Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran completes Home Detention Scheme
As of Friday (6 June), former Transport Minister S. Iswaran has completed his Home Detention Scheme and is no longer under the custody of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).
According to CNA, SPS did not specify the exact date he concluded his 12-month jail sentence.
Served 4 months in prison before home detention
Iswaran was placed on home detention in February 2025 after serving four months in jail.
SPS previously assessed Iswaran to have a low risk of reoffending, and noted that he had not committed institutional offences while in prison. He also had strong family support.
These factors made him suitable for the scheme.
First Cabinet minister to be jailed in Singapore
In a historic sentencing in October 2024, Iswaran became the first-ever former Cabinet minister in Singapore to receive a jail term.
Iswaran previously faced 35 charges as he had accepted valuables from the chairman of Singapore GP, Ong Beng Seng, and construction firm managing director Lum Kok Seng.
Source: S Iswaran on Facebook
On the first day of trial in September, Iswaran pleaded guilty to five charges after two corruption charges were amended to lesser charges.
The first amended charge states that Iswaran obtained the following from Mr Ong in Sept 2022:
- 10 Green Room tickets (worth S$48,150)
- Eight Twenty3 tickets (worth S$56,068)
- 32 general admission tickets (worth S$41,216) for the 2022 Singapore F1 Grand Prix
As for the second, it noted that Iswaran obtained from Mr Ong in Dec 2022:
- A flight from Singapore to Doha on his private plane (worth about $10,410)
- A night’s stay in Four Seasons Doha (worth about S$4,737)
- A business class flight from Doha to Singapore (worth about S$5,700)
Following the amendments, Iswaran made a disgorgement of S$380,305.95 to the state in September 2024.
Prosecution seeks 6 to 7 months’ jail
The jail sentence was longer than what the prosecution and defence requested — six to seven months’ jail and eight weeks imprisonment respectively.
The prosecution argued that Iswaran’s actions had a “significant impact” on the reputation of Singapore’s government since he had been a minister for 12 years.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
“I accept that as a minister, what I did was wrong”, said Iswaran in Oct 2024, who then revealed that he did not appeal his sentence.
“I accept full responsibility for my actions and apologise unreservedly to all Singaporeans”.
Also read: Ex-Transport Minister Iswaran sentenced to 1 year jail after pleading guilty
Ex-Transport Minister Iswaran sentenced to 1 year jail after pleading guilty
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Facebook.
