Maintaining Integrity in the Public Service

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Prime Minister what measures has the Government taken to maintain the integrity and incorruptibility of the public service.

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Prime Minister in light of investigations into senior SCDF and CNB officers (a) whether the Government will conduct a comprehensive review of the feedback mechanisms currently in place in the civil service; and (b) whether the Government will consider whistleblower/whistleblower protection legislation and the institution of a national ombudsman to act as layers of deterrence against wayward civil servants.

Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, Sir, with your permission, may I take Question Nos 6 and 7 together?

Mr Speaker: Yes, please.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Sir, the civil service is governed by a Code of Conduct based on the principles of integrity, incorruptibility and impartiality. The Code articulates key conduct principles and expected behaviour of our officers. All officers are expected to maintain a high standard of conduct by upholding the integrity of the public service and public confidence in it. We do not tolerate corruption, which is an abuse of position and trust.

There are specific requirements set out in this Code. For example, where decisions are taken on issues which an officer is deemed to have personal interest in, he must declare his interest. Officers should not accept gifts on account of their official position. Where it is impractical or inappropriate to refuse, the gift must be declared.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) sets out the Government financial procedures and procurement rules, and reviews these on a regular basis. Ministries are required to put in place sound accounting practices and internal controls to ensure integrity of their financial systems. These include the rotation of officers handling financial work and segregation of duties so that no single officer is allowed to handle all phases of a transaction. For instance, in procuring goods and services, the officer who approves the award of contracts or quotations is different from the officer who approves payments. For procurement tenders, the approving authority for award consists of a panel of at least three officers, rather than an individual.

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Internal audits are also conducted on a regular basis. In addition, there is scrutiny by the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) and Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee which examines various accounts of the Government. While the principles, policies and processes are in place, the leaders must set the tone for effective implementation. We expect Public Service Leaders to have the ability, commitment and integrity to act in the national interest. They are selected and assessed on that basis. Where they fail to meet the high standards expected, appropriate corrective action will be taken.

To reinforce high standards of conduct and accountability, there is a reporting framework for officers to report wrongful practices or behaviour they have observed in the service. Officers should be vigilant and make a report if they have sufficient grounds to believe a wrongdoing has been committed. There are multiple avenues for officers to report wrongdoings and irregularities. Apart from making such reports internally within their own departments or agencies, officers can escalate cases of misconduct to their Permanent Secretary of the Ministry or the Head of Civil Service. In addition, they can also report wrongdoing to the Public Service Commission (PSC), which is an independent body, set up under the Singapore Constitution, vested with the authority to exercise disciplinary control over civil servants. Corruption cases may be raised with CPIB. Where there is sufficient basis and information provided, the complaints will be looked into.

CPIB plays a pivotal role in curbing corruption. CPIB acts swiftly against offenders who, if convicted of corruption offences, face severe penalties. As part of CPIB's preventive programmes, it regularly reaches out to Government agencies to remind officers of the importance of maintaining incorruptibility and the potential consequences of failure to do so. CPIB also reviews the work processes and procedures of Government departments to see whether there are systemic flaws which can be exploited. In cases where corruption is not involved, but the law has been broken, for example, where public funds or property have been stolen or misappropriated, the matter will be investigated by the Police. The officer can be charged under appropriate provisions in the law according to the facts of the case.

Even when there are insufficient grounds to proceed against an officer under the law, there may be sufficient grounds to proceed with civil service disciplinary proceedings against an officer for misconduct. In such cases, the Public Service Commission will institute formal disciplinary proceedings against the officer. An officer who has been found to have mis-conducted himself could be reprimanded, fined or have his increment forfeited, reduced in rank, retired in the public interest or dismissed depending on the severity of the issue. If an officer is found to be responsible for loss of public money or Government property, the officer involved may also be required to make good the losses.

All reporting will be treated with utmost confidentiality and every effort will be made not to reveal the identity of the officer, to the extent feasible and permissible under law. If an officer has sufficient grounds to feel that he is being treated unfairly as a result of a report that he has made, he may submit a complaint to his Permanent Secretary. Therefore, there are already provisions for the protection of officers who make such reports. I should add that we should encourage responsible reporting and discourage malicious or frivolous allegations. Those who make reports are expected to identify themselves. If a report is made in bad faith or for personal gain, disciplinary action may be taken against the officer making the false report.

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The measures I have outlined guide our officers on proper conduct, deter the officers from misconduct and reduce the opportunity for corruption and wrongdoing. However, even in the best of systems, no one can guarantee that corruption or wrongdoing can be entirely eradicated and that there will never be cases of misconduct, as there will always be human failings, human weaknesses which we may discover later. To sum up, there are multiple channels for raising irregularities. Independent bodies like the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) and CPIB are involved in the process.

The recent cases demonstrate that there are strict rules, reporting procedures, and legal and disciplinary processes in place to maintain the integrity of the public service and the proper conduct of public officers. This Government is committed to upholding high moral and ethical standards in the public service.

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister for those extensive remarks. Just to clarify, the Deputy Prime Minister initially showed the House a manual for Home Team officers which clearly laid out some procedures as to what they could do in the event of some reporting that they want do or perhaps because of some misdemeanor. I would like to ask the Deputy Prime Minister: is there something similar for regular civil service officers, if not in the printed format, at least, perhaps, on the Intranet or there are some local media which they can have ready access to?

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Indeed, Mr Speaker, I said at the outset of my reply, the very first sentence, that the civil service is governed by a Code of Conduct in the Instruction Manuals. So, there are such written Codes of Conduct.

Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade): I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for a very comprehensive reply. It is very heartening that the civil service takes a very serious view in terms of the integrity and incorruptibility of our system and our civil servants. May I just seek the confirmation and assurance from the Deputy Prime Minister that integrity is the key criterion in terms of selecting our officers at the recruitment process as well as in terms of promotion?

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Certainly, I can assure the Member that integrity, ability, commitment to the service and to serving Singaporeans are key attributes which we look for at recruitment and appointment, and in our continual assessment of our officers. But as Members will know, the assessment of an individual is a very difficult thing. A person whom you may know for five years, or 10 years, may have some weaknesses which are only uncovered later, or which may develop later. The important thing in such cases is to be clear, accountable and transparent. And how an organisation responds to such things defines the organisation. This Government has always been clear and unequivocal in dealing with any such issues of integrity, honesty or wrongdoing. We come out with it in the open, we deal with it by the law or by disciplinary proceedings, and we are not shy of doing so even if it causes embarrassment to the Government.

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