Chan Chun Sing: Public officers forbidden from seeking gifts or favours

Public officers must never ask for gifts or favours, especially when they are in a position to influence or affect any decision involving the other party, said Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing in parliament on Monday (5 February).

Mr Chan, who was replying on behalf of the Prime Minister, said that officers must not accept any gifts offered on account of their official position or work.

"Our first instinct must be to decline any unsolicited gifts and return them if possible," said Mr Chan, who is also the Education Minister.

Mr Chan was responding to Parliamentary questions filed by two PAP MPs, Derrick Goh for Nee Soon GRC and Edward Chia for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC bout rules on gifts to public servants, one of many raised to an ongoing corruption case involving former transport minister S Iswaran.

Mr Chan then explained that if it's not possible or impractical to return the gift, the officer should declare it.

If the officer wants to keep the gift, he can do so if he pays for it. For operational simplicity, the officer can retain gifts worth less than S$50 (US$37) without paying for them if it does not affect the integrity of the civil service, said Mr Chan.

"But should an officer accept multiple gifts of S$49 repeatedly, I think we know the answer from the spirit of the rule: If such a pattern of behaviour is observed it must stop."

Iswaran is accused of obtaining items worth more than S$384,000 from billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng, such as Singapore F1 Grand Prix tickets and a paid-for trip to Doha. Some of these were allegedly in exchange for advancing Mr Ong’s business interests.

On questions from other MPs about whether the system needs to be reviewed, Mr Chan said that the rules are meant to keep public officers from being compromised but should not be too onerous.

"When an incident happens, we should not have a knee-jerk reaction and immediately tighten or add more rules," he said.

To understand if the system needs to be updated or tweaked, one needs to know the facts of the case - which is still before the courts, he added.

"While we endeavour to do our best and keep improving at a system level, no system is ever perfect ... when incidents happen, we respond decisively and transparently to restore trust and confidence in our system. This is what we have done and this is what we will continue to do."

And for some matters, judgement will still be required, he said: "Officers should not just understand the letter of the rule, but also the spirit."

When it comes to meals, Mr Chan said that officers "must have the good sense to know when they are being cultivated and reject such attempts", but this does not mean that they should not go out and interact with others to understand the business and social communities.

"As a practical measure to protect ourselves. I've always advised our officers to avoid attending such events alone, where the risk of being compromised is harder to manage."

In response to questions on the codes of conduct for public officers, ministers and political office holders, Mr Chan said the rules were reviewed regularly. He also reassured MPs that whistleblowers are protected.

He added that Political office holders are also expected to abide by the rules of prudence issued by the Prime Minister after every general election to all PAP members of Parliament

"If anyone suspects that any of their superiors have been compromised, they can report a suspicious activity to their heads of agencies or beyond the organisation including to agencies like the CPIB (Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau)."

Mr Chan assured the commitment to continuous improvement and learning within the public service and the government.

He mentioned that, through the process of updating rules, refining implementation strategies, and instilling the right ethos and values in officers, lessons will be drawn not only from the specific case mentioned but also from other cases, both local and international.

Cultural Norms and public servants' code of conducts

In a supplementary question, MP Edward Chia raised the issue of varying business and cultural norms across countries, illustrating that declining invitations to dinners or events may be perceived as disrespectful.

He inquired about the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training provided to public officers involved in advanced trade relations and attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), as well as the frequency of updates to these training materials.

In response, Minister Chan highlighted the comprehensive training approach that extends beyond rule enforcement to include a focus on the underlying principles.

These principles are elucidated in instruction manuals with practical examples designed to enhance officers' understanding of the rules.

According to Minister Chan, the code is effectively reinforced through multiple avenues, such as onboarding for new entrants, annual declarations to remind officers of the rules, mandatory annual quizzes, and participation in milestone programs like the Foundation Program for Young Leaders, Management Development courses for supervisors, and Senior Management Program for directors.

Additionally, Minister Chan emphasized the importance of regular discussions and conversations with senior leaders on the values and ethos of the public service. He noted that reminders are consistently provided to fortify these values within the service.

Distinguishing the context for public agencies from that of private companies, Minister Chan underscored that the public service's primary focus is on governance and providing services to a diverse nation with varied expectations.

Unlike the private sector, which focuses on transactions between private parties, the public sector aims to earn the respect and trust of the public.

He said the goal is to establish a fair system that is transparent and not based on personal connections or the ability to pay for access to public services.

"This is why the public service holds ourselves to high standards of conduct to give confidence to all stakeholders that they will be treated fairly and transparently."