Singapore 'will never let the system go corrupt', says PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Singapore will never let the system go corrupt and all businesses, be it local or foreign, must know “this is how things work” here, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Nov 5).

Citing the recent billion-dollar money laundering case as an example, Mr Lee noted that law enforcement agencies first picked up suspicious warning signs two years ago.

“We watched carefully to learn more about the network and then at the right moment, we swooped down simultaneously and crippled it,” he said.

The police conducted raids on Aug 15 and arrested 10 people linked to the case. Since then, nearly S$3 billion worth of assets have been seized or frozen, including houses, luxury cars, gold bars, watches and handbags.

“We will never let the system go corrupt,” Mr Lee said. “Everybody who does business here, whether you're a non-Singaporean or a Singaporean, must know – this is how things work in Singapore.”

Speaking at the People’s Action Party's (PAP) conference, Mr Lee, who is the party’s secretary-general, stressed the need to keep Singapore’s system clean, including keeping corrupting influences out of Singapore.

Mr Lee mentioned how he was asked by a journalist if Singapore – when promoting family offices and its financial industry – is letting standards slip in order to "attract unclean money" to come to the country.

"My answer was, 'not on your life'. We will never let our standards slip. It is not worth it.

“If we let it happen ... the doubtful characters would come, they will spend generously to make themselves appear respectable, to show that they love Singapore, to ingratiate themselves to us, to try to get PR (permanent residence) and citizenship,” he said.

“They will cultivate ministers and officials. They will donate to good causes. They will make themselves useful in all sorts of ways ... and very soon our whole system will be tainted, and then corrupted. It's not worth it.”

Mr Lee also touched on the need for the PAP, both individual party leaders and members, to keep itself clean.

This commitment to honesty and incorruptibility is “absolutely non-negotiable”, he said. 

“We have maintained it for over 60 years now, rigorously enforcing discipline and keeping the party clean,” he added. “We have made Singapore one of the cleanest, least corrupt countries, not just in Asia but in the world.”

This has not always been so easy to do, he said.

There were “sporadic corruption cases” involving ministers and Members of Parliament while Mr Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister. More recently, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau discovered a case involving Transport Minister S Iswaran, who was arrested and bailed. The investigation is ongoing.

Mr Lee said the PAP must prove itself especially when it is tested, by putting principles into action “regardless of any embarrassment or political cost” and dealing with the issues “without fear or favour” while getting to the bottom of the matter.

The party must “show Singaporeans and the world that after half a century, the PAP’s standards remain as high as ever”, he said.

He added: “Singapore is a small place; our system works. If you do something improper, sooner or later it will come to light. When it does, you will be investigated.

“And if it is proved that you did something wrong, you are out and consequences will follow.”

This applies not just to its ministers or party leaders, but to every party member.

“Our integrity and honesty must never be compromised and only in that way can we do justice and uphold the trust that Singaporeans have given us,” Mr Lee said.