News| Rules of conduct for public officers could be refreshed, says former CPIB director

[snapp]

Acknowledging that people in the public service and business community may feel a little anxious in the wake of the Iswaran sentencing, former CPIB director and SUSS Associate Professor Soh Kee Hean says the rules of conduct, including guidelines for public officers, could be refreshed so that both sides know where the boundaries lie.

This is particularly important as the public service and business community have to work closely in today’s economy.

“Otherwise, it keeps everybody at arm’s length, but you also need human relationships between government and the business community, which are important drivers of economic development. We don’t want some of the good practices that we have to be rolled back as a result,” Prof Soh says.

https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-iswaran-sentencing

 

[snapp]

Sentence sets benchmark for future cases, says former CPIB director

Former CPIB director and Associate Professor Soh Kee Hean, who teaches criminal investigation, public safety and security at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), says the 12-month sentence for Iswaran sets a benchmark for future cases under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

The reasons set out by Justice Hoong show that there is a higher bar for people in high leadership positions, says Prof Soh, who was a CPIB director from 2005 to 2010.

People in high leadership positions “must really set the tone from the top and walk the talk”, Prof Soh says.

“If the people at the top don’t conduct themselves properly, they don’t really have moral authority over their staff and over other people.”

People working under them will take it that “that’s the way they can also behave and follow suit if the leader behaves this way”.

“In time, misconduct (in the public service) will proliferate,” he says.

Not only that, the higher the position of the public servant, the greater impact his actions would have on trust and confidence in the Government, he adds.

The sentence has to reflect these considerations, he stresses.

Prof Soh adds that it cannot be said that the prosecution put up a sentencing recommendation that is overly lenient because there are no other precedents for it to look at.

https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-iswaran-sentencing

 

[Tiny Shrimp]

keep at arm's length better imo
better than being in bed with each other...

arbo like US liddat, big govt and big biz sleep with each other...
come to think of this... are we liddat liao?

 

[sizzy6]

human relationships like business flights, concerts and high end hotel stays.

thats just legal corruption on top of world highest salary

 

[alvincy]

Really arm length. Work with LTA people, want to buy drinks together, they said cannot drink, drink liao wait CPIB, they bring their own water bottle.

 

[Whimsica]

Sinkies pushed for Iswaran to be sentenced gaolat gaolat.

After sentenced liao now scared want the rules to be relaxed.

Iswaran jin kelian.

 

[tfkmueh]

The rule damn simple, if it can be perceived as a negative, don't do it. It's only made complicated by those that want to abuse it by arguing technicality or semantics.

 

[berger]

this is such a dichotomy lmao

 

[marksnow44]

The Rot started from the TOP!!!!