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Goh Meng Seng issued Pofma order over posts on LTA’s award of contracts to Lum Chang in Iswaran case

2024-03-28 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - The Land Transport Authority (LTA) did not award any contract to any of Mr David Lum Kok Seng’s companies throughout the period that former minister S. Iswaran held the transport portfolio, said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on March 27.

The ministry made the clarification about the matter as it invoked the law against fake news to debunk two posts put up by opposition politician Goh Meng Seng on March 26 on his Facebook pages Goh Meng Seng and Goh Meng Seng People’s Power Party.

Mr Lum, 75, a Singaporean, is managing director of property management and construction firm Lum Chang, and was mentioned in the eight additional charges that Iswaran was handed on March 25.

The former minister is alleged to have obtained valuables with a total value of nearly $19,000 from Mr Lum between November 2021 and November 2022, an offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code. Public servants run afoul of the law if they accept gifts from people who are involved with them in an official capacity.

MOT said in its March 27 statement that Iswaran was appointed minister for transport from May 15, 2021, to Jan 17, 2024, and that Mr Goh’s claim that a “huge contract” was awarded to Mr Lum’s company by the LTA during this period is false.

LTA is a statutory board under the MOT.

Mr Goh was issued a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) correction direction under the instruction of Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

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The opposition politician has since put up correction notices alongside the posts, stating that they contain falsehoods and linking to the Government’s Factually website with the relevant facts.

MOT said one of Mr Lum’s companies, Lum Chang Building Contractors, has two ongoing projects with the LTA. Both contracts were awarded before Iswaran was appointed transport minister.

One of the contracts is for addition and alteration works to the existing Tanah Merah MRT station and existing viaducts and was awarded in October 2016, while the other for the construction of the North-South Corridor tunnel between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9 was awarded in December 2018.

LTA has not awarded any contract to Lum Chang Building Contractors since 2019, said MOT.

MOT added: “We advise members of the public not to speculate and/or spread unverified rumours.”

Iswaran, 61, was first charged at the State Courts on Jan 18. He initially faced 27 charges, including two for corruption. His case was later transferred to the High Court.

The corruption charges relate to alleged bribes obtained from billionaire Ong Beng Seng as inducement for advancing the hotel and property tycoon’s business interests in relation to agreements between race promoter Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board.

Mr Ong, who is chairman of Singapore GP, is credited with bringing the Formula One Grand Prix to Singapore.

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