The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has concluded its review of the permanent resident (PR) status of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, deciding that it will not revoke the residency, months after the businessman was convicted of a criminal offense.
The decision was announced by the agency on Monday, November 10. Instead of revocation, the ICA stated that Mr. Ong has been issued a letter of warning. This warning is intended to formally notify him that any future adverse conduct will render him liable for the revocation of his permanent residency status.
Mr. Ong, a Malaysian billionaire, was found guilty of abetting in the obstruction of justice. This conviction stemmed from his actions related to former Transport Minister S. Iswaran. Specifically, Mr. Ong pleaded guilty in August to intentionally aiding the former Minister in paying S$5,700 (US$4,250) to the Singapore GP organization for a business class flight ticket covering the route from Doha to Singapore.
The court heard that this payment was made in 2023, in fact, after the flight had actually taken place. The anti-corruption agency uncovered this transaction only after their investigation into a separate case led them to discover the former Minister's name on the flight manifest for the outbound journey to Doha.
A second charge related to the case was taken into consideration during Mr. Ong's sentencing. This charge involved instigating the former Minister to obtain flights and a hotel stay from Mr. Ong, at a time when the property tycoon had business dealings linked to the former Minister's official governmental functions.
Due to Mr. Ong’s documented poor health, the judge agreed with both the prosecution and the defense that judicial mercy was justified in this specific instance. Consequently, instead of imposing a custodial sentence of three months' jail, the judge instead imposed the maximum fine that a district court is empowered to give, which amounted to S$30,000 (US$23,000).
Mr. Ong is widely known as the key figure behind Singapore GP, the organization responsible for bringing the prestigious Formula 1 Grand Prix event to Singapore, which first commenced in 2008.
The review of Mr. Ong's PR status was initiated by the ICA immediately following his criminal conviction in August.
In September, a query was raised in Parliament by a Member of Parliament regarding the framework used to determine when an individual's permanent residency or work pass would be revoked due to committing an offense in the country. Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security, K. Shanmugam, responded to the query in a written reply.
The Minister confirmed that foreigners, which includes both permanent residents and work pass holders, who violate Singapore’s laws or engage in conduct deemed undesirable may have their passes or permits revoked and be subsequently prohibited from re-entering the country.
He also outlined the comprehensive framework used by authorities to assess such sensitive cases. The assessment framework considers multiple factors, including the facts of the case, the nature and severity of the incident committed, the individual’s existing family roots within Singapore, and the person’s overall contributions to Singapore throughout their residency.
The ICA has been asked for further details regarding the specific factors considered in the final decision to retain Mr. Ong's permanent resident status, as this high-profile case highlights the discretion and multi-faceted assessment criteria used by the authority.
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