Shanmugam says States Times Review article has 'absurd allegations', questions how Malaysian media picked up story
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shanmugam-says-states-times-review-article-absurd-10913200
09 Nov 2018 06:06PM (Updated: 09 Nov 2018 10:42PM)

Koo ZX

Whatever the case, aren't Singaporeans encouraged to think critically and objectively? Is it too far fetched an allegation that secret deals were done in Singapore? To quote the reputable SCMP website in the article entitled: "More 1MDB secrets to emerge from Hong Kong, Singapore, says Jounalist Rewcastle Brown", where it is reported that "Rewcastle said she believed secret deals were done in Singapore so the funds Najib had squirrelled away would not be exposed. “I think there are still secrets to come out of Singapore on 1MDB, and probably Malaysians will want to prise them out". "

If there is even some possibility that there was interference in the agreements made with Malaysia at a time when Malaysia was under the premiership of an alleged Kleptocrat and criminal, should not serious consideration be given to making the necessary enquiries and checks, before Shanmugam and his colleagues jump to the "rescue" of their boss PM Lee? Indeed, the "secret deals" may not be linked to PM Lee but perhaps someone else in the Singapore Government machinery. After all, money made the worlds of Najib and Jho Low go round, making even senior bankers of reputable institutions fall ...

What does that remind me of? Hmmmm ... yes! That was exactly what the likes of Zahid, Ahmad Mazlan, Rahman Dahlan, etc (described as not necessarily clever but loyal by Najib) did everytime Sarawak Report, WSJ, DAP or someone made an allegation about Najib then.

Has Sarawak Report been wrong thus far? 🤔

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Ricky Lim

10 Countries are affected by the 1MDB scandals - including US, Switzerland, HongKong among others.

Are you suggesting that all these 10 Countries are also involved in shady deals with 1MDB?

Bear in mind, Singapore is the 1st Country that prosecute those involved in 1MDB - where evidences led us to prosecute.

Also it is far fetched for those articles to suggest it is a secret deal between PM Lee and Najib - so that we will help Najib to hide the 1MDB scandals.

Because the bilateral agreements on a couple of issues - are worked out by the respective civil service in the respective Ministries and led by various Ministers.

It is not possible to for PM Lee and Najib to hide everything - because all the details are worked out by civil servants headed by the various Ministers.

Are you and those articles suggest that our other Ministers and civil service are involved in shady deals?

If the so called shady deals are so widespread --- won't it leaked out years ago --- just like what happen to 1MDB?

I think your comments and the Sarawak Report has no basis --- and is based on imagination pluck out from the air.

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Benny Chee

Koo ZX
Don’t be condescending. Everything is of course possible. Maybe you were mistakenly swapped at birth and your parents are actually of royal blood. You too suffer from a complex and a bias. Don’t be cocky

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用李

Use a fake account and attack Singapore? Coward!!

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Ricky Lim

Koo ZX - In the name of objectivity and to cut your long story short :-

(1) All Government policies and International Agreement - will start with the Civil Service (Administrative Service) - headed by a Permanent Secretary of the particular Ministry of interest.

(2) COPS (Council of Permanent Secretary) - a Council where all Ministries' Permanent Secretaries sit - will form the 2nd layer of Governance to provide check and balance of the policies or International Agreement formulated by the particular Ministry - headed by the Head of Permanent Secretary.

(3) Minister of the particular Ministry will work very closely with his Permanent Secretary and his Administrative Service in formulating the policies or International Agreement - providing the political angle and diplomatic angle.

(4) Ministerial Committee comprising a group of Minister headed by a Senior Minister (that cut across multiple Ministries under his purview) - will provide the check and balance on the policies or International Agreement that come out from the particular Ministry of Interest.

(5) Outside the Ministerial Committee - there are Parliamentary Committee for each Ministries headed by MPs - to provide additional check and balance.

(6) Only then with multiple layers of interlocking check and balance - in the governance process - will it reach the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.

Thus how on Earth will a "shady deal" or "secret deals" take place between our Prime Minister and Najib ---- in formulating bilateral agreement between the Singapore and Malaysia?

The State Times Review article and your reference to the"Jounalist Rewcastle Brown" - raising doubts about the integrity of our Prime Minister and the Government - is utter rubbish.

Singapore governance success and Singapore success story as a Nation - is anchor on a Government that is clean, non-corrupted - and any inneundos of suggesting that our Prime Minster and our Government of imparting in shady deal - to protect and shield 1MDB scandals so as to benefits from the bilateral agreement deals ---- is totally rubbish with the wildest fig of imagination.

Singapore governance process is open, transparent and has rigour check and balance accorded by multiple layers of governance layers.

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Ricky Lim

In 2017 Corruption Perception Index --- Singapore top the Asia being the least corruption Nation.

And emerge 6th least corrupt in the World after New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland.

So how on Earth will State Times Review article and your reference to the"Jounalist Rewcastle Brown" - justify your innunendos that our Government is corrupt and involve in shady deal?

And Singapore is the 1st and the only Country that have prosecuted all those involve in 1MDB scandal in Singapore - where the evidences lead.

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Koo ZX

Benny Chee / Ricky Lim, hahaha, so typical, right? When one refuses to admit one is wrong and/or has no intelligent come back, they revert with childish insults, just as what Benny Chee is attempting but failing to do, as his comments are like waste water falling off a duck's back.

Let me try one final time, Ricky, to help you understand my original comment. Why was Najib able to continue so long despite all the regular exposes by Sarawak Report and WSJ for years? Because of the continuing BLIND support of Umno members who were unable to be objective and to ask the tough questions. Whether they suffered from self induced blindness and deafness, or due to cultural expectations which may encourage blind loyalty, or simply because they were beneficiaries of the stolen monies, whatever. Do we want to be like them? Remember what Najib said about his choice of Ministers, not required to be intelligent but must be loyal, or along those lines. Blind loyalty. Once Singaporeans travel on this route, they will be regressing, not progressing.

Now, rationalise, if South China Morning Post, an international media platform, found it fit to quote Sarawak Report (which has been mostly right all this while) that secret deals were done in Singapore, should it not sound alarm bells amongst right thinking objective minded taxpayers and voters. The least one would expect, is for the Singapore Government to seek clarity on the matter and to make ALL necessary enquiries to turn over every rock (including the one Benny Chin crawled out from) to see if there is any irregularity, particularly systemic ones which can affect the integrity of the systems. The last thing the Government should do is to simplistically brush such allegations aside especially in the circumstances and the context that even senior personnel of large reputable established banks could fall into temptation. Obviously Jho Low is a proven seducer and manipulator, and large sums of money can play tricks even with the most astute Government officials and that is an old fact.

It would be highly irresponsible for citizens to just offer blind loyalty without asking hard objective questions to keep the Government officials in check and on their toes. In fact, it is to the advantage of the Government as well to clear the air with details and facts, and not just denials (as exactly what Najib has been and is still doing) as one can be sure many are left wondering as to what secret deals were done and if any official is involved.

Hope you grasp it now Ricky and stop hitting all over the place. As for Benny Chin, I return his childish outburst and insults back to him. No time to chat further Ricky

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Ricky Lim

Koo ZX - Now look at the multiple layer of governance process - do you still maintain the view that Singapore Government has done shady deals with Najib?

I don't need your long and flowery narrative - it has no meaning and has no substance.

And in case you maintain there is no transparency -- MAS has lodged a police report and AGC is investigating this allegation by State Times Review.

You have quote your reference to the"Jounalist Rewcastle Brown" - and you must have information that no ones know about.

I suggest you should submit your information to the police or AGC for follow up or make a report based on your narratives or suspicion - if you are serious about transparency or objectiveness  - this will assist the Police and AGC in their investigation.

There is no need to play or stage "objectiveness" as your bullet - to continue your defamatory narratives.

No need to make innunendo here - whether you are a Malaysian (which your profile is highly likely) trying to act like Singaporean - and stirring up emotion here and Malaysia.

In case you don't know, all the Malaysia mainstream media that has published this news quoting States Times Review as source has removed the article and acknowledging it as fake news.

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Lau Lan Chu

Koo ZX what Sarawak report? Thought they already retracted their statement and claim mislead by STR? Am I missing something?

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Koo ZX

Lau Lan Chu, read through the clarification from SR in its facebook ...

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Koo ZX

Ricky Lim, you are still rambling? I rest my case

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