Parliament
PSP’s NCMP Hazel Poa files motion to suspend Minister Iswaran and halt his S$192,500 MP pay
Hazel Poa, a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), has filed a Parliamentary motion to suspend Singapore’s Transport Minister, S Iswaran, for the duration of the 14th Parliament session.
This move aims to withhold his S$192,500 annual MP allowance during an ongoing Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) inquiry when he’s not performing official duties.
SINGAPORE: Hazel Poa, a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) representing the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), has submitted a motion to suspend Singapore’s Transport Minister, S Iswaran, from his parliamentary duties for the remainder of the current session of the 14th Parliament.
In a recent Facebook post, Hazel Poa, who also serves as PSP’s Vice-Chairman, announced that on Thursday (7 Sept), she filed the aforementioned motion to suspend Mr. Iswaran.
The purpose is to halt his receipt of the MP allowance, which amounts to S$192,500 annually, during the ongoing investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), during which he is not carrying out official duties.
According to her, the motion will be subject to parliamentary debate on or after 19 September 2023.
Additionally, she disclosed her intention to introduce a Private Member’s Bill during the next parliamentary session.
She said the bill aims to ensure that Parliament has the power to back-pay Minister Iswaran via a Motion of Parliament should he subsequently be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Arrests of Transport Minister and Billionaire Ong Beng Seng spark intrigue in ongoing CPIB investigation
On 14 July, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) disclosed that both Transport Minister S. Iswaran and prominent billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng were arrested on 11 July.
They are currently cooperating with the authorities in connection with a case that the CPIB had discovered. However, specific details regarding the nature of the probe were not provided by the CPIB.
On 2 August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Parliament that Mr Iswaran’s monthly salary has been reduced to S$8,500 until further notice as he was relieved of his ministerial duties.
PM Lee revealed that the reduction in Iswaran’s pay aligns with the current civil service practice for such rare incidents involving ministers, as there is no established rule or precedent on how to execute an interdiction on a political office holder.
“The specific details in Minister Iswaran’s case generally align with how the civil service would deal with a senior officer in a similar situation. However, this was my decision as PM, because the political contexts for a minister and a civil servant being investigated and interdicted are different,” he explained.
Iswaran’s MP pay unaffected: Parliamentary motion required for suspension
Notably, ministerial salaries have not seen adjustments since 2012.
At present, the benchmark ministerial monthly salary is set at S$55,000, equating to an annual income of S$1,100,000. Of this sum, S$715,000 is fixed, while the remaining portion is variable.
In response to queries from Dennis Tan, Workers’ Party MP for Hougang SMC, PM Lee reveals that while the ministerial salary for Iswaran was cut to S$8,500, his MP pay remains untouched, as the allowance is not at the discretion of the prime minister, unlike the ministerial salary.
To stop the allowance, Parliament would have to move a motion to suspend the MP from its service.
“An MP’s allowance will be withheld once the MP is suspended from the service of Parliament… A motion would have to be moved in Parliament to suspend the Member from the service of Parliament. His or her allowance would be withheld thereafter,” PM Lee said.
According to the Public Service Division (PSD), the annual allowance for Members of Parliament (MPs) stands at S$192,500 or about S$16,000 monthly.
PM Lee instructed Minister Iswaran to take a leave of absence pending the completion of the investigation. The minister will remain in Singapore during this period and will be denied access to any official resources and government buildings.
During his absence, other Members of Parliament from his West Coast constituency will also take up his MP duties at West Coast GRC.
While the investigation is ongoing, PM Lee cautioned against speculation and conjecture. He underscored the importance of allowing the CPIB to conduct the investigation fully, thoroughly, and independently.
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Kind of strange law in Singapore that need to file motion to suspend the allowance.
I believed that former parliamentary speaker, BG(NS) Tan CJ who was asked to quit due to his affair with a former Mp straight away proved that although the case is breach of ethical conduct while the case of alleged corruption committed by former transport mnister, S Iswaran is considered to b commtting criminal offence but he is still being paid, the case need to be discussed.
Hazel Poa for PM.
I believed that the proposal by the opposition Mp to suspend the former transport minister, S Iswaran is a step in the right direction.
Crawl back every single cent from this iguana, from the moment he is under investigation and suspended from job till his arrest and till to date now.
No salary, no employment benefit, no bodyguard protection, no state vehicle and etc, for this iguana.
Always remember, there is No FREE RIDER in SGov……LOL.
Hazel :Good Job !!
Lets see what they reply. Is it Let Move On.?
Agree with HP in the suspension of the MP’s remuneration but disagree on the back pay as no service is rendered to the constituents during the investigation. Even the Minister’s salary has to be stopped . LHL used the CPIB to clear the Ridout Road Ministers. He said that it was the CPIB that arrested Iswaran because of their investigation. Do we need further prove of the misdeeds of the Minister? If we do, the credibility of the CPIB is at stake and we cannot trust their findings in any matter. Any Minister’s arrest by Law enforcement officers anywhere in… Read more »
Don’t waste your time trying to file motion against PAP individuals. As it’s already taking so long for the Chicken Porridge Infused Broth to come out with their findings, what makes you think the parLeement will pass this motion? As stated clearly ‘Pass Motion’ only.
WP sleeping?
Free Riders? tsk tsk tsk
Did the old man attended parliament or did his MPS, the last 2 to 3 years of his lfe?
He was drawing MP allowance till his passing.
No MP (even opposition) or house leader dared to even make any comment about it!
Anyway such motion a pure waste of time.
I am more interested to know what is taking the CPIB so long to investigate the case. As to the case of his MP allowance, it is right that the said allowance is withheld due to his non performing of his MP duties. Even if the motion is voted down, there are two important points for that move by HP: a) it places on record the stand of the government and opposition b) if the motion is binned, it does indicate the moral stand of the ruling MPs I am sure that should Iswaran be found innocent, EVERY MP will… Read more »
Given the 86% supporting pap endorsed, whatever happens, they get more votes only. Strange but true.
The 86% signals the people are ok with adultery, iswaran case and ridout. I am leaving the hopeless case called sgp
Well done by Hazel. You all do know nothing opposition motion for has succeeded in a pap majority parliament right? Good effort nevertheless.
But regrettably, you all do know that you all would not see the day PAP lose power right? Many singaporean opposition voters have already long died and they never seen the day come for 60 odd years.
Poor Hazel must have failed her Maths in school…badly.
With a odd of 83 to 10, even a retarded person who cannot count from 1 to 10, could also tells Hazel this filing of what motion …will fail…miserably.
Perhaps instead of filing such hopeless motion in Parlee-ment, Hazel should instead go toilet to PASS MOTION!😄😆😆😆😆😆😄😄
PAP controls parliament with 83 seats vs 10 seats.
83 seats will out vote 10 every single time.
Whatever the 10 seats raise, motions, papers, will always be voted out.
But it is important that the motions be raised to place on record that the PAP
are idiots and will not agree, accept anything from the 10 seats.
10 seaters must raise as many motions as possible and please
list down all the motions that the PAP has voted down.
Btw if they have another MP to back him up in the GRC, then no need to pay a single cent to him , correct?
If one cannot deliver his service anymore, why would we use tax payers to pay him? Its not $1000 which they said can afford HDB. And why are they paying him so much ??? What do you think?
Any comments from pineapples lover here? tsk tsk tsk