Allegations over ministerial committee, abuse of power should be put to rest: DPM Teo

ALLEGATIONS relating to the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley Road and over the abuse of power have no basis and should be put to rest, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in Parliament.

He pointed out that all the Lee siblings knew about the committee, and its terms of reference.

"They knew that neither the Committee nor the government was going to make a decision on the house as Dr Lee Wei Ling is residing in the house and no decision is needed now. They knew that the committee was examining a range of options and had no pre-conceived ideas on the outcome. They also knew that the Committee was not the place where decisions on the legality of the last will can be made, and this is a matter between the beneficiaries."

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He said that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong did the right thing by recusing himself from all decisions to do with the house.

"Prime Minister and Ministers have cleared the air and showed that we have acted properly. I have described the robust processes we have for Political Appointment Holders, civil servants and government MPs to address potential conflicts of interest. We help officers understand and live the Code of Conduct, and deal with errant officers firmly."

He added that this shows that the government is both transparent and accountable, and that there are institutions to make sure that Singapore continues to have good and honest government.

Mr Teo said: "I hope that these unfounded allegations will stop. They have no basis, and undermine confidence in our system of governance, and unfairly tar our public officers who are trying to do their duty."

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On the options for 38 Oxley Road, he added: "Mr Lee, in his wisdom, left us enough room to decide, and placed his trust in us to do so."

"Mr Lee himself understood that he too had to abide by the processes and system that he helped build; and that the government has a duty to consider the public interest and not just those of private individuals. He and his generation built the institutions which uphold these principles. But most of all, he taught us, all of us, to uphold these principles."