Questions raised after Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat issued statement saying they don’t know Fujian gang member Su Haijin

SINGAPORE: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat issued a joint statement after pictures were posted online of them together with Su Haijin, who was among the 10 foreign nationals arrested in August 2023 in a Singapore-wide raid connected to the biggest money-laundering case in the history of the city-state.

On Apr 4, 2024, Su was convicted and sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment for one count of resistance to lawful apprehension and two counts of money laundering under Section 55 of the CDSA.

The photos were posted late on Monday night (May 5) on the Instagram account of Charles Yeo, the former chairman of the Reform Party.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Ong posted a copy of the statement that he and Mr Chee’s press secretaries issued. On Facebook, he acknowledged the pictures showing him and Mr Chee at dinners where Su Haijin had also been present.

“As ministers, they meet a diverse range of people at various events and gatherings. They attended the dinners at the invitation of a friend, and Su happened to be there. Minister Ong recalls that months later, at another dinner, Su happened to be there too,” the statement reads.

It clarified, however, that neither Mr Chee nor Mr Ong personally knows Su, nor have they had any “contact or dealings with him, before or since these occasions.”

“The PAP government upholds a high standard of integrity and the ministers are determined to uphold this, even though in the course of their work, they may inadvertently come into contact with people who are later established to be unsavoury. Maintaining this standard is non-negotiable,” the statement adds.

There is also a picture of Jalan Kayu Single Member Constituency (SMC) Member of Parliament-elect Ng Chee Meng, who is also the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, together with Su. This photo has not been officially verified, however, and according to CNA, Mr Ng has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Online, many have acknowledged that government officials attend many social events where attendees regularly request photo opportunities with them. Preventing this is virtually impossible, some argued. Some commended Mr Ong and Mr Chee for issuing a clarification so quickly.

The latest on his Facebook account, posted at 1:00 pm on May 6, is an announcement that he will be starting Meet-the-People sessions at Jalan Kayu on Friday (May 9). /TISG

Read also: ‘You started it’ — Ong Ye Kung draws flak as he calls for an end to comments about candidates “abandoning” former wards