Concern over S’pore vice probe centres on school principal

(UPDATED: 14 Feb at 11am to include professions of those involved in investigations)

The alleged involvement of a school principal as a client of an online prostitution ring now under probe by the police seems to have raised more concern among Singaporeans than the reports that several top civil servants were also customers.

People rounded up for investigations now also include several other public servants such as a police officer and professionals like lawyers and bank officers, according to the latest update by The Straits Times.

According to responses gathered by Yahoo! Singapore in the wake of the police investigation, many Singaporeans understand the temptation of lust and are willing to overlook the ethics allegedly breached by the civil servants involved.

But they are not as understanding in the case of the principal, who reportedly resigned from his post at a top school after police conducted an island-wide operation to bust an online vice syndicate in December last year.

Said Angeline Ang, a parent of two teenage sons, “It was very alarming as I didn’t expect a principal to be involved in such a case… principals and teachers are meant to be looked upon as someone to be respected, with a reserved personality. What’s more, given that it’s a prostitution vice, I think it’s even more shocking and surprising to a lot of parents.”

Ang, who is a personal assistant, also noted that although one’s personal life and professional life is separate, the issue of prostitution is “linked to the person’s character and morale”.

She added that if she had a daughter, she would be very concerned on how the ex-principal looked at girls in his school.

Fabian Lim, a 23-year-old undergraduate from Nanyang Technological University echoed Ang. He said, “An ex-principal caught in a prostitution scandal is highly disturbing, as the role of a principal as a guiding figure to youths is being compromised.”  

“As civil servants, they are figures that represent the government. Especially in the case of the ex-principal, the stigma of being involved in such a controversial case is being magnified as he is a figure of authority,” he added.

However, there are others who believe that a clear line should be drawn between personal and professional lives.

Said Desmond Ng, “People in politics should take note of what they are doing but, ultimately, their personal life is their personal life…. From a third party perspective, it is really up to them to control their own social lives.”

However, Ng noted that given the fact that a scholarship recipient is amongst those who are involved in the probe, he suggested that there should be a re-evaluation of how the government chooses their scholars, such as conducting a more detailed background check on the scholarship candidates.

Patrick Cher, a business development intern, believes the people tagged as customers of the ring “should be forgiven [as] everyone should have a chance to correct their behaviour”.

Meanwhile, Nominated Member of Parliament Eugene Tan has  acknowledged the public’s concerns over the selection and promotion process of civil servants and educators.

He stressed that although “the image and morale of the public service has taken a beating in recent months… we should not, as a matter of ethics and fairness, paint all public officers with the same brush”.

Tan was referring to the recent probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) into allegations of serious personal misconduct by former Singapore Civil Defence Force commissioner Peter Lim and former Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay.

When asked on the potential outcomes of those involved with the current investigations, Tan, who is also an assistant law professor from Singapore Management University said, “Those suspected of running the online prostitution ring and those providing sexual services would be investigated for pimping and soliciting in public”.

Tan added that the public service has its own code of conduct and “infringements of such code need not necessarily attract criminal law sanctions but instead result in disciplinary actions with penalties ranging from demotions or dismissal from service”.

Meanwhile, comparisons have also been drawn between the current probe and former Prime Minister’s claim that high ministerial salary attracts the very best people.

Kang Kai Xin, a Singapore Management University undergraduate, finds fault with the assumption that paying a higher salary attracts higher quality personnel. “To a certain extent, it helps to reduce problems such as bribery. [But] nonetheless, it is all down to a person’s moral values,” she said.

Lim agreed with Kang, saying, “Higher salary may attract higher quality, but how can one ensure that higher quality is doing their job? Is there any system in place to appraise them on their performance? Can the public do anything to voice their disapproval, other than the utterly failed project in the form of the speaker’s centre?”