Yesterday (25 March), former Transport Minister S Iswaran received eight new corruption charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The new charges are related to Mr Iswaran obtaining valuable items from a man named Lum Kok Seng.
Mr Lum is listed as the managing director of Lum Chang Holdings (LCH), a property management, interior design and construction company.
He was also the recipient of the Public Service Medal back in 2010.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that Mr Iswaran allegedly obtained the following items from Mr Lum between Nov 2021 and Nov 2022:
On Lum Chang Holdings’ official website, Mr Lum is listed as its managing director. An annual report in 2023 by the company described him as a 74-year-old with more than 50 years of industry experience.
Source: Lum Chang Holdings
In addition, he led the successful expansion of the group’s property development activities in Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom (UK).
The report states that Mr Lum’s “market knowledge, strategic business contacts and relentless entrepreneurial drive” have had significant contributions for the development of the group.
In a separate article, CNA noted that he stepped into the role of managing director on 1 Sep 1985.
He also acts as director for a few subsidiaries, including Lum Chang Building Contractors, Lum Chang Properties, Lum Chang Property Investments and Lum Chang Asia Pacific.
The website further lists his brother, Mr Raymond Lum Kwan Sung, as executive chairman of Lum Chang Holdings since 1984.
Mr Lum’s two sons, Adrian Lum Wen-Hong and Kelvin Lum Wen-Sum, are directors at the company as well.
Meanwhile, the senior Mr Lum is on the board of directors at Nanyang Girls’ High School and a member of Lasalle College of the Arts, according to CNA.
Source: Nanyang Girls’ High School 南洋女中 on Facebook
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) states that Mr Lum was a recipient of the Public Service Medal as a patron of the Ayer Rajah-West Coast Citizens’ Consultative Committee.
The award is given to those who have rendered commendable public service in Singapore or recipients with achievements in fields such as sports, the sciences or business.
Ayer Rajah is part of West Coast GRC, where Mr Iswaran served as MP for 27 years before resigning in Jan this year.
Mr Iswaran’s latest charges emphasised that he knew about Mr Lum’s involvement in a contract for works at Tanah Merah MRT station. This was around the same time the former minister allegedly obtained the various gratifications, noted CNA.
A media release by LCH mentions that the contract was worth S$325 million.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had awarded the project to Lum Chang Building Contractors in Oct 2016. The project included addition and alteration works to the station and its existing viaducts.
Slated for completion in 2025, it involves the construction of an additional platform and a concourse in the station. It also includes two new entrances linked by an underpass near the Tanah Merah Kechil Avenue intersection.
Lum Chang Building Contractors has another ongoing project with LTA involving the construction of the North-South Corridor tunnel between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Avenue 9, worth S$799 million.
Awarded to the subsidiary in Dec 2018, the project’s expected completion is in 2027.
LCH’s 2023 report wrote that construction works on the Tanah Merah station project and the North-South Corridor are going well.
The subsidiary had also previously designed and constructed other MRT stations, such as the Downtown Line’s Bukit Panjang MRT Station.
It has carried out projects with PUB too.
Following the announcement of the charges against Mr Iswaran, LTA said in a statement to CNA that it has not awarded any contracts to Lum Chang Building Contractors since 2019.
“In Nov 2021, LTA excluded Lum Chang from a pre-qualification to participate in a tender to construct the Punggol Station and tunnels of the Cross Island Line extension due to its poor safety records,” the authority said.
The Tanah Merah Station work site reportedly saw two fatal accidents in Dec 2020 and Sep 2021.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) subsequently investigated the cases and LTA implemented new measures to enhance workplace safety.
Responding to queries by SGX, Lum Chang Holdings said that Mr Lum informed the Board that he attended several interviews with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in relation to CPIB’s investigations into Mr Iswaran.
CPIB filed no charges against Mr Lum, nor did it impose any restriction on him.
“The Board and the Nominating Committee have assessed the above and have determined that Mr Lum continues to be suitable to carry out his duties and responsibilities as Managing Director of the Company, unless there are subsequent developments which require the Board and the Nominating Committee to make a re-assessment,” the company said.
“The Board will update on any material developments relating to this matter.”
On 25 March, the Attorney-General’s Chambers informed CNA that it would “take a decision in respect of the investigations against Mr Lum” after Mr Iswaran’s case was complete.
Also read: Billionaire Ong Beng Seng Is A Tycoon With Connections, Clinched F1 Deal Before CPIB Probe
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Featured image adapted from Tatler Asia and S Iswaran on Facebook.
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