Residents will be cared for in Iswaran’s absence; activists told other MPs will step in
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee has met volunteers and activists in fellow West Coast GRC MP S. Iswaran’s division to reassure them that residents will be cared for during Mr Iswaran’s absence.
Mr Lee told The Straits Times in the wee hours of Friday morning, following his Meet-the-People (MPS) session in Boon Lay after the news of the CPIB probe involving Mr Iswaran broke, that he had met several West Coast division volunteers and activists.
Mr Iswaran, who is the Minister for Transport, is assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) with an investigation. He was instructed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to take a leave of absence until the investigations are completed, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Wednesday.
“They were naturally very concerned about what happened. I assured them that during this period, the other MPs will support the residents and cover Minister Iswaran’s duties, including MPS, and let the process run its course,” said Mr Desmond Lee.
“The key focus is on the residents, and they wanted to know that the residents will be taken care of, and indeed we’ve given that assurance and we will cover his duties on the ground during the time of his absence.”
Mr Lee said that he will be covering Mr Iswaran’s next MPS on Monday in Clementi, and that he and the other West Coast GRC MPs – Mr Ang Wei Neng, Ms Foo Mee Har and Ms Rachel Ong – will take turns to cover future MPS sessions for the West Coast division.
West Coast GRC consists of five divisions: Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh, Boon Lay, Nanyang, Telok Blangah and West Coast. Mr Iswaran is the chairman of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) West Coast branch.
Amid rumours circulating that Mr Iswaran had stepped down from his grassroots roles, Mr Lee said: “No. He is still an MP, (he is) still a minister. He’s taken a leave of absence from all his duties... and therefore we step in to cover his duties during this time.”
On Thursday, a spokesman for the PMO said Mr Iswaran, 61, who is also the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, will have no access to any official resources and government buildings while on his leave of absence. He will also have to remain in Singapore.
Mr Lee said none of Mr Iswaran’s residents had asked him about the CPIB probe during his own MPS on Thursday.
“Today’s cases... are all from Boon Lay, Gek Poh, Nanyang – this side of the woods,” he said.
He reiterated that the rest of the West Coast GRC MPs will ensure that residents’ needs are taken care of.
“We understand that (West Coast residents) will be worried about what has happened, but the key is that we will be here to serve them,” he said.
MPs, including from the PAP, have filed questions on the CPIB probe for the next Parliament sitting in August. They include Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC), Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) and Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC).
Dr Tan will ask PM Lee, among other things, what the timeline for the CPIB probe is and whether the investigation pertains to actions taken in the course of Mr Iswaran’s official duties or to matters which he had purview over.
Mr Yip will ask PM Lee what avenues are available in ministries for whistle-blowing on corruption cases, how many cases CPIB has investigated through these whistle-blowing channels in the past three years, and the proportion of cases investigated by CPIB surfaced through these avenues.
Mr Wee will ask why Mr Iswaran has been placed on a leave of absence while assisting CPIB with an investigation, whereas Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan continued with their duties while assisting with CPIB investigations regarding their rental of state properties in Ridout Road.
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