Reuters : Singapore ministers, lawmaker under scrutiny over dinners attended by convicted money launderer

[disconsolate]

Singapore ministers, lawmaker under scrutiny over dinners attended by convicted money launderer​

By Jun Yuan Yong
May 6, 20256:26 PM GMT+8Updated 4 hours ago

www.reuters.com

SINGAPORE, May 6 (Reuters) - Pictures of Singaporean ministers and a ruling party lawmaker together at dinners that included a man convicted in a high-profile $2.2 billion money laundering case have caused a stir in the city-state, where there has been increased public scrutiny of the government's clean image.

The photos shared widely on social media showed Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and lawmaker and former Education Minister Ng Chee Meng at dinners with Cypriot national Su Haijin, who was jailed last year in one of the biggest cases of its kind in Singapore.

It was unclear when the pictures were taken. The press secretaries of both ministers said in a joint statement they were invited to the dinners by a friend and Su "happened to be there".

Su was one of 10 foreign nationals arrested in relation to the money laundering case in August 2023.

"As ministers, they meet a diverse range of people at various events and gatherings. The ministers do not know Su personally and have had no contact or dealings with him, before or since these occasions," it said.

Ng, who won a parliamentary seat in Saturday's general election after losing in the 2020 contest, said in a statement that as head of the country's main labour union he attended many events and had no further interactions with Su after learning of the legal proceedings against him.

The wealthy city-state, an Asian financial hub that has been governed by the People's Action Party since independence six decades ago, prides itself on its reputation for clean governance.

The party was returned in another landslide in elections on Saturday and, by tradition, its members dress in white during campaigning to symbolise purity and incorruptibility.

The prime minister's office and the PAP did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the pictures.

Online forum platform Reddit and social media posts by mainstream news outlets on Tuesday drew many comments from Singaporeans, some questioning how the ministers could have met Su and others calling for the graft agency to investigate whether there was a relationship between him and the officials.

The PAP has faced increased public scrutiny in the past two years, including over former transport minister S. Iswaran who was jailed for improperly receiving $300,000 of gifts and obstructing justice, and the resignations of the house speaker and a lawmaker over an extramarital affair.

Two ministers were also investigated and cleared of wrongdoing over their rental of exclusive state-owned properties, an issue that generated intrigue on social media.

Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by Martin Petty and Kate Mayberry

 

[jsctan]

Wait for tiongkok ask for investigation then cpib go report to PMO to seek approval to investigate.

 

[shiokalingam]

 

[disconsolate]

View attachment 220094
View attachment 220095

Wow...really this saga more and more jialat. What are these PAP Ministers doing there mingling with these crooks???? Damn Jialat

 

[batman1]

Wow...really this saga more and more jialat. What are these PAP Ministers doing there mingling with these crooks???? Damn Jialat

Why are Lim Swee Say,Popiah King Goi and Ong Ye kung smiling so happy ? Any deal completed ?

 

[jsctan]

After makan together & happy hour, no more stranger liao. Stranger is when the person pop into the private dining room to say hi to others except LSS & Gang & exited the room. Where got take group photo together.

 

[batman1]

After makan together & happy hour, no more stranger liao. Stranger is when the person pop into the private dining room to say hi to others except LSS & Gang & exited the room. Where got take group photo together.

After dinner,can adjourn to private room for alcoholic drinks and business talk and PROs to smoothen the talk and atmosphere.If u are not careful,u may be pinhole video taped in compromising situations.

 

[jsctan]

After dinner,can adjourn to private room for alcoholic drinks and business talk and PROs to smoothen the talk and atmosphere.If u are not careful,u may be pinhole video taped in compromising situations.

You mean after happy hour, adjourned to happy ending? Nah, our ministers all money face nia....

 

[batman1]

You mean after happy hour, adjourned to happy ending? Nah, our ministers all money face nia....

This is PRC style of business entertainment.

 

[shiokalingam]

Su Haijin wasn’t hiding.

He was living in a luxury Bukit Timah bungalow,
with 13 properties, 21 bank accounts, and $174 million in assets.
All while being wanted in China for illegal online gambling.

He set up a fake company in Singapore — no business, just a front.
Moved millions through it like nothing.
And nobody asked questions.
Because in Singapore, if you have money, you don’t get questions — you get red carpets.

He only got caught because the billion-dollar money laundering case exploded in the news.
And when the police came, he tried to run — jumped off his balcony and landed in a drain.

What did he get?

14 months in jail.
But with good behaviour and weekend cuts, he’ll serve just 9 months.

Then he’s gone.
Not to China to face real justice.
Nope.
He gets deported to Cyprus — where his passport says he’s from.
A soft landing. Quiet. Clean. No questions asked.

—

This isn’t a failure.
This is how the system works.

Because Singapore now has two financial systems:

One for the ultra-rich — with privileges, protection, and silence.
And one for the rest of us — with fines, taxes, and no room for mistakes.

—

Don’t forget Credit Suisse.
They helped Americans hide US$4 billion —
US$2 billion of it through Singapore.

Did we catch it?
No.
The U.S. did.

Because when rich people move dirty money here,
our system holds the door open and smiles.

—

And while you queue to top up your CPF,
over 2,000 Single Family Offices have been set up in Singapore —
quiet, private structures for billionaires to store wealth, tax-free.

Some even tied to people close to power.

And now Bill Gates is setting up the Asia HQ of his foundation here.
Why?

Because he knows what the rich already know:
Singapore is the safest place to park your billions.

—

And now, the photo.

Su Haijin at dinner.
Sitting next to ministers.
Looking relaxed. Like nothing was wrong.

When it leaked?
They said nothing.
Pretended not to know him.

But let’s be honest — they knew.
They just know we’re not in the class that gets told the truth.

—

That photo wasn’t a scandal.
It was a global advertisement.

A signal to every billionaire watching:

“Come to Singapore.
Even if you break the law,
even if you get caught red-handed,
we’ll say we don’t know you.
We’ll protect you.
We’ll love you.
Forever.”

—

Singapore:
Clean on the surface,
soft for the wealthy,
strict only if you’re broke.

You voted for this.

And now, we all live with it.

Two systems. One truth.

If you’re not rich, this ad campaign is not for you.
You’re just peasants in the way.

Straight talk. No sugar.

 

[shiokalingam]

 

[tobelightlight]

Wow...really this saga more and more jialat. What are these PAP Ministers doing there mingling with these crooks???? Damn Jialat

My question is why are Sinkies voting these PAP losers? The problems are Sinkies issues.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Will this article be PoFma?

 

[Hypocrite-The]

View attachment 220096


Su Haijin wasn’t hiding.

He was living in a luxury Bukit Timah bungalow,
with 13 properties, 21 bank accounts, and $174 million in assets.
All while being wanted in China for illegal online gambling.

He set up a fake company in Singapore — no business, just a front.
Moved millions through it like nothing.
And nobody asked questions.
Because in Singapore, if you have money, you don’t get questions — you get red carpets.

He only got caught because the billion-dollar money laundering case exploded in the news.
And when the police came, he tried to run — jumped off his balcony and landed in a drain.

What did he get?

14 months in jail.
But with good behaviour and weekend cuts, he’ll serve just 9 months.

Then he’s gone.
Not to China to face real justice.
Nope.
He gets deported to Cyprus — where his passport says he’s from.
A soft landing. Quiet. Clean. No questions asked.

—

This isn’t a failure.
This is how the system works.

Because Singapore now has two financial systems:

One for the ultra-rich — with privileges, protection, and silence.
And one for the rest of us — with fines, taxes, and no room for mistakes.

—

Don’t forget Credit Suisse.
They helped Americans hide US$4 billion —
US$2 billion of it through Singapore.

Did we catch it?
No.
The U.S. did.

Because when rich people move dirty money here,
our system holds the door open and smiles.

—

And while you queue to top up your CPF,
over 2,000 Single Family Offices have been set up in Singapore —
quiet, private structures for billionaires to store wealth, tax-free.

Some even tied to people close to power.

And now Bill Gates is setting up the Asia HQ of his foundation here.
Why?

Because he knows what the rich already know:
Singapore is the safest place to park your billions.

—

And now, the photo.

Su Haijin at dinner.
Sitting next to ministers.
Looking relaxed. Like nothing was wrong.

When it leaked?
They said nothing.
Pretended not to know him.

But let’s be honest — they knew.
They just know we’re not in the class that gets told the truth.

—

That photo wasn’t a scandal.
It was a global advertisement.

A signal to every billionaire watching:

“Come to Singapore.
Even if you break the law,
even if you get caught red-handed,
we’ll say we don’t know you.
We’ll protect you.
We’ll love you.
Forever.”

—

Singapore:
Clean on the surface,
soft for the wealthy,
strict only if you’re broke.

You voted for this.

And now, we all live with it.

Two systems. One truth.

If you’re not rich, this ad campaign is not for you.
You’re just peasants in the way.

Straight talk. No sugar.


View attachment 220097

This just proves that the pap is protected by higher powers...throughout history pap always dodge bullets....the Tan PE....KFC won by a whisker....now this news came out just after polling day....if pap is not blessed...I don't know what is

 

[bobby]

You would have thought that any minister invited to a private dinner would have asked who else would be in attendance as part of any protocol and the reason for the celebration.

 

[mojito]

All happening right under Looong's snout.

 

[birdie69]

After makan together & happy hour, no more stranger liao. Stranger is when the person pop into the private dining room to say hi to others except LSS & Gang & exited the room. Where got take group photo together.

Can PM or CPIB look into this ex minister financial records to check any thing involved or assist in money laundering activities?

 

[birdie69]

Will this article be PoFma?

Minister Shan is very sick now!

 

[Semaj2357]

You would have thought that any minister invited to a private dinner would have asked who else would be in attendance as part of any protocol and the reason for the celebration.

hanor, can eat - don't waste!

 

[batman1]

Minister Shan is very sick now!

U guess who is the buyer of his $88million GCB ???