Analysts call for more transparency over Iswaran corruption probe in order to maintain trust and confidence

SINGAPORE: It is important for the government to be as transparent as possible about the corruption probe involving Transport Minister S Iswaran if it wants to maintain public trust and confidence in the investigation, analysts said. 

But they also acknowledged difficulties in providing further information while the probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is ongoing.

Questions have been raised about the timing and transparency of government communications on the graft probe since it was revealed that Mr Iswaran was arrested – a fact omitted from CPIB’s first media statement on the case.

“Given the keen public interest, it’s only apt for the government to provide accurate and updated information to the public in a timely manner,” said political analyst Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University.

There is a perception that information is being “selectively released”, he said.

CPIB’s first media statement on the case on Jul 12 said Mr Iswaran was "assisting" with a probe into a case uncovered by the anti-corruption agency. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a separate statement on the same day that he had agreed to CPIB opening a formal investigation.

Two days later on the night of Jul 14, CPIB revealed that Mr Iswaran had in fact been arrested on Jul 11. The bureau was responding to CNA’s queries on the arrest of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng.

Mr Ong’s arrest, which also took place on Jul 11, was made known in a Jul 14 announcement by the billionaire's publicly listed company, Hotel Properties Limited.

The government later said that both Mr Lee and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who spoke about the issue on Jul 12, did not reveal Mr Iswaran’s arrest because they did not want to deviate from what the CPIB had announced in its initial statement on the investigation as it was "related to operational matters". 

This information was made known on Thursday (Jul 20), in a correction direction issued to the Political Sophistry blog on the instruction of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

“It is CPIB’s call to make, on the operational information it was comfortable to provide in the CPIB’s press releases,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

TOUGH TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AMID PROBE, BUT MORE CAN BE DONE

Analysts acknowledged the need to ensure that the information made public does not compromise CPIB’s investigations, but also said more could be done to release information in a timely manner.

There are efforts not to “blow this matter out of proportion” as the investigations are ongoing, said Dr Felix Tan, a political analyst at Nanyang Technological University.

“It would be better if there had been more transparency about the processes early on in order to erase all future suspicions and allegations,” he said.

Dr Tan added: “I would want to believe that there will be an internal debrief over what has happened and discussions about how the party will be moving forward.

“Nevertheless, it is most unfortunate that, once again, Singaporeans will know little of what transpires within the party until a much later date, if at all.”

SMU’s Assoc Prof Tan said that “drawing fine distinctions between the CPIB and PMO (does) not help in this matter of public importance”.

While the government must not interfere in CPIB’s operational matters, the disclosure of information on the case to the public can be better coordinated, timely and accurate, he said.

Assoc Prof Tan also pointed to the Deputy Prime Minister’s assurances of transparency, which make it “imperative for the government to put out relevant information promptly”.

But Dr Woo Jun Jie, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, pointed out that it is up to CPIB to provide further updates on its investigations, and the government will not be able to provide further details until that happens. 

“As DPM Wong has noted, the CPIB’s operational needs determine the extent to which the agency can provide details on ongoing investigations,” he said.

“Nevertheless, the government has released substantial amounts of information to the public, including the restrictions on minister Iswaran's movements and access to official resources and government buildings.”

In response to CNA’s queries, the Prime Minister’s Office had said Mr Iswaran will remain in Singapore and have no access to official resources nor government buildings during his leave of absence.

IMPORTANT TO DEBUNK ONLINE RUMOURS

Analysts also agreed that it is important for the government to address and debunk online rumours about the corruption probe.

Since news of the investigation broke, rumours about the corruption allegations against Mr Iswaran have circulated widely on online forums and messaging apps.

“It is actually more damaging for rumours to circulate unchecked. In any crisis, it is absolutely necessary for the government to debunk any rumours decisively, so that there is no further public speculation along these lines.,” said Dr Woo.

He said that aside from using the POFMA, it may be helpful for public officials to debunk some of the rumours “once and for all”.

NTU’s Dr Tan also said it “would not be fair” to speculate on the seriousness of any potential corruption offences at this juncture.

He drew a distinction from other recent controversies in which People’s Action Party and Workers’ Party politicians left politics after admitting to extramarital affairs.

“After all, personal indiscretions pertain to one’s moral standing and, at best, one’s integrity and conscience,” he said.

“However, corruption would necessarily allude to all that as well as an intention to cheat and thereby a more serious offence that can have repercussions on our system and processes that we have built up over the years.”