Government apologised to social service agencies for perceived 'finger-pointing' in initial statement on Megan Khung case

SINGAPORE: The government has apologised to Beyond Social Services and other agencies for the misunderstanding over "finger-pointing" when the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) made its initial statement on Megan Khung's case in April, Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said on Wednesday (Nov 5).

Mr Lee, who is also Education Minister, said this in parliament while responding to questions on the fatal child abuse case.

Four-year-old Megan died in 2020 after being abused by her mother and her mother's boyfriend for several months. The couple was sentenced in April.

In April, MSF said that social service agency Beyond Social Services, which operated the preschool where Megan was enrolled, did not fully describe the severity of her injuries in its report to the Early Childhood Development Agency. MSF said this resulted in "inadequate interventions".

A subsequent report by a review panel, published in October, found lapses by multiple stakeholders, including MSF's Child Protective Service and the police, as well as social workers.

On Wednesday, Member of Parliament Cai Yinzhou (PAP-Bishan-Toa Payoh) asked Mr Lee about initial media reporting on the case that he said "pinned the blame" on the social service agency involved. 

Mr Cai said this had prompted social workers to speak out about the "optics".

"How can we better report or (communicate) when such tragedies happen, in light of also encouraging collective ownership and culture?" asked the MP.

Mr Lee said there was a balance to be struck between setting out the facts of what happened and keeping the social service sector cohesive.

"The aim is to reflect on what happened and see how those gaps should be closed. And so there was not and should not be an intention to point fingers," said the minister.

"At the same time, the public expect some accountability and laying out of the facts. That is what happened with the report of the independent panel, and we've read the report and seen what happened.

"And so to the extent that there was a misunderstanding that there was finger-pointing, we have apologised to the relevant agencies including Beyond Social Services for the misunderstanding that had occurred. It was not the intention, but if that was perceived, we have apologised as well," said Mr Lee.

FURTHER REVIEW AFTER NEW INFORMATION EMERGED

MP Xie Yao Quan (PAP-Jurong Central) asked Mr Lee why the government decided to carry out a further review of Megan's case only after April.

Mr Lee noted that in 2020, the year Megan died, organisations involved in the case conducted internal reviews as well as bilateral reviews with MSF.

"But in 2025, both during and after the sentencing of the perpetrators involved in Megan's death, new information had surfaced – for example, photographs, as well as new information from some of the agencies concerned," said the minister.

"MSF decided, notwithstanding the (bilateral reviews) done earlier, to convene an independent panel in order to strengthen the safeguards in our system and to look into the new facts that had surfaced."

MP Melvin Yong (PAP-Radin Mas) asked about plans to raise the skill of child protection practitioners and address persistent concerns about the workload in the sector.

He noted that after the review panel had published its findings, social workers pointed out the need for more support for child protection practitioners, rather than "simply having more standard operating procedures, guidelines, protocols".

CNA previously reported on social workers calling for more support for the sector, while cautioning against imposing more procedures and enforcing more procedural compliance without considering the instincts that child protection practitioners need.

Mr Lee replied that building the capabilities of frontline child protection practitioners and strengthening the resources they have was "point number one" in his earlier response.

"The system can work only if our frontliners have the skills, the judgment, the experience and the morale to keep this sentinel safety net strong. And therefore, that is the priority," he said.