'I didn't think I was doing anything new, first or special': Shanmugam on optics of him renting black-and-white bungalow

When he decided to rent the black-and-white bungalow at 26 Ridout Road, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam didn't think he was doing anything out of the ordinary. 

"In my mind, previous generations of ministers have lived in black-and-white bungalows... so I didn't think I was doing anything new, first, or special," he told Lianhe Zaobao in an interview on Tuesday (July 4). 

In his speech on Monday, Shanmugam had referenced the late Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee who had resided in a black-and-white bungalow at Goodwood Hill.

Shanmugam's comment on Tuesday comes after Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean spoke in Parliament earlier this week about how both Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had "conducted themselves properly" in the two rental transactions at Ridout Road. 

Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, there is reportedly still some public concern regarding the "optics" of the Cabinet ministers renting the colonial houses. 

During the Zaobao interview, Shanmugam shared that he has thought more about this optics question, adding that he had already addressed the "equality and inequality" aspect in Parliament.

On Monday, he said the issue of inequality has been "seared" into him as he has lived at both extremes - a rental flat in Bukit Ho Swee while growing up, and eventually owning a good class bungalow (GCB) as a senior counsel. 

Shanmugam then elaborated on the second aspect of the optics, which is that of him living in a landed property.

"I didn't think that there was any question that can be raised because I was already living in a bungalow. A GCB," he said.

"And because I was selling [it], I decided to move into another bungalow." 

"And most Singaporeans would prefer to own rather than to rent, so "I am moving from owning one to renting one". 

'I didn't want the extra land': Shanmugam

The Law Minister also addressed the third aspect of the optics issue, which was the size of the land that was leased to him by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). 

Although 26 Ridout Road occupies a land area of 9,350 sqm, this was later expanded to 23,164 sqm after an adjacent plot of land was included in the property's boundaries.

"I didn't want the extra land," he told Zaobao. 

"I didn't want it. But I told SLA I'll be happy to maintain it. Thinking back, I didn't want to negotiate or argue so they said put it into the lease and I said okay, but I should have perhaps insisted that that land remain under SLA's legal title and not be part of the lease." 

However, he pointed out that even if he had gotten SLA to keep the extra land, "attacks will be manufactured, even today". 

"People don't depend on fact, some people I'm talking about those who are intent on attacking don't depend on facts.

"They just create their own facts and then attack you. And when they target you, they will say whatever is necessary. And then they will say you're not defending yourself." 

Wasn't rattled by CPIB's prolonged probe

Back in May, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) conducted an independent review and found no evidence of corruption or criminal wrongdoing on the part of both Ministers. 

In Parliament on Monday, Shanmugam also revealed that he underwent a thorough interview process by CPIB.

During the Zaobao interview, he said he wasn't rattled by the prolonged probe, as it's something he's used to as a lawyer. 

In fact, he felt that the investigators were "very firm and professional".

"If I have nothing to hide, there is nothing to be afraid of," he said. 

READ ALSO: Shanmugam reveals why he moved from GCB to rental black-and-white house on Ridout Road

claudiatan@asiaone.com