. "This whole campaign was just conducted in unseemly haste," he said. He added that the electorate hardly had time to grasp the "weighty" national concerns that affect Singapore's society before Polling Day arrived. "This has been the feedback we've been getting over and over, especially if you're talking about younger voters," he said. By the time the voters start getting involved, they are "being pushed" to make decisions. Dr Chee emphasised that the petition is a "non-partisan effort". "They are foundational principles of good governance and democratic integrity," he wrote on "Singapore is ready to take the next step forward in its political maturity by ensuring our elections are genuinely free and fair." SDP chairman Paul Tambyah said the online petition is just a starting point, and could develop into legal challenges. "Hopefully we'll be able to sustain this momentum," he said, adding that the party is taking a multi-prong approach to the next five years. LAUNCH OF SOCIAL CO-OPERATIVE The second initiative that the SDP announced is the Orange and Teal Social Enterprise Co-operative, which aims to create a "people-centric economic counterweight to the PAP-NTUC nexus". Dr Chee said the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has "lost its way", but that Singapore has been "dominated" by the PAP and NTUC. He said the co-operative is meant to operate from the ground up and will aim to offer fair-wage employment, compared to the top-down approach taken by the ruling party and the labour movement. "We're looking for Singaporeans to own a part of this business," he said. Those who register as members will pay a S$100 (US$77) fee. Its website said the co-operative wants to empower workers, freelancers, creatives, and small businesses in Singapore through shared ownership, community-driven innovation, and inclusive employment opportunities. GROWING INTEREST FROM YOUNG PEOPLE SDP also said it has seen an upsurge in interest from young people who want to be involved in the political process. "We're going to tap into it," said Dr Chee, adding that some younger voters find the political process to be unsatisfactory. The party attributed part of the increased interest to TikTok and memes that caught the attention of voters. "One thing that's been quite interesting that we have seen is that many young people, even people who are too young to vote, have been coming forward, expressing an interest," said Mr Ariffin Sha, who was part of an SDP team that contested Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC. Many people felt that the election was too rushed and felt an "innate sense of injustice" when Bukit Batok SMC was "wiped off the map", he added. Young Democrat representative Shawal Yeo said he hoped the party could direct the energy of the young people in a constructive way. "Don't get angry, get active," he said. Dr Tambyah said that at a training event held this weekend, many participants described themselves as previously "politically apathetic" and were in a political party office for the first time.
CNA
16-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
'Not practical' for ministers to avoid all contact with 'bad persons': Ong Ye Kung, Chee Hong Tat
SINGAPORE: It is impractical for ministers to ensure they never meet - or are photographed with - individuals who may be 'bad persons', said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat in a joint statement on Friday (May 16). Their remarks came after Mr Sng Chia Huat, who also goes by Rich Sng on Facebook, deleted several posts and issued an apology for making false accusations against the two ministers, as well as labour chief Ng Chee Meng. "It was necessary for us to take legal action against Mr Sng,' said the ministers. "While an individual has the right to disagree with government policies, this does not extend to making baseless accusations against policymakers that impugn their honesty and integrity." Mr Sng had alleged in social media posts that Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng were aware that convicted money launderer Su Haijin had broken the law but chose to condone his actions. All three denied the claims and issued legal letters demanding a public apology, withdrawal of the posts, and damages, which they said would be donated to charity. The ministers noted that political office holders regularly interact with a wide range of people as part of their duties, including at Meet-the-People Sessions, community events and dialogues. "This is part and parcel of the job," they said. "It is not practical for ministers to ensure they never meet, or have their photos taken with, individuals who may be or potentially may be bad persons. "The key is we do not do anything wrong in the way we discharge our duties, even as we make ourselves accessible to all segments of society." In his apology on Friday, Mr Sng said he had taken down the posts. He also offered to perform a total of 300 hours of community service in lieu of paying damages, citing financial hardship after closing his business earlier this year. The joint statement by the ministers did not address Mr Sng's apology and his offer of community service.
Malay Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Why were Singapore ministers dining with a convicted money launderer? SDP demands answers
SINGAPORE, May 15 — The Singapore Democratic Party has raised alarm over a photograph showing top government figures dining with two individuals under investigation for money laundering, saying it surfaced at a sensitive time just after the general election. In a statement, the party said public trust in Singapore's political leadership was at stake. 'We call for a full and transparent investigation through a public and independent Commission of Inquiry,' SDP said in a statement. 'Important questions need to be addressed to preserve Singapore's reputation for integrity and incorruptibility.' The SDP said it was crucial to determine whether the dinners were personal or official, and whether proper protocols were followed. The party also questioned if Covid-19 regulations had been breached during the gatherings. It expressed concern that the presence of the ministers and the NTUC chief gave the events an air of official significance. The SDP said guests at such events should have been carefully vetted to avoid reputational harm. 'The SDP calls on PM Lawrence Wong to address the matter. Remaining silent on such an alarming development, especially one coming in the immediate aftermath of the elections, is not an option.' Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Ng Chee Meng, Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat were photographed at a dinner with Su Haijin, a China-born national later jailed in the country's largest money laundering case. All three ministers said they had no personal ties to Su and had attended the dinners by invitation. They have also sued over claims linking them to him.
