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Singapore. Civil Defence Force (SCDF) chief Peter Lim Sin Pang and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) director Ng Boon Gay have been removed from their posts and are being investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

They are helping in the CPIB probe following allegations of “serious personal misconduct,” the Home Affairs Ministry said yesterday.

Both men, former government scholarship recipients with more than 40 years in the uniformed services altogether, were put on leave from the start of investigations.

The probe began late last month for Ng, 44, and earlier this month for Lim, 51. Both are suspended from their duties from today pending disciplinary proceedings.

The two Home Team agencies will have new chiefs from Feb. 1 to ensure leadership continuity, the ministry said.

Eric Yap, 43, SCDF’s senior director for Emergency Services, will take over as Commissioner.

Ng Ser Song, 49, will become CNB chief. He is a former CNB deputy director and currently director of the Police Intelligence Department.

The ministry said it was unable to comment on the details of the case as investigations are ongoing. But the Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, which broke the news yesterday, said the case involved “money and women.”

Underlining the seriousness with which the Government views the investigations, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean issued a statement saying all public officers, regardless of position or seniority, are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and conduct.

The Government takes a serious view of misconduct of public officers and any allegations would be investigated fully and thoroughly, he said.

“We will be fair to officers who are the subject of allegations, establish the facts and follow due process, acting in accordance with civil service disciplinary processes and the law,” added Teo, who is also the Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

“If officers are found to have abused the trust placed in them, we will not hesitate to take firm and decisive action against them.”

He reaffirmed his confidence in SCDF and CNB officers, who are “honourable professionals risking their lives on a daily basis to keep our citizens safe and secure.”

Those who have worked with Lim and Ng Boon Gay, or know them personally, expressed shock at the news.

Lim, a former Public Service Commission (PSC) overseas scholarship recipient, was described by some as a tough taskmaster who “stuck to the rules.”

But he was also credited for constantly thinking of how the SCDF, which is largely involved in fire-fighting and rescue efforts, could leverage on technology in its operations.

A few months after he took over the SCDF reins in May 2009, the force awarded a $34 million contract to transform the emergency call-taking and dispatch system in its operations centre into a new-generation command and control system.

Lim said then: “SCDF is always exploring new ways to improve our services to the public. By harnessing new technologies, it allows us to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in responding to emergency 995 calls.”

A friend of about five years said yesterday: “My impression of him is of a man who has his two feet on the ground — never flashy and very low profile.

“This news is shocking, and if it’s true, then it’s also very disappointing.”

Ng Boon Gay, a former PSC local merit scholarship recipient who headed a 700-strong team at the drug enforcement agency, is a former director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Those who know him described him as ambitious and driven, and as someone who earned the loyalty of those under him by leading from the front.

During his stint as CID head from 2008 to early last year, he was tough on loan sharks, arresting some 2,000 involved in unlicensed money-lending.

MPs and governance experts said the fact that senior officers in key positions had been questioned and suspended shows that the authorities take allegations seriously and that no one is above the law.

They expressed confidence that no stone will be left unturned in investigating the allegations.

Alvin Yeo, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs, said: “It shows that we cannot let our guard down, even though Singapore is ranked very low on the corruption list internationally.

“We must continue to be vigilant.”

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.