The Singapore government is known for its clean hands and good governance.
That’s a reason why the top leaders of Singapore command such high salaries and reputable positions.
However, could that be a fact that is no longer the case moving forward?
From controversies about Ministers renting out expensive and coveted colonial bungalows, to prominent politicians having affairs, to investigations into a Minister’s link to corruption, the reputation of our government has taken a hit.
There were also revelations that the supposedly incorruptible and clean Singapore actually houses some money laundering individuals, with about $1 billion worth of assets and other valuable items seized.
Now, there are allegations that these money laundering schemes and corruption probes were not voluntarily conducted by the Singapore government but only done due to pressure from foreign entities.
The good thing is that the foreign influence part seems to be false. A Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction notice was issued to the source spreading the part about foreign influence.
Here’s more on this hot issue.
There Were Allegations That Money Laundering and Corruption Probes Were Due to Foreign Pressure
If you follow the local political scene, the chances are that you’ve seen some of the posts made by the opposition politician, Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam.
The leader of the Reform Party had made claims as to how the Ridout Road bungalows came into the possessions of some top Ministers.
Now, he has made claims that the arrests of foreign nationals linked to the money laundering situation in Singapore were the result of China’s pressure on Singapore. He also said that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a part to play in the capture of these foreign nationals.
On top of that, Mr Jeyaretnam also said that the local investigations into our Transport Minister were due to foreign pressure.
That’s a lot of things that foreign entities are concerned about in Singapore (if these allegations are true).
As expected, Mr Jeyaretnam soon received a POFMA correction notice for his allegations by Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong.
Also, in response to these allegations, the Ministry of Law has clarified that the allegations are false.
TodayOnline reports that the Ministry shared that police gained leads through “intelligence probes and extensive investigations including the analysis of suspicious transaction reports”.
Furthermore, the investigations were not “at the behest or because of any foreign party”.
The Ministry also said that the investigation into Transport Minister Mr S Iswaran was not a result of foreign pressure.
Instead, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had been “investigating a separate matter and came across some information concerning Minister Iswaran”.
Well, we’re glad that’s cleared up.