Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, PAP MPs file parliamentary questions on ministers' rental of Ridout Road state properties

SINGAPORE: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh and three lawmakers from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) have tabled parliamentary questions relating to the rental of state properties at 26 and 31 Ridout Road by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said last Friday that Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan had bid above the "guide rent" for the colonial bungalows. Their rentals were also "performed in full compliance with the relevant SLA procedures", said the agency then. 

In a statement issued on Thursday (May 18), the opposition Workers' Party (WP) said: "Many members of the public have expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding Cabinet ministers tenanting the exceptionally large state black and white bungalow properties."

PAP Member of Parliament (MP) Murali Pillai (PAP-Bukit Batok) also noted in a Facebook post that reports on the matter have "given rise to queries by the public". He is one of three PAP MPs who said they have filed parliamentary questions on the matter. 

The WP said its chief Mr Singh would, at the July sitting, ask about the government's reasons for not calling a press conference to address public allegations in regard to the leases of 26 and 31 Ridout Road to Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan.

Mr Singh will also ask how the government will assure the public that the two ministers were not in receipt of any privileged information pertaining to their leases; and whether there are any rules, conventions or policies to ensure that Cabinet ministers do not take advantage of privileged information received in the course of their official or non-official duties in regard to the lease of Government properties.

The WP on Thursday said it continues to study the matter, and that its other Members of Parliament may also file related questions as more information emerges.

The party said: "As questions continue to be asked in the public domain about the circumstances behind the leasing of both properties to Cabinet ministers, we call on the Singapore Land Authority to release all relevant and material facts in advance, such as the guide rent for both properties, so as to make for a fuller and more meaningful debate in parliament."

SLA previously said that "more details on this issue" would be provided during the next parliamentary session in July.

Mr Murali said in his Facebook post that he would ask at the next parliamentary session in July about the steps taken to market, tenant and renew the tenancies of 26 and 31 Ridout Road.

He will also ask if Mr Shanmugam was involved in his official capacity in any decisions relating to the rental of these properties.

Mr Murali will also enquire about measures to ensure that any bidder participating in the tender is not provided with any advantage over other bidders; and to ensure that the bid process is fair, transparent and competitive.

On Thursday, MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (PAP-Chua Chu Kang) also said he would ask in the House about the circumstances under which the properties came to be rented to the two ministers.

"Matters of governance and law are very important in our country as we not only have the rule of law to uphold but a global reputation to maintain," he wrote on Facebook. 

Also posting his questions on the social media platform was MP Sitoh Yih Pin (PAP-Potong Pasir), who said he would ask about SLA's "standard tenancy operating procedures" and whether the authority had followed them in renting the Ridout Road state properties to Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan.

Mr Sitoh will also ask about rental rates for the properties.

Ridout Road is off Holland Road and near the Dempsey Hill lifestyle and entertainment area.

The stretch is part of Ridout Park, which is classed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as one of 39 "Good Class Bungalow Areas" in Singapore.

SLA's statement last week was issued in response to a series of online articles published by opposition Reform Party's chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam, where he called on SLA to "shed some light" on the auction process for the properties and questioned if the ministers were "paying less than the fair market value".

"It is difficult to see how (Dr Balakrishnan or Mr Shanmugam) could afford to pay the market rent for such a pricey property," he said, citing the prime location of the area and his assumed size of the properties.