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[h=2]Shanmugam on recent corruption cases: Singaporeans are ‘humans’ as well[/h]Posted by temasektimes on August 5, 2012
The recent spate of high-profile corruption cases involving senior civil servants and leaders of the establishment has set some Singaporeans questioning if Singapore is that ‘clean’ after all.
However, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam uses ‘human nature’ to deflect public concerns, saying that “corruption and falling to temptation are basic vices that have existed since time immemorial.”
“Like in all societies, and in Singapore as well, there have always been people who have been corrupt. There will always be people who will be corrupt,” Mr Shanmugam said.
Speaking at a National Day celebration dinner in Chong Pang on Saturday, Mr Shanmugam said that Singapore cannot completely eradicate fraud and bad conduct, even though it has created a system that is very clean and efficient by international standards.
“There will be people who, whatever rules you put in, they will look to find a way around the rules and they will fall for temptation. There is no society in the world, in the past or the present, where every person is totally clean,” he added.
Unlike other First World countries, there is no independent institution or media in Singapore to expose the wrong-doings of government leaders.
Both media companies in Singapore are under the control of the government and its subsidiaries either directly or indirectly through a complex web of share-holdings while the corruption watchdog is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The recent spate of high-profile corruption cases involving senior civil servants and leaders of the establishment has set some Singaporeans questioning if Singapore is that ‘clean’ after all.
However, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam uses ‘human nature’ to deflect public concerns, saying that “corruption and falling to temptation are basic vices that have existed since time immemorial.”
“Like in all societies, and in Singapore as well, there have always been people who have been corrupt. There will always be people who will be corrupt,” Mr Shanmugam said.
Speaking at a National Day celebration dinner in Chong Pang on Saturday, Mr Shanmugam said that Singapore cannot completely eradicate fraud and bad conduct, even though it has created a system that is very clean and efficient by international standards.
“There will be people who, whatever rules you put in, they will look to find a way around the rules and they will fall for temptation. There is no society in the world, in the past or the present, where every person is totally clean,” he added.
Unlike other First World countries, there is no independent institution or media in Singapore to expose the wrong-doings of government leaders.
Both media companies in Singapore are under the control of the government and its subsidiaries either directly or indirectly through a complex web of share-holdings while the corruption watchdog is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office.
