Singapore's Indian-origin minister S Iswaran.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Singapore: The corruption probe into Singapore’s Indian-origin Transport Minister S Iswaran is a “very worrying development” and has had a big impact on the constituency he was elected from, a senior minister said.
Members of Parliament (MPs) in the group representation constituency (GRC) of West Coast, which was led by Iswaran, are working to engage residents and tackle pressing issues such as cost of living and inequality, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said.
“Since (the news broke of Iswaran corruption case) July, we have been able to hold the team together, energise them to continue serving the ground with passion and dedication,” said Lee, who oversees is part of the West Coast GRC.
Iswaran was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on July 11, 2023, and is out on bail.
The probe stems from an earlier unrelated investigation on a separate matter. However, further details about what Iswaran is being investigated for have not been released.
He has been placed on leave of absence and had his monthly pay reduced to SGD 8,500 until further notice, though he continues to draw his MP allowance.
Asked if the incident is still casting a shadow on his GRC, Lee said in an interview with The Straits Times and Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao that the incident “has had an impact, is a big impact” but did not elaborate further.
“But that has not distracted us from the important mission of continuing to serve our residents and ensuring that there is no disruptive trend to the continuity of services, and that there are people that residents will continue to look for assistance,” he said.