Singapore government refutes claims linking raids and investigations to foreign pressure
Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam has been issued a third correction order under Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma). The directive, issued by Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong, requires Jeyaretnam to amend social media posts containing false claims regarding recent high-profile events.
The correction order pertains to his comments about the islandwide money-laundering crackdown, the corruption probe into Transport Minister S. Iswaran and businessman Ong Beng Seng, and the Ridout Road property rentals by two senior ministers.
Jeyaretnam alleged that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had pressured Singapore to act against 10 foreign nationals arrested for forgery and money laundering on August 15. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) refuted this, clarifying that police had identified the suspects through intelligence gathering and extensive investigations. The ministry emphasized that these operations had been planned for months, without any involvement or influence from foreign entities.
Similarly, Jeyaretnam claimed that foreign pressure prompted the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to launch an investigation into Iswaran and Ong. MinLaw dismissed this assertion, explaining that CPIB’s probe was initiated after the agency independently uncovered relevant information. These details had previously been disclosed in public statements by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
In addition, Jeyaretnam incorrectly stated that the rental rates paid by Ministers K. Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan for properties at Ridout Road were locked in for nine years. MinLaw clarified that these tenancies are subject to renewal every two or three years, with rents adjusted based on market valuations. The property at 26 Ridout Road was renewed in 2021 at S$26,500 per month, while the rent for 31 Ridout Road increased from S$19,000 to S$20,000 per month in 2022.
Jeyaretnam also suggested that it took foreign legal action for a Singapore bank to overhaul its operations following allegations of bribery involving former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. The government fact-checking site, Factually, disputed this, stating that Singapore had proactively shared information with British authorities and had conducted internal reviews of the financial institution as early as 2017. While some areas for improvement were identified, there was no need for a complete overhaul.
This marks the third time Jeyaretnam has been directed under Pofma to correct misinformation, following previous orders related to his statements on the Ridout Road rentals.
