Iswaran's case a political hit for PAP but won't affect leadership transition: Lawrence Wong

Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran's case will have an "impact" on the PAP, but this will not affect the leadership transition timeline, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a doorstop interview with the media on Thursday (Jan 18).

Iswaran was charged in court on Thursday morning with multiple offences including corruption, obstructing justice and obtaining valuables as a public servant.

In his doorstop interview, DPM Wong said that "as far as (leadership) succession is concerned, there will be no impact".

He added that the succession will take place "before the next General Election and before the party conference this year", and that this plan has remained "on track".

And while this incident will affect the PAP and the party's morale, they "cannot allow this political hit to compromise their zero-tolerance stance against corruption".

Iswaran also resigned as Transport Minister, MP and PAP member on Thursday. 

He was the anchor minister for West Coast GRC prior to this incident, and his position was taken up by National Development Minister Desmond Lee and the elected MPs in that GRC after he took a leave of absence from July 2023, Wong shared. 

He added that the date of the next General Election will be considered after the leadership transition takes place.

No tip-offs, no whistleblowers in Iswaran's case

Wong also shared that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) pursued Iswaran's case on its own accord - there were no tip-offs and no whistleblowers, he said.

"It was CPIB that uncovered the matter, reported it up; the Prime Minister agreed for the investigation to proceed," Wong explained.

He also revealed that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) also intends to look into the investigations against Iswaran before deciding if there are any other actions to be taken against other individuals involved in the case.

Civil servants affected by this case may be "disappointed, shocked, saddened" by this case, including those that have worked closely with Iswaran, he said.

Wong added: "I hope the civil servants will also see that what has transpired is the determination of the PAP government to keep our system free from corruption."

Code of conduct is 'clear, sound and valid'

In response to a question from the media about how the Government will be looking to tighten the process through which ministers might receive or reject certain gifts that they might be offered, Wong stated that the key principles of the Code of Conduct are "clear", "sound" and "valid".

"There is a Code of Conduct which sets out the principles and rules in which ministers should act, and their personal affairs," he said.

"For example, on gifts, ministers should not receive gifts that place them under obligation in a conflict-of-interest position."

However, he caveated that the Code of Conduct, which has been in place since 1954, isn't static and will continue to be updated.

"It does not mean that there will be no corruption; it does not mean that there will be no incidents; from time to time cases do emerge, as we have seen in past years," he said.

"That is why CPIB is also a key part of the system, and they will investigate any incident thoroughly and when necessary, take action as they have done in this case."

'PAP's stance on corruption is non-negotiable': DPM Wong

Wong also shared PAP's stance on Iswaran's case: "We are saddened and disappointed that Iswaran has to leave politics under these circumstances.

"But the PAP's stance on corruption is non-negotiable. This is part of our DNA. There can be no compromise, no relaxation, no fudging of this, no matter the political price," he explained.

Wong assured that the government will continue to uphold "the highest standards of integrity, incorruptibility and propriety" so as to maintain the trust of Singaporeans.

ALSO READ: Tickets to F1, Harry Potter shows and football matches: Iswaran faces 27 charges including corruption

khooyihang@asiaone.com