The Rule of Prudence: Why PAP’s Senior Leadership Must Be Held to Higher Standards
In 2020, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued a letter to all People’s Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament, reminding them of their responsibilities and the standards of conduct expected of them. A central tenet of that letter was the Rule of Prudence—a guideline urging PAP MPs to avoid not only impropriety but even the appearance of impropriety. Ministers were told to exercise sound judgment in associations and to uphold standards befitting the trust Singaporeans place in them.
Four years later, that rule is being severely tested.
A dinner involving four PAP heavyweights—Ong Ye Kung, Ng Chee Meng, Chee Hong Tat, and Lim Swee Say—has cast a dark shadow over the party’s credibility. The dinner guests included Sam Goi, a prominent businessman, and Su Haijin, who was later arrested in connection with Singapore’s largest money laundering scandal.
While there is no indication that the ministers knew of Su’s criminal involvement at the time, the issue isn’t legality—it’s judgment, optics, and consistency. It’s whether the most senior members of the ruling party are holding themselves to the same standards they expect of others.
The Rule of Prudence: A Standard, Not a Suggestion
PM Lee’s 2020 letter was clear:
> “Exercise judgment and caution in your private and public lives. Be circumspect in your associations and personal conduct. Avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”
The appearance of impropriety. Not actual wrongdoing, but perception—because perception is power. That distinction is critical for a party that claims its legitimacy not just from electoral wins but from moral leadership. The PAP does not merely govern—it holds itself up as an exemplar of incorruptibility.
Su Haijin, a man whose ostentatious wealth and red-flag lifestyle were no secret, should not have been anywhere near a dinner table with ministers—let alone at an exclusive gathering hosted alongside another major business tycoon. That ministers of such seniority exercised such poor judgment calls into question how seriously they take their own internal standards.
Not Junior MPs—But the PAP’s Top Brass
This was not a dinner involving backbenchers or new officeholders. Ong Ye Kung is Minister for Health and one of the most prominent figures in the 4G leadership. Chee Hong Tat is the current Minister for Transport and the Leader of the House. Ng Chee Meng, a former minister, is the Secretary-General of NTUC. Lim Swee Say, though retired from Cabinet, remains a senior figure and former Minister for Manpower.
When ministers of such stature fraternize with individuals later exposed in billion-dollar criminal schemes, it reflects a breakdown in vetting, prudence, and political instinct. But more dangerously, it suggests a growing sense of entitlement—a belief among the PAP elite that standards are for others, not themselves.
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