PAP’s standard on impropriety

Chok Tong’s famous quote that any PAP minister or MP that were accused of impropriety or misconduct must clear his name by suing the accuser or the accusation be deemed to be true. In today’s media, Hsien Loong has added a condition to Chok Tong’s standard of impropriety by saying that any minister accused of improper conduct must clear his name publicly. I quote, ‘Any minster accused of improper conduct must clear his name publicly and “should not allow the allegations to fester and affect the reputation of the Govt.”’
 
Notice the missing part about suing the accuser. Hsien Loong added, ‘if the allegation is serious, he would expect the minister to take court action for defamation, “unless there are other special considerations….He may also need to render account in Parliament, particularly if the matter concerns his discharge of public duties and is of public interest. These are not mutually exclusive options. In all cases, there must be public accounting.”’
 
Here is the difference in the two positions. The second position of Hsien Loong is that suing may not be necessary, but public accounting is mandatory with or without suing. His justification or exceptions for not suing is that the party could be family, siblings and may besmirched their parents’ names, and the process may take years , creating distraction and distress to Singaporeans.
 
Of course Hsien Loong is referring to Lee Kuan Yew’s reputation. The question is whether this ruling is applicable to other ministers and MPs as their parents were not Lee Kuan Yew or Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. Would the ministers and MPs quote this as the new standard and they need not sue their family or siblings when they were accused of impropriety or this is only applicable to Hsien Loong’s case? My reading is that this is for general application to all ministers and MPs or else it would be too stark an exception that would not look too good. It can’t be an exception just for himself.
 
Also, ministers and MPs that are being accused by their family or siblings could clear their names in Parliament, a public accounting without being sued. Is this the new standard for PAP ministers and MPs to abide by? Also, does it mean that should Hsien Loong’s siblings continue to make allegations against him and immunized from being sued?