OSA case was a mistake. The original leak did not come from Tharman's office but it came from MTI chief statistician who told a Business Times Journalist.
When the flash report first appeared in BT, PS MTI notified his boss, the current PM who called in ISD, (his birthright as it appears though not the appropriate authority) PS had an axe to grind with the chief statistician (a HKer) and wanted him done badly.
ISD to it's credit realised that tghey can't do it ISD way - ie detain without trial and actually did a Police investigation. As they were not familiar with Police investigation, they read the manuals and relied on American Cops TV show and went to Magistrate Court to apply for search warrants to execute at SPH offices. The magistrate of course was done because in most cases in Singapore don't need a search warrant but the appropriate rank based authority that is only verbal.
Before I carry on rambling. here is the long and short of it. It led to Manu, Patrick, Ken, Tharman etc to the dock. Only later did it emerge that flash had already been released but PS did not correct it and his little campaign not revealed. When it the fan, midst of trial , too late for image
- trial carried on
- GCT told SPH journalists covering his Boeing seattle visit in a close door session that he will make it up to their colleagues
- Lim Kim San, chair of SPH was told not to appeal and he gave instructions to that effect. All bills paid.
- PS sacked and went to HK to work for Sum Cheong Piling as he was blacklisted
- as promised, all rehabilitatd.
- Tharman double promotion , moved to Admin scheme , fasting rising superstar and groomed by LHL, the person who called ISD.
- Manu given board positions in GLC
- overzealous DJ1 Richard Magnus who thought like Sam Sinnathurai who was elevated to the High Court Bench over Tan Wah Piow case actually mentioned amended the charge and convicted him did not go anywhere.
- law introduced to allow convictions spent and now all those convicted have their convictions erased.
- PS rehired in F&N subsidiary, a lowly role after his time in the wilderness. PS was in same scholar cohort as LHL.
Nobody wants to recall the incident.
Agreed. I always wondered, though, if there's more than meets the eye in his OSA conviction. Either there's an interesting backstory to the conviction, or he really screwed up but was brilliant enough to make it back to the top despite it. Or perhaps the OSA thing was really no big deal anyway.
