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India, Singapore Ink Deal For Cooperation in Law, Dispute Resolution

The Memorandum of Understanding is on further cooperation between the two countries in the areas of common interest…reports Asian Lite News

India and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of Law and Dispute Resolution on Thursday.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in a virtual meeting of the Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Government of India, Arjun Ram Meghwal for the Indian side and the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Government of Singapore, Edwin Tong for the Singapore side.

The Memorandum of Understanding is on further cooperation between the two countries in the areas of common interest such as international commercial dispute resolution; matters relating to the promotion of robust alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in respective countries and the establishment of a Joint Consultative Committee to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Arjun Ram Meghwal, in his virtual address, while highlighting the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding stated that “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding signifies our collective commitment to deepening collaboration in the field of law and dispute resolution, with a focus on sharing best practices, exchanging expertise, and facilitating capacity building initiatives for the stakeholder.”

“Through this partnership, we are aiming to harness synergies between our legal regimes, leverage our respective strengths and explore innovative approaches to address the evolving needs of our citizens and businesses,” Meghwal added.

Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Government of Singapore, while commending the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding stated that “Singapore enjoys excellent, broad-based and multifaceted relations with India. Given our strong economic and commercial ties, it is imperative for us to continually deepen our cooperation in the legal and dispute resolution fields.”

“This (understanding) will enable us to better support our businesses and those doing business with Singapore and India. We look forward to exchanging our experiences and strengthening our relationships with the India Ministry of Law and Justice, as well as with the various legal and dispute resolution industry players in India,” said Edwin Tong.

This collaboration therefore marks a key milestone in strengthening cooperation between India and Singapore with a focus on the exchange of best practices in the sphere of law and dispute resolution, which will eventually enable the adoption of efficacious mechanisms for the resolution of disputes through alternate dispute resolution mechanisms. (ANI)

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Singapore SC judge sits in Constitution bench

The occasion coincides with the second edition of the Delhi Arbitration Weekend, taking place from March 6 to 10, an event hosted by the Delhi International Arbitration Centre…reports Asian Lite News

Judge Judith Prakash of the Singapore Supreme Court on Wednesday joined the Constitution bench tasked with examining whether the Centre’s collection of royalties on mineral rights should be classified as a tax, aligning with a previous ruling by a seven-judge bench in 1989.

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, leading the nine-judge bench, announced Judge Prakash’s participation as a guest member, noting her presence coinciding with her attendance at the Delhi Arbitration Weekend, where she is slated to deliver the keynote address.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta extended his greetings and formally welcomed Judge Prakash, while senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the bar in the royalty case, expressed his warm regards to her, acknowledging the honor of engaging with her on matters of Indian constitutional law.

The occasion coincides with the second edition of the Delhi Arbitration Weekend, taking place from March 6 to 10, an event hosted by the Delhi International Arbitration Centre.

SC quashes criminal proceedings against govt official

Meanwhile in a separate development, the Supreme Court has quashed criminal proceedings initiated against a UP government official accused of torturing and abetting a senior clerk in the District Child Welfare Board to commit suicide.An FIR was registered at Fatehgarh’s Kotwali police station for the offences punishable under Section 306 of the IPC and the SC/ST Act on the basis of the suicide note left behind by the deceased who ended his life by consuming a poisonous substance in his own house on October 3, 2002.The appellant official contended in the apex court that allegations do not constitute the necessary ingredients of the offences alleged as the deceased was bothered by the pressure of working in two districts and took the extreme step of ending his life being unable to withstand the pressure.In its verdict, a bench, headed by Justice B.R. Gavai said: “On a minute perusal of the suicide note, we do not find that the contents thereof indicate any act or omission on the part of the accused-appellant which could make him responsible for abetment as defined under Section 107 IPC.”After minutely perusing the suicide note, the bench, also comprising Justice Sandeep Mehta, agreed that the deceased was frustrated on account of work pressure and was apprehensive of various random factors unconnected to his official duties.

However, such apprehensions expressed in the suicide note, by no stretch of the imagination, can be considered sufficient to attribute to the appellant, an act or omission constituting the elements of abetment to commit suicide, it added.The apex court held that the necessary ingredients of the offence of abetment to commit suicide are not made out from the charge sheet and appellant’s prosecution under Section 306 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act tantamounts to gross abuse of process to law.It also said: “The prosecution of the appellant herein for the offence under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act is ex facie illegal and unwarranted because it is nowhere the case of the prosecution in the entire charge sheet that the offence under IPC was committed by the appellant upon the deceased on the basis of his caste.”It noted that the investigating agency, in the first instance, proposed a closure report in the matter after conducting a thorough investigation. Later, the investigation was reopened and a charge sheet came to be filed.”In this background, we are of the opinion that there does not exist any justifiable ground so as to permit the prosecution of the appellant for the offences under Section 306 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act,” the Supreme Court said.Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had rejected the application filed under Section 482 of Court of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) seeking quashing of proceedings pending before the Farrukhabad’s Chief Judicial Magistrate.

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Indian-Origin Ministers in Singapore Grapple with Graft Allegations

K. Shanmugam

The trio belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 and holds a sizeable majority in the country’s Parliament….writes Meenakshi Iyer

Lauded as the least corrupt country in Asia, Singapore saw three Indian-origin Ministers face graft charges in the year 2023 alone — the same year an economist of Indian descent took over the reins of the city-state as its ninth President.

While two of them — Vivian Balakrishnan and K. Shanmugam were cleared of all charges as the year drew to a close, S. Iswaran’s pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 1, and he is presently out on bail of SG$800,000.

The trio belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 and holds a sizeable majority in the country’s Parliament.

With the next election due in November 2025, political experts say that the graft allegations could hit PAP’s support base in a country that is ranked the fifth-least corrupt country in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.

Over the years, the government has justified seven-figure ministerial paychecks to keep out corruption.

According to a Bloomberg report, the country’s public officers are among the world’s best-paid, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earning a total compensation of about S$2.2 million ($1.7 million) per annum.

The country witnessed its last corruption case in the year 1986, which saw Teh Cheang Wan, a national development minister, being probed for allegedly accepting kickbacks.

The case of Balakrishnan and Shanmugam

Home Affairs and Law Minister Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Balakrishnan were accused of corruption relating to the rental of their colonial-era bungalows in the city-state.

The 26 and 31 Ridout Road are two 100-year-old bungalows in the Ridout Park area that have been rented to the two Ministers.

In May last year, opposition Reform Party Chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam questioned if the two Ministers were “paying less than the fair market value” for their rental of the two-state properties.

It was debated in the Parliament in July, following a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigation and a review by senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.

The CPIB said in its report that it did not find any wrongdoing on the part of Shanmugam and Balakrishnan, while Teo’s review found that processes had been followed.

Even as they were cleared, Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Singapore’s Prime Minister, wrote posts on Facebook in July accusing them of corruption over the rental of their bungalows.

Yang accused the ministers of acting for personal gains by having the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval, and also having SLA pay for renovations to the bungalows.

The ministers sued Yang, currently in self-exile overseas, for defamation with the judgment being granted in their favour.

Vivian Balakrishnan

The case of ‘innocent’ Iswaran

As per a New York Times report, Transport Minister S. Iswaran was among the 4G, or fourth generation, leaders who were considered with Prime Minister Lee hoping to step down, following PAP’s leadership transition within 10 months.

But Iswaran was arrested on July 11 last year in one of the most high-profile cases involving a minister in the Asian financial hub in nearly four decades.

The 61-year-old faces 27 charges of offences in a corruption probe, which included receiving tickets from Ong Beng Seng, who is credited with bringing F1 racing to Singapore.

While pleading not guilty to all the charges, Iswaran said he was ‘innocent’ and resigned from the Cabinet, as a Member of Parliament and as a member of the ruling PAP.

According to the CPIB, Iswaran has allegedly obtained kickbacks worth SG$384,340.98 ($286,181) from Ong, partly to advance the property tycoon’s business interests.

These ranged from tickets to shows, private plane rides, hotel stays, football matches, and various editions of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

If convicted, he could be fined up to SG$100,000 or face seven years in prison.

Indian diaspora in Singapore

Indians make up around nine per cent of the Singapore population and as of 2024, their estimated population is seven lakh.

According to the latest 2020 Census, 57.3 per cent of Singapore’s Indian population declared themselves as Hindus, mostly Tamils.

Excluding Iswaran, who recently resigned, the present cabinet now includes four Indian-origin ministers — Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, and Indranee Rajah, serving as Second Minister for Finance as well as Second Minister for National Development.

Janil Puthucheary serves as a senior Minister of State for the Ministries of Transport and Communications and Information.

Pritam Singh, the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party, the largest opposition party in Singapore, is also of Indian descent.

The penalty for the corrupt

In Singapore, graft cases are mostly handled by the CPIB, or Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, a government agency that investigates and prosecutes corruption in the public and private sectors.

The agency reports directly to the Prime Minister, enabling the CPIB to operate independently.

A person convicted for corruption offences under either Section 5 or 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act faces a fine not exceeding SG$100,000, or a custodial sentence of up to five years (or both) for each charge for which he is convicted.

ALSO READ: Singapore Transport Minister Iswaran Resigns Amid Corruption Charges

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Singapore Transport Minister Iswaran Resigns Amid Corruption Charges

Iswaran, who was on a leave of absence since the probe began in July 2023, will repay his salary as a minister and allowances as an MP from that month…reports Asian Lite News

Singapore’s Indian-origin Transport Minister, S. Iswaran has stepped down from his post after facing 27 charges of offences in a corruption probe, which also included receiving tickets from a top property tycoon.

The 61-year-old minister, who was arrested on July 11 last year and released on SG$800,000 bail, also resigned as an MP from the ruling People’s Action Party, The Straits Times reported on Thursday.

In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, dated January 16, Iswaran said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) charged him with various offences.

“I reject the allegations in the charges and will now focus on clearing my name. Given the circumstances, I feel it is right for me to resign from Cabinet, as a Member of Parliament and as a member of the PAP,” he wrote.

Iswaran, who was on a leave of absence since the probe began in July 2023, will repay his salary as a minister and allowances as an MP from that month.

“My family and I have decided to return the monies because we cannot in all good conscience benefit from them when I was unable, on account of the investigations, to discharge my duties as a minister and Member of Parliament,” he said in the letter.

He added that he will not be seeking the return of the amount if he is acquitted.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that effective from Thursday, Chee Hong Tat will replace Iswaran as Transport Minister.

Earlier in the day, Iswaran appeared before a district judge and was charged with two counts of corruption over bribes.

He is accused of accepting more than SG$160,000 from billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng to advance the latter’s business interests in a Singapore Grand Prix contract with the city-state’s Tourism Board in September and December 2022.

Iswaran also faces 24 charges of accepting valuable items worth more than SG$218,000, including Singapore Grand Prix tickets, between November 2015 and December 2021 from Ong — credited with bringing F1 racing to Singapore — while being a public servant, and one charge of obstructing justice in May 2023.

His political career spans more than 26 years, and he was first elected in 1997 as an MP for West Coast Group Representation Constituency.

In May 2021, he was appointed Minister for Transport and was concurrently minister-in-charge of trade relations at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) since May 2018.

ALSO READ-Singapore Explores Hiring APOs from India

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Singapore Explores Hiring APOs from India

The minister also pointed to a growing demand for APOs due to heightened security threats and new infrastructure, such as Changi Airport Terminal 4…reports Asian Lite News

An Indian-origin minister in Singapore has said that the city state is considering hiring auxiliary police officers (APOs) from Asian nations like India, China, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Home and Law Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam told Parliament on Wednesday that his Ministry hopes to expand the jurisdictions where officers can be recruited from for their Auxiliary Police Force, Channel News Asia reported.

In a written parliamentary response to MP Sylvia Lim, Shanmugam said the move is being considered as the number of APOs, currently being hired from Taiwan, dropping significantly since the practice began in 2017.

The minister also pointed to a growing demand for APOs due to heightened security threats and new infrastructure, such as Changi Airport Terminal 4.

“We need to allow the auxiliary police forces to recruit foreign APOs to meet the increasing demand for security services,” Shanmugam said.

“They (Auxiliary Police Force) face challenges in sustaining an adequate pool of APOs, given the shrinking local workforce, requirements such as physical fitness, and the job options Singaporeans have.”

Singaporeans made up about 68 per cent of the total population of APOs, with the remaining 32 per cent being Malaysian and Taiwanese as of November last year.

The Minister further noted that it has been a “challenge to recruit and keep” the Taiwanese APOs with their numbers decreasing by more than 60 per cent since 2017, to about 70 today.

Citing reasons, he said this was due to the demanding nature of public-facing security work, improved job opportunities and prospects in Taiwan, a desire to settle down with a family, and homesickness.

APOs are trained in areas such as handling firearms and counter-terrorism, and they are deployed in a range of functions, including protecting key installations and non-governmental premises such as commercial banks.

In addition, they are also given police powers to search and arrest offenders when on duty, and can escort people in custody.

As for the risk of letting non-Singaporeans carry firearms, the minister told the parliament that the authorities address this through security screening, training and supervision.

“So far, misuse of firearms by APOs is extremely rare and is not more prevalent among non-Singaporeans,” Shanmugam said.

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Jaishankar’s Singapore Visit Ends on High Note

Both the ministers acknowledged the close bilateral defence engagement and reaffirmed the commitment to take it forward….reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday concluded his three-day visit to Singapore, saying that it presented an opportunity to further deepen the strategic partnership between India and the Southeast Asian country.

During his Singapore visit on October 18, the EAM had several bilateral engagements with the leaders of the island-nation and senior ministers of the Cabinet.

He was accompanied by the Secretary (East) and other senior officials from the Ministry.

“EAM called on H.E. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore, and congratulated him on his recent election victory,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jaishankar also paid a call to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, holding discussions on deepening bilateral engagement in key areas.

“Both exchanged views on deepening engagement in the identified pillars of our cooperation, viz., fintech, digitalization, the green economy, skills development, and food security,” the MEA added in its statement.

The EAM also met the Minister and Coordinating Minister for national security, Teo Chee Hean.

“EAM had a comprehensive discussion with H.E. Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on bilateral and global issues of mutual interest. He also met H.E. Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence,” the MEA added.

Both the ministers acknowledged the close bilateral defence engagement and reaffirmed the commitment to take it forward.

Later, he had a productive meeting with the Minister of Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, with the discussions centred on new domains of cooperation.

He also met the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, K Shanmugam and exchanged views on strengthening the bilateral partnership between the two nations.

“Happy to catch up with Minister of Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam today. Exchanged views on further strengthening our bilateral relations. Also on regional and global developments,” Jaishankar posted on X.

India and Singapore enjoy a historic relationship that was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2015.

In 2023, both sides had several ministerial interactions on the sidelines of the G20 held under India’s presidency, for which Singapore was invited as a guest country. (ANI)

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China Faces Fallout As Singapore Digs Into Money Laundering

singapore flag.

The scandal revolves around more than USD 2.4 billion worth of assets, shaking up the Asian financial hub….reports Asian Lite News

Singapore is conducting a significant investigation into its largest money laundering scandal, primarily involving Chinese nationals, causing embarrassment for China, Khabarhub reported.

In mid-August, Singapore police arrested ten foreign nationals and conducted raids, seizing luxury items such as Hermes handbags, Patek Philippe watches, aged Macallan whisky, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce cars.

The scandal revolves around more than USD 2.4 billion worth of assets, shaking up the Asian financial hub. Consequently, Singaporean banks have become cautious regarding clients of Chinese origin holding other citizenships, following the exposure of this money laundering scheme, according to Khabarhub, a Nepali digital news media.

Several banks have revised their rules, particularly for clients of Chinese origin who possess investment-linked passports. Some international banks are even closing accounts of clients with citizenship from countries like Cambodia, Cyprus, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

Singapore has intensified efforts to strengthen its anti-money laundering framework since island-wide raids on August 15 led to the arrest and charging of ten wealthy individuals of Chinese origin, describing it as “one of the most serious, if not the worst, money-laundering cases in Singapore.”

Of the ten suspects, three are current Chinese nationals, while the rest hold different primary passports but have origins in Fujian. They were also found with Chinese passports.

The case has affected Singapore’s reputation, but it has also cast a shadow on China, given the involvement of Chinese nationals in the scandal. It is important to note that Singapore initiated the investigation independently, denying any influence or request from the Chinese government.

The Singapore Police Force has seized USD 1.8 billion in cash and assets from the ten individuals, including properties, vehicles, cash, luxury items, and jewelry. These assets are believed to be the proceeds of organised crime committed overseas, including scams and online gambling, with funds laundered through Singapore’s financial institutions, as reported by Khabarhub.

Singapore’s reputation as a clean and efficient financial hub has taken a hit, but experts believe that the case has also damaged China’s image due to the involvement of its nationals.

The case includes individuals like Fujian Wang Bingang, who profited from illegal online gambling services offered to Chinese players. Wang formed his group in 2012 and made substantial profits through the Hongli International gambling site in the Philippines and Cambodia.

Financial institutions are now scrutinising all new account registrations and transactions involving individuals of Chinese origin. They are assessing and, in some cases, restricting transactions from users with citizenship from other nations. Accounts of customers from Vanuatu, Dominica, Cyprus, Cambodia, and Turkey are being closed.

The focus is on Singapore’s efforts to prevent Chinese nationals from engaging in money laundering practices, with the country’s attractive financial environment and proximity to China being key factors driving such illicit activities, Khabarhub reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: India, Singapore bilateral maritime exercise concludes

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India, Singapore bilateral maritime exercise concludes

The Commanding Officers of the Indian Navy contingent also paid homage at the Kranji War Memorial in a solemn wreath laying ceremony….reports Asian Lite News

Indian Naval Ships Ranvijay (guided-missile Destroyer), Kavaratti (ASW Corvette), submarine Sindhukesari and a long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I participated in the 30th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Singapore, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

First held in 1994, the three-decade-old annual exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony on September 21, which was attended by personnel from both the navies. The ceremony saw unveiling of the SIMBEX 30th Edition Logo.

The Harbour Phase witnessed a wide range of professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, conduct of combined aviation and firefighting/damage control exercises, and the signing of a Joint Standard Operating Procedure (JSOP) on Submarine Rescue between India and Singapore in presence of the High Commissioner of India to Singapore and the Singapore Navy Fleet Commander, the Ministry stated.

The Commanding Officers of the Indian Navy contingent also paid homage at the Kranji War Memorial in a solemn wreath laying ceremony.

Other activities undertaken during the stay in harbour included sports exchanges, cross-deck visits, and onboard visit of school children and personnel from the Indian High Commission.

The Sea Phase of SIMBEX 23 was conducted from September 25-28, wherein units of Indian Navy along with RSS Stalwart, Valour, Tenacious, a submarine, Maritime Patrol Aircraft Fokker F-50 and fighter aircraft engaged in complex maritime security exercises including advanced anti-submarine warfare, surface and air defence exercises, as well as tactical manoeuvers and weapon firings, the Ministry stated.

“SIMBEX 23 ended on a high note reaffirming the close bonds of friendship and interoperability between the two maritime nations,” it added. (ANI)

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Singapore, Bangladesh Strengthen Relations with High Commission Upgrade

singapore flag.

Momen had earlier requested the Singaporean Foreign Minister to set up a full-fledged mission in Dhaka that would benefit both countries…reports Asian Lite News

Singapore will elevate its consulate in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka to a high commission from October 1, reflecting the enhanced economic and people-to-people relations between the two countries, a media report said.

The upgrade was shared by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen on September 20 during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Xinhua news agency reported, citing United News of Bangladesh.

Momen had earlier requested the Singaporean Foreign Minister to set up a full-fledged mission in Dhaka that would benefit both countries while calling for more investment from Singapore in Bangladesh’s special economic zones.

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Tharman Shanmugaratnam Sworn In as Singapore’s Ninth President

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Tharman on winning the presidential election and pledged the full support of the government to the President…reports Asian Lite News

Tharman Shanmugaratnam took the oath as Singapore’s ninth president at Istana, the country’s presidential palace.

In the inauguration speech, Tharman said on Thursday evening that he was honoured and humbled to have been elected and will discharge his duties diligently and faithfully.

The President also stressed building a more inclusive society and deepening Singapore’s partnerships with the international community, Xinhua news agency reported.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Tharman on winning the presidential election and pledged the full support of the government to the President.

Tharman was elected the President after garnering 70.4 per cent of the total votes. He used to be the senior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the city-state.

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