On the heels of Workers’ Party’s Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang who challenged Attorney-General (AG) Lucien Wong’s role in the Oxley Road saga, party chairman Sylvia Lim volleyed more questions about the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) integrity, in Parliament today.
Highlighting that Wong might not be the only one who could be accused of having a conflict of interest since he was the Prime Minister’s personal lawyer until his appointment as AG, Lim pointed out that the deputy AG, Hri Kumar, was a card-carrying PAP MP before being appointed this year. She asked whether both Wong and Kumar will recuse themselves from the matter.
She said, “I am concerned about the conflict of interest. How will the AGC act in advising the Government on any decision it wishes to take on 38 Oxley Road? Has the AGC been already giving advice to the committee and who in the AGC is giving the advice? Has the AG recused himself from touching the file since he has represented PM Lee in his personal capacity as a beneficary?
“My concern is … how we protect the rule of law and our institutions. Let us be most alive to the risk of a slippery slope that erodes public trust and independence of our organs of state.”