Highlights: Parliament debate on ministers' rental of Ridout Road bungalows
Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam explained why they decided to rent the state properties, addressing allegations of conflicts of interest.
SINGAPORE: Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan have done nothing wrong in the rental of two Ridout Road state properties for their personal use, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday (Jul 3) during a parliament debate on the matter.
"They retain my full confidence," he told the House, citing investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which found no wrongdoing.
Where ministers decide to live is their personal choice, Mr Lee added.
In a debate that went on for about six hours, Members of Parliament raised questions ranging from the Code of Conduct for ministers to perceived conflicts of interest and how the Singapore Land Authority values and markets state properties such as the black-and-white bungalows at Ridout Road that the two ministers rented.
Mr Shanmugan, the Law and Home Affairs Minister, explained that he moved into his rental property at 26 Ridout Road to prepare for the sale of his family home.
He said he has long liked black-and-white houses and was not profiting from rental.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Balakrishnan, meanwhile, told the House that he wanted to bring his entire extended family together under one roof, while the grandchildren were still young.
Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was tasked to conduct a review to determine if there were any process gaps or lapses, among other matters, announced that public servants with privileged information and influence on decisions will soon have to make a declaration before they can rent government properties managed by their agencies.
Here are the main stories from the debate on Monday:
- Ridout Road review demonstrates 'stringent standards' set by PAP: PM Lee
- ‘Leave my family alone’: Shanmugam denies allegations that son’s firm renovated Ridout Road bungalows
- Empathy and ability to serve does not depend on how rich or poor one is, says Shanmugam
- SLA studying longer en-bloc leases for estates with black-and-white properties: Edwin Tong
- MPs raise questions on conflict of interest, code of conduct
- Singapore's biggest challenge is to keep bringing in the best people to serve: SM Teo