Presidential candidate Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam has dispelled any suggestion that his son’s job in the Ministry of Finance (MOF) could constitute a conflict of interest.
The former Senior Minister called such suggestions “stray bullets” and said there were no reasons for him to declare his relationship with his son Akilan to the Elections Department (ELD).
Mr Tharman also urged Singaporeans to take MOF’s statement issued earlier today “at face value”, adding there was “nothing for me [him] to answer”.
On Wednesday (30 Aug), Mr Tharman responded to suggestions that Akilan’s role in MOF could constitute a conflict of interest.
“These are stray bullets”, he answered plainly at a media doorstop held after a dialogue with Singapore sports talents. Loh Kean Yew, the Quah siblings, and Amir Khan were among those present.
Mr Tharman was also asked to address suggestions that Mr Akilan’s job description was hastily changed after receiving public attention.
The presidential candidate similarly dispelled such allegations, pointing out the absurdity of suggesting that MOF and the Public Service Commission (PSC) had cooked up facts.
“I think it’s a very serious matter if you’re going to invent facts,” said Mr Tharman, while advising members of the media to direct further queries to MOF and PSC on the matter.
Mr Tharman also said there was no need to declare his relationship with his son to ELD, as there was no conflict of interest.
For what purpose? What about my daughter and my mother and my sister or anyone like that?
He called the issue a “non-story” and urged members to take MOF’s statement issued earlier today “at face value”. He stressed that there was nothing for him to answer.
According to The Straits Times, MOF and PSC Secretariat jointly issued a statement addressing concerns about Mr Akilan’s role in MOF.
“There is no conflict of interest between Akilan’s current job and his father’s candidacy for the presidency,” said the organisations.
Mr Akilan had reportedly joined MOF in June 2022 and worked in the reserves and investment directorate. He is currently working in MOF’s social programmes directorate, working on education and manpower policies.
He was rotated in July to preempt any potential conflict of interest situations in the presidential elections, said the statement.
MOF and PSC also noted there were no irregularities with Mr Akilan’s full-time National Service (NS).
As with other PSC scholars, Mr Akilan reportedly disrupted his NS in 2011, resumed in 2015, and finished his obligations subsequently.
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