Yet another revelation that is sending shock waves throughout Singapore.
A senior anti-graft officer has been charged with stealing $1.76 million from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) which incidentally is under the Prime Minister’s Office.
This comes on the heels of recent sex scandals involving two high-ranking officers and a double murderer, all from the Singapore Police Force.
A sex-for-grades Law Professor also had the whole country agog with titillating disclosures.
Those who live and work here must be wondering how come this supposedly squeaky clean country is being rocked by a series of scandals befitting more a third world country.
Allow me to give my take on the latest corruption scandal.
Though senior civil servants are very well-paid, they also observe that the Prime Minister is the highest paid head of state in the world for governing only 700 sq km of territory, outstripping even Obama, Cameron and Merkel.
Even Ministers, the quiet President are paid humongous salaries.
This huge divide between the politicians and the non-politicians has given rise to envy especially when the ruling party’s core value is not one of transparency.
And when people read about politicians buying multi-millions properties with cash as if they are buying a shirt, envy is stoked further and questions asked.
This “If-politicians-take-such-a-large-slice-of-the-cake-why-can’t-I” mentality is then fostered.
The ruling party’s core values do not include transparency. There’s no requirement that politicians declare their assets.
So speculations and rumours swirl. And plots hatched to quietly siphon money.
It’s reasonable to ask if this is the tip of the iceberg? After all, even CPIB is tainted.
With a ruling party that treasures secrecy, I won’t be in the least surprised that the mother of all scandals will one day erupt.
In the era of Wikileaks, don’t discount that.
Roger Poh
*The writer blogs at http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com.