The Online Citizen
Alleged WhatsApp from Su Haijin casts doubt on Sam Goi’s timeline of dinner with Ng Chee Meng
An alleged WhatsApp message from Su Haijin suggests a dinner with Ng Chee Meng took place in September 2021, during a period of strict COVID-19 dining restrictions. This contradicts businessman Sam Goi’s account that the gatherings with Su and the ministers occurred before pandemic rules were implemented.
Published on 6 May 2025
By
The Online Citizen
Photos of billionaire Sam Goi and Ng Chee Meng with Su Haijin
Billionaire businessman Sam Goi has confirmed that he organised and paid for dinners attended by ministers and
convicted money launderer Su Haijin, describing the gatherings as informal and held prior to the implementation of Singapore’s COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020.
“It’s all for friends and I paid for them all,” Goi told
Bloomberg News in an interview from mainland China.
Photos showing Su dining with several PAP ministers began circulating widely on social media in the days following the ruling People’s Action Party’s strong showing in the 3 May general election. Former Reform Party chairman Charles Yeo shared the images along with commentary questioning the ministers’ proximity to Su.
A separate photo of NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng — the PAP candidate who narrowly won Jalan Kayu SMC — with Su had surfaced earlier on
Sammyboyforum the previous Saturday.
Goi’s remarks appear to align with
an earlier statement issued on 6 May by the press secretaries of Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
The ministers said they had attended social dinners at the invitation of a friend, where Su happened to be present, and that they had no personal or professional relationship with him.
However,
a WhatsApp message shared by Yeo has cast doubt on the timeline provided by Goi — particularly regarding a dinner involving Ng Chee Meng.
In the screenshot, allegedly sent by Su Haijin on 24 September 2021, Su wrote: “What do you think? I’m having dinner with the minister,” alongside a photo of himself with Ng at a round dining table.
Screenshot of WhatsApp message shared by Charles Yeo on his Instagram, showing a date stamp of 24 September 2021.
At least four individuals are visible in the images shared in the messages, suggesting a small group dinner.
While the number of diners was permissible under the regulations at the time, the message contradicts Goi’s claim that such events took place before COVID-19 rules were introduced in the later part of 2020.
On Tuesday, Ng Chee Meng
issued a statement acknowledging his presence at the dinner. He explained that it was part of his role to engage private sector stakeholders and stated that he had no further contact with Su after learning of the charges against him.
The photos circulated online show various combinations of Su with Ong, Chee, and other prominent individuals, including former PAP minister Lim Swee Say, billionaire Oei Hong Leong, businessman Sam Goi, and UOB-Kay Hian Chairman Wee Ee Chao.
In contrast to the dinner with Ng, there are no accompanying messages or metadata that would allow the dates of the other dinners to be verified.
Questions have also been raised about whether the meals were declared in line with civil service protocols.
Under the Public Service Code of Conduct, gifts or benefits exceeding S$50 must be declared. The PAP’s
2015 Rules of Prudence also advise MPs to avoid accepting personal favours or hospitality that may give rise to a sense of obligation or perceived influence.
A media query was sent to Ministers Ong and Chee on 6 May to ask whether they had declared the dinners in accordance with civil service rules.
As Sam Goi has since confirmed that he paid for the meals, the remaining question is whether the ministers disclosed this hospitality. As of publication, no response has been received.
Correction: It has been noted that there was a period from 10 August 2021 during which
dining in groups of up to five was allowed. However, due to an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, restrictions
were reimposed on 24 September, reducing the allowed group size back to two. From 22 November 2021, group sizes for dine-in and social gatherings
were increased from two to five persons.
