Chee Hong Tat: Opposition MPs threw public servants overseeing Allianz-Income deal 'under the bus' скачать в хорошем качестве

Chee Hong Tat: Opposition MPs threw public servants overseeing Allianz-Income deal 'under the bus'

In Parliament on 16 October, during the debate on the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, Workers’ Party MP Associate Professor Jamus Lim and Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai raised serious concerns about the communication and coordination between government agencies, particularly regarding the proposed acquisition of NTUC Income by Allianz. Assoc Prof Lim described the situation as a "communication breakdown," pointing out troubling issues in how government agencies communicate both internally and with the public. Mr Leong echoed Assoc Prof Lim’s concerns, adding that the public perceives a lack of coordination among agencies. He illustrated this by saying, "the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing." However, in his closing speech, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Deputy Chairman Chee Hong Tat accused both Assoc Prof Lim and Mr Leong of undermining public officers in their criticisms of the handling of the blocked Allianz-Income deal. He characterised their comments as attempting to "throw our public officers under the bus." Assoc Prof Lim refuted Mr Chee’s allegations, affirming his deep respect for civil servants and clarifying that his critique was aimed at the system, not at individual officers. In response, Mr Chee reiterated that if Assoc Prof Lim was criticizing the system, he had already explained why MAS did not share certain information with other agencies in this case. He questioned whether Assoc Prof Lim was suggesting that MAS share all information received, warning that such a move could harm investor confidence. Mr Leong, on his part, emphasised that it is the responsibility of Cabinet Ministers to be fully informed before making decisions. He referred to the 6 August parliamentary session, where he felt crucial information was lacking, leading to inefficiencies in the discussion. Minister Chee expressed disappointment with Mr Leong’s description of the 6 August discussion as a "waste of time," highlighting that the session had provided an important platform for members to ask questions and for MCCY and MAS to clarify the situation. He urged Mr Leong to withdraw the comment. #singapore #ntucincome #allianz #sgparliament #jamuslim