Court Cases
“T315” contract named in Iswaran’s case was awarded to Lum Chang’s subsidiary in 2016
In Oct 2016, LTA awarded Lum Chang Building Contractors, a Lum Chang Holdings subsidiary, the S$325M “T315” contract. Set for completion in 2025, it includes Tanah Merah station upgrades, new tracks, viaducts, and connections to a new depot.
On Monday (25 March), former Transport Minister S Iswaran faced an escalation in his legal woes, as he was hit with an additional eight charges under section 165 of the Penal Code, bringing the total to 35 charges, including corruption allegations.
Section 165 prohibits public servants from receiving valuable items from individuals involved with them in an official capacity.
Iswaran, who assumed the role of Transport Minister in May 2021 and resigned in January 2024, stands accused of accepting items worth nearly $19,000 from Mr Lum Kok Seng (林國城), the managing director of Lum Chang Holdings (LCH, 林增控股).
These items, including a Brompton bicycle, golf clubs, and whisky bottles, were allegedly obtained between November 2021 and November 2022.
According to Singapore state media the Straits Times (ST), Iswaran allegedly knew of Lum’s association with a Land Transport Authority (LTA) contract for works at Tanah Merah MRT station through Lum Chang Building Contractors (LCBC), a subsidiary of Lum Chang Holdings.
Charge sheets mentioned Mr Lum’s connection with the “T315” contract, valued at S$325 million, which was awarded to LCBC in October 2016.
Scheduled for completion in 2025, the project encompasses the construction of an additional platform and concourse at Tanah Merah station, along with two entrances linked by an underpass near the Tanah Merah Kechil Avenue intersection.
It also involves the addition of tracks and viaducts parallel to the existing East-West Line, as well as connections to a new depot.
A 2016 report from ST highlighted LTA’s acknowledgement of LCBC’s expertise in infrastructure and building projects, both domestically and internationally.
Notably, the firm has been involved in various significant projects, including the construction of Bukit Panjang Station of Downtown Line 2, as well as several Circle Line stations such as Paya Lebar, Dakota, Mountbatten, Stadium, and Nicoll Highway.
In August 2019, Khaw Boon Kwan, who served as Minister for Transport from 2015 to 2020, honoured LCBC with the LTA Contractors Challenge Shield for their commendable work on the existing Tanah Merah Station and viaducts.
In addition to the “T315” contract, Lum Chang Building Contractors secured a substantial S$799 million contract focused on constructing a 1.95km section of the North-South Corridor (Tunnel) between Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 and Ang Mo Kio Ave 9.
Following Iswaran’s charges on Monday, LTA stated in a release that they haven’t awarded any contracts to Lum Chang Building Contractors since 2019.
In addition to its collaborations with LTA, Lum Chang Building Contractors has a history of designing and constructing other MRT stations, including the Bukit Panjang MRT Station and associated tunnels along the Downtown Line.
Beyond its work with LTA, Lum Chang Building Contractors has also undertaken projects with Singapore’s national water agency, PUB.
In a September 2022 Facebook post, Mr Iswaran shared that Lum Chang Holdings received the Merit Award at the People’s Association Community Spirit Awards 2022 for their continuous efforts in building social capital in West Coast.
In November 2022, Mr Iswaran revealed plans to repurpose a 1-kilometre viaduct, slated for decommissioning, into a green corridor for pedestrians and cyclists, aligning with sustainable transport infrastructure initiatives.
Managing Director in Lum Chang named in Iswaran’s 8 fresh charges
Currently, Mr Lum’s name is not listed in the judiciary hearing.
CPIB noted that, as with the earlier charges, the Court has approved the Prosecution’s request for Mr Iswaran’s eight additional charges to be transferred to the General Division of the High Court.
When asked by District Judge Brenda Tan on Monday morning, Iswaran maintained his plea of not guilty to the additional charges.
The charges specify the items acquired by Iswaran:
- Four bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky valued at S$1,084.46.
- Two bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky valued at S$524.23; Three bottles of L’Evangile 2014 wine valued at S$394.20; Three bottles of Pauillac De Latour 2015 wine valued at S$186.31; Three bottles of Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2015 wine valued at S$1,177.21; and three bottles of Pichon Lalande 2010 wine valued at S$955.80.
- A TaylorMade golf driver valued at S$749.
- Two bottles of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila whisky worth S$524.23
- A set of Honma Beres BE-08 Black AQ MX golf clubs valued at S$4,420.
- A Brompton T Line bicycle valued at S$7,907.50.
- Two bottles of M&H Elements Sherry Cask whisky valued at S$198.
- A Scotty Cameron Phantom golf putter valued at S$600, along with two golf chippers valued at S$100 each.
Earlier on 18 January, Mr Iswaran was charged in the State Courts with 27 offences, including corruption, receiving gratification as a public servant and obstructing justice.
The 61-year-old entered a plea of not guilty to all charges linked to his interactions with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng.
He had also tendered his resignation from Parliament and the People’s Action Party (PAP).
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Wah, those Lum pah…err..i mean Lum Chung projects worth billions and they get the contracts. What makes LTA now think the tender was awarded fairly? This Lum might be made aware of the various project bids amount over those many game of golf! And this Lum pah could also be made aware of the projects ,which is of interest to them even before the projects were made known!! All the bids amount before they were awarded, Iswaran got eyes over it first. Wah, if like this …Lum sure Lum pah Cheng ….Iswaran not only receive gifts but also corruptly awarded… Read more »
No wonder in the past 10+ years, lta has so many projects islandwide, dig here and there when the roads are still fine. MRT lines digging more and more, like hamas’ underground tunnel networks.
The road in front my hdb flat in the past year has been dug and covered at least 4 times at the same spot. What was lta doing? Now we all know.
In future, if our TCS also install some redundant and useless stuff in our neighbourhoods, very likely it is same like in this iguana’s case…lol.
It has always been touted that, in Singapore, tender for projects are always open and presumably LCBC ‘s tender submissions were judged against other submissions by other companies and awarded on merit. Could that few trinkets like bottles of alcohol or Brompton bicycles or golf equipment that Iswaran allegedly received really influence the decision to award LCBC any project? Is Iswaran really that “cheap”? In the first place, was Iswaran part of the decision making committee on tender submissions? Even if he (Iswaran) was, did he make the sole decision or were other committee members subtly pushed to agree with… Read more »
I scratch your back, you scratch mine!
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What! big man small also eat? It’s either confidently connected emboldenment. Cannot be just human thing call greed lah,ministeral clever brain. sure must got think pao jiak else cannot be so stupid.
So is it Iswaran in some way helped his buddy secure fat projects making tonnes of money and in return, his buddy aided his West Coast Ward and given Merit Award for some social capital in West Coast?
Is that not using public funds to buy supports and then the supporters contribute back to him and his Ward in some way?
Please open a Commission of Inquiry on this particular case
There goes their bleached MIW image. And dumb people will still vote them in next GE.
They’ll promise you the sun and sky like good ol Woody’s swiss standard.
But make no mistake, they’ll harp on this issue to show you they don’t tolerate this corruption thing and how they’ve dealt with it.
Sillyporeans will buy that crap and keep the very crooks who gave the local jobs away and raised the cost of living.
Watch this space.
So, the charges are not limited to free tickets? Expensive gifts are involved too?
Teh Cheang Wan version can blemish the PAP again into spotless white.
The Damocles of Keppel Bribery, Ridout Scandal, Fujian Gang forever will tar the PAP Administration as black as soot.
The Rhetoric of Squeaky Clean is a damn lie.