Commentary: Iswaran trial edges toward a tepid finale

S Iswaran’s guilty plea: A high-profile case that eventually fizzled out

As far as the corruption trial of former Transport Minister S Iswaran goes, it is reminiscent of a much-anticipated TV series that has now been cancelled after a solitary season. 

The 62-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning (24 September) to five charges of obtaining gifts as a public servant, as well as obstruction of justice, with the remaining 30 charges of corruption to be taken into consideration for sentencing. 

This is a far cry from the decidedly more bullish tone he struck in January, when he wrote to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, saying, “I reject the charges and am innocent.”

By contrast, the twice-delayed commencement of his trial saw the man who played a key role in bringing the F1 night race to Singapore utter a simple: “Your Honour, I plead guilty.”

With Iswaran’s conviction, the only thing left to be determined is the length of a possible jail term. The prosecution has asked for six to seven months, while his lead lawyer, Mr Davinder Singh, argued for eight weeks, citing his client’s guilty plea as grounds for a “30% (sentencing) discount”. 

There were no demands for the truth, nor any retorts about an inability to handle the truth. Instead, it was all very much like a real life trial: sober, restrained and by the book.

Box office feel

Don’t get me wrong: the case is undoubtedly a matter of great public interest.

However, it is safe to say that many members of the public see it as a form of entertainment, partly fuelled by the fact that such trials are so rare, as well as the countless memes that have circulated.

After all, Iswaran’s day in court, after he was first charged in January, had been building for months, like a series of trailers for an upcoming blockbuster. 

The first corruption probe of a sitting Cabinet minister since 1986 certainly had a box office feel to it, especially given that Iswaran often rubbed shoulders with celebrities and popped champagne at parties in the course of his duties. 

Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who also played a key role in F1, and Mr Lum Kok Seng, a businessman with strong grassroots connections in Iswaran’s former West Coast ward, were also involved due to their gifts of West End musical tickets, bottles of whiskey, a Brompton bicycle and more to Iswaran. Neither man has been charged with any offence. 

Iswaran had claimed that he did not know the gifts from Mr Ong and Mr Lum, valued at more than S$400,000, were “veiled gratification”, surely a perfect title for the inevitable Netflix series about his travails. 

Throw in the presence of Mr Singh, a former People’s Action Party (PAP) lawmaker who has often represented the Lee family, not to mention the fact that Iswaran’s wife was listed as one of the prosecution witnesses, and you had all the ingredients for the proverbial media circus. 

No wonder some started queuing at 5am for a seat in the public gallery. “It’s because I want to see how this thing plays out,” bank worker Darren Tan told Channel NewsAsia. Well, at least he got his wish.

The trial of Pritam Singh

But there is another politically charged trial coming that will draw inevitable comparisons, merited or otherwise, with Iswaran: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh stands accused of lying to a parliamentary committee over the highly controversial Raeesah Khan affair. His hearing will take place over 16 days between 14 October and 13 November. 

Singh has already begun mounting his legal defence, applying — and failing — to have his case heard in the High Court. He did so partly because of the prosecution’s decision to transfer Iswaran’s case from the State Courts to the High Court, “an unusual and uncommon course of action, as criminal cases are expected to be heard at the State Courts at the first instance,” he wrote on Facebook earlier this month. 

The prosecution applied successfully to have Iswaran’s trial transferred due to strong public interest considerations. But a judge ruled that there were insufficient similar considerations in Singh’s case.

As if anyone needed reminding — a general election is due by November 2025, one where the neophyte Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be expected to gain the proverbial strong mandate. Voters will be closely watching the conduct, length and outcome of both trials. 

In the meantime, presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong will deliver his sentence on Iswaran next Thursday. 

However it ends, everything is headed towards a rather tepid series finale. And viewers — not to mention the media — are left wanting just a little bit more.

Nicholas Yong is a veteran journalist who has worked at media outlets such as BBC News and Yahoo News Singapore over the past 17 years.

Also read: 24 things Iswaran is accused of getting, such as F1, football & Broadway show tickets

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and S Iswaran on Facebook.