The People’s Action Party no longer seems to be a transparent and accountable party. In the recent weeks, two PAP MPs were in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and the PAP leadership did not even bother to provide an explanation to Singaporeans.
Dr Intan Azura Mohktar, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC was blamed for incompetence when she wrote a MP letter to recommend PRC conman Yang Yin for permanent residency, without first asking for documentary proof or even inquiring why ICA had originally rejected Yang Yin’s application. She took the word of an old widow with a history of mental illness and completely believed that Yang Yin was her grandson. Dr Intan ignored netizens’ enquiries about the matter and went into internet hiding for weeks before giving a short reply and then not answering further enquiries about the matter. Basically, her reply was to put the blame entirely on the widow and say she had done it on Mdm Chung’s ‘behest’.
This was disappointing but not as bad as what happened just a week ago. PAP MP Alvin Yeo from Choa Chu Kang GRC, was found guilty of grossly overcharging his client by over a million dollars (http://therealsingapore.com/content/court-rules-lawyer-pap-mp-alvin-yeo-...) and (http://therealsingapore.com/content/should-such-greedy-mp-continue-serve...). As overcharging is a serious offence and lawyers have been even disbarred for committing it, it came as a shock that MP Alvin Yeo, a Senior Counsel, could walk away scot-free without facing any disciplinary proceedings. The Law Society did not take any action either.
Does being a PAP MP automatically grant exemption from taking responsibility? Is the law even applicable to PAP MPs?
As his professional misconduct has created serious doubts about his integrity, it is appropriate that Mr Alvin Yeo should resign as the Member of Parliament for Choa Chu Kang GRC to preserve the trust in our parliamentarians and the legitimacy of the government of Singapore.
The relationship between the residents and the MP is now mired in doubts. How can one approach a MP who is known for his dishonesty? PAP, I implore you to look at the matter from this angle. From the online comments on this issue, some residents have already felt discouraged about seeking MP Alvin Yeo for help. What if they had a genuine problem that requires the MP’s help? Why let their voices be unheard just because it is in the party’s interest to retain the MP?
In 1999, MP Choo Wee Khiang resigned from his MP seat when he was charged with cheating. In December 2012, MP Michael Palmer resigned from the Punggol East seat after an extramarital affair.
Has the PAP leadership really asked MPs to step down in the past when accused with proof? It now seems hard to believe. Perhaps the credit should fully go to the MPs for taking the initiative themselves.
I don’t understand why MP Alvin Yeo and the PAP leadership have not responded to the allegations. Recently Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke at a NUSS forum where he defended the MDA classification for the film “To Singapore With Love”. If he had time for that, how could he not have time to even say a word about Alvin Yeo being found guilty of overcharging?
This is not an unfounded allegation- there was a lot of information in the mainstream media itself. The news has been widely shared online and a lot of concerns have been raised about the lack of accountability. Even Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam has weighed in on the issue with a well-reasoned piece on why MP Alvin Yeo has to go (http://therealsingapore.com/content/reform-party-secretary-general-pap-m...).
Yet the Prime Minister did not see fit to give this important matter even a few minutes of his time at the forum. He himself had said last year that good politics is all about integrity and that he will investigate if any of his PAP colleagues is accused (https://www.pap.org.sg/print/news-and-commentaries/news-reports/higher-v...). Were these righteous words just empty rhetoric? The time has come for action.
I am very disappointed. What is happening to the PAP? What is there to lose in providing an answer? Even a response like “We are looking into the matter” would have reassured Singaporeans. Yet today’s PAP could not even do this.
Marcus
TRS Contributor