[Guest article contributed by a PAP activist]
I refer to the article posted on TRS: "COURT RULES THAT LAWYER, PAP MP ALVIN YEO OVERCHARGED $1 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES"
The People’s Action Party has governed Singapore for over 60 years. The Party struggled to make Singapore successful in the face of uncertainty and continues to do so, even today.
I have always believed in the Party’s values and philosophy. And I am very grateful for the education that the government’s policies have given me and countless others.
The most important reason for the Party’s continued electoral success has been its track record. It has won every election since independence because it could assure Singaporeans that it had their interests at heart and it would be a clean, transparent and responsible government.
Accountability and integrity are central to the Party’s core values, and it greatly disappoints me that the Secretary-General and CEC of the Party have not addressed the concerns of Singaporeans regarding the integrity of MP Alvin Yeo. It frustrates me that the Party leadership has remained silent for over a week despite the cacophony of voices online, and has allowed the opposition and their rabid supporters to drag the Party name through the mud. In allowing these accusations and rumours to flourish unrefuted, the Party risks losing ground gained since the last general election and this is not fair to party activists who have worked hard in the various constituencies to help the Party regain support.
Just last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said “If any of my PAP colleagues is accused of lying, I will investigate and get to the bottom of the matter. If he has lied, there is only one option – he has to go. If he is innocent, I will insist that he clear his name publicly. The matter has to be resolved one way or other. It cannot be left as an “I say, you say” matter of opinion, which leaves a permanent question mark hanging over his reputation, and the reputation of my government.”
Ironically, the inaction and failure to respond by the Party leaders have left a big question mark hanging over MP Alvin Yeo’s reputation and the reputation of our government. Regrettably the Party leadership has failed to be decisive and is ignoring the elephant in the room. I find this reprehensible. It is against everything that the Party stands for. Nevertheless, I still have faith in the Party leadership to do the right thing and address the urgent matter fairly and transparently.
Senior Counsel Alvin Yeo who acted as a lawyer for the SMC in its case against Dr Susan Lim, has been found by the court to have overcharged his client by over a million dollars. I understand that the Law Society failed to take any action as Alvin Yeo on the grounds that he was not directly involved in the preparation of bills. This position is completely indefensible because first, it implies that MP Alvin Yeo is allowed to dishonestly pocket his earnings without question even if the bill is obscenely high. Secondly, the Law Society’s premise that MP Alvin Yeo did not prepare the bill is ridiculous because the lawyer usually works closely with his secretary to finalize the time spent and the amount to be billed. This is common knowledge to all who engage lawyers. It begs the question of whether Alvin Yeo was given favourable treatment by the Law Society because of his affiliation with the Party.
As this case began as an overcharging case, it is unjustifiable that the lawyer handling the case is allowed to overcharge too. As Alvin Yeo is a Member of Parliament for Choa Chu Kang GRC, he should not be seen as being above the law. His constituents have the right to know what the Party’s stand is on the integrity of their elected representative. In 1999, MP Choo Wee Khiang resigned from the Party on his own accord as an interim measure as he faced charges of cheating in court. Hence there is an existing precedent for Alvin Yeo’s resignation, if required. The voters put their trust in the Party because they believe in what it stands for. The Party should reassess its priorities and make a firm, transparent and fair decision on whether Alvin Yeo should be retained as a member and MP. Moreover, Party leaders should not just talk about transparency and accountability but should also uphold it in practice.
I urge the Party leadership to make a stand on this important matter before it is too late. As Singapore’s 50th birthday nears, the Party should not just celebrate the achievement of our success as a nation but also reaffirm its commitment to provide sustainable good governance. In the event that the Party stand remains ambiguous on this matter of MP Alvin Yeo’s integrity, I hope that Party cadres will take note and be prepared to choose wisely in the coming CEC elections. No individual must be above the Party and the nation.
Insider
TRS Junior Writer