Who is Lum Kok Seng, the new name in ex-minister Iswaran's latest charges?

SINGAPORE: Singapore's former Transport Minister S Iswaran was on Monday (Mar 25) handed fresh charges alleging that he obtained valuable things while he was a public servant. 

The items - said to be worth S$18,956.94 (US$14,080) in total - were obtained from a man named Lum Kok Seng, according to the charges.

What's Lum's connection to the Iswaran case? 

Under Iswaran's eight new charges, he's said to have obtained the items from Mr Lum between November 2021 and November 2022. 

They are:

• Four bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky worth S$1,084.46 
• Two bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky worth S$524.23, three bottles of L'Evangile 2014 wine worth S$394.20, three bottles of Pauillac De Latour 2015 wine worth S$186.31, three bottles of Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2015 wine worth S$1,177.21 and three bottles of Pichon Lalande 2010 wine worth S$955.80
• A TaylorMade golf driver worth S$749
• Two bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky worth S$524.23
• A set of Honma Beres BE-08 Black AQ MX golf clubs worth S$4,420
• A Brompton T Line bicycle worth S$7,907.50
• Two bottles of M&H Elements Sherry Cask whisky worth S$198
• A Scotty Cameron Phantom golf putter worth S$600 and two golf chippers worth S$100 each

Iswaran, who was Transport Minister at the time, is said to have obtained these for no consideration from Mr Lum, whom he knew to have been related to a contract for works on the Tanah Merah MRT station.

What do we know about Lum Kok Seng? 

The Attorney-General's Chambers told CNA on Monday that it would "take a decision in respect of the investigations against Mr Lum" after the completion of Iswaran's case, similar to what it said about the billionaire Ong Beng Seng. Mr Ong was arrested and named in Iswaran's initial charge sheets but has not been charged himself.

CNA has asked the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau if it is investigating Mr Lum. His name is not currently listed in the judiciary hearing list.

Identified as Mr David Lum Kok Seng on his company's website, Mr Lum is the managing director of Singapore Exchange-listed Lum Chang Holdings, which has subsidiaries in construction, property development and investments. 

Mr Lum has been managing director since Sep 1, 1985. He is also a director at a number of subsidiaries, including Lum Chang Building Contractors, Lum Chang Properties, Lum Chang Property Investments and Lum Chang Asia Pacific. 

According to Lum Chang's website, Mr Lum has more than 40 years of industry experience and "successfully led the expansion of the group’s property development activities in Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom".

It adds that Mr Lum's market knowledge, strategic business contacts and relentless entrepreneurial drive have significantly contributed to the development of the group.

His brother Mr Raymond Lum Kwan Sung has been executive chairman of Lum Chang Holdings since 1984. 

Mr Lum has two sons, Adrian Lum Wen-Hong and Kelvin Lum Wen-Sum, both of whom are also directors at the company.

Outside of the Lum Chang network, Mr David Lum Kok Seng sits on the board of directors at Nanyang Girls' High School. He's also a member of LASALLE College of the Arts - which, according to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), involves contributing to LASALLE's assets in the event it winds up.

According to the Prime Minister's Office website, Mr Lum was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2010 for his work as a patron of the Ayer Rajah-West Coast Citizens' Consultative Committee. 

The medal is given to those deemed to have rendered commendable public service in Singapore or to those with achievements in various fields, including business.

Ayer Rajah is part of West Coast Group Representation Constituency, where Iswaran was MP for 27 years before he resigned in January this year. 

What's Lum Chang known for? 

The Lum Chang Holdings website lists Lum Chang Building Contractors as one of its subsidiaries in the business of construction, alongside Lum Chang Interior and Lum Chang Brandsbridge.

Lum Chang Building Contractors has been involved in projects with the Singapore government. It has two ongoing ones with the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

The first is a tender awarded in 2016 for addition and alteration works to Tanah Merah Station and existing viaducts. This includes adding a platform - expected to be completed this year - and a concourse to the East-West Line station.

The contract was valued at S$325 million. 

The other project was awarded in 2018 and involves the construction of a 1.95km section of the North-South Corridor (Tunnel) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 9. 

According to a media release, the contract was worth S$799 million. 

LTA has not awarded any contracts to Lum Chang Building Contractors since 2019, the authority said in a statement after Iswaran's charges on Monday.

"In November 2021, LTA excluded Lum Chang from a pre-qualification to participate in a tender to construct the Punggol Station and tunnels of the Cross Island Line extension due to its poor safety records", it said.

LTA said there were two fatal accidents at the Tanah Merah Station work site in December 2020 and in September 2021.

The Ministry of Manpower conducted investigations on both cases, and LTA also introduced new safety measures to enhance workplace safety, the authority said.

Lum Chang Building Contractors also previously designed and constructed other MRT stations, including the Downtown Line's Bukit Panjang MRT Station and tunnels.

Apart from the LTA, Lum Chang Building Contractors has done projects with Singapore's national water agency PUB.

Lum Chang Holdings said in a stock exchange filing on Monday evening it is aware that Mr Lum has been named in connection with Iswaran's case.

"The board will make the appropriate announcement(s) as and when there are material developments relating to the matter," it added.

What else has Lum Chang been in the news for?

Lum Chang Building Contractors has also been accused of a Workplace Safety and Health Act breach resulting in the death of a worker, Shajahan Mohammad.

It has been charged in the State Courts over an incident on Dec 15, 2020, where it was the principal to construction company BLT Geoworks employees at a worksite near the junction of Upper Changi Road East and Koh Sek Lim Road.

Charge sheets state that Lum Chang Building Contractors failed to take measures to ensure the safety and health of these employees, leading to Mr Shajahan's death.

Lum Chang Building Contractors' employee Ong Yen Sheng, who was appointed workplace and safety health officer at the worksite, has also been charged.

Ong's case is set for further mention on Mar 28 while his company's is slated for Apr 16.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article referred to Mr Lum Kok Seng as a shareholder at LASALLE College of the Arts. LASALLE has clarified that it is a public company limited by guarantee which does not have shareholders; Mr Lum is a member. We are sorry for the error.