Returning Officer for Presidential Election has PAP Ties

The Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2011, Mr Yam Ah Mee may face a possible conflict of interest if the tip-offs Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE) received from its readers are proven to be true.

According to the tip-offs TRE received, a Punggol resident Mohammed Samsudin claims that grassroot members have been activated to campaign for PAP-presidential candidate Tony Tan.

“RC’s and Grassroots Members in foreigner’s stronghold of Punggol at full swing putting up Tony Tan posters….on punggol drive almost every lamppost has a Tony tan poster…Clearly the new citizens are fully backing Tony Tan….and PAP grassroot members and senior citizens have clearly been instructed to rally behind Tony tan and not split the PAP votes by supporting TCB,” he wrote.

Another resident from West Coast GRC who declined to be named said the grassroots organizations there have been ‘advised’ to support Tony Tan and NOT Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who was a former Member of Parliament for Ayer Rajah.

Mr Yam Ah Mee, who is the Returning Officer for this Presidential Election is coincidentally, also the Chief Executive Director of People’s Association (see below).

If the grassroot organizations including RC and CCC were indeed mobolized to assist Dr Tony Tan in his election campaign as claimed, then regardless of whether the instructions came from Mr Yam Ah Mee or not, it would be a clear case of conflict of interest as Mr Yam (as Returning Officer) can make decisions that could be biased to all candidates.

Conflict of Interest, here in this situation is the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2011, Mr Yam Ah Mee who is in a position of trust, has a compiling professional interest of an Officer of Singapore Election Office and is at the same time Chief Executive Director of People’s Association.

Such competing interests must surely, make it difficult for him to fulfill his duties impartially as he is in a position of trust, a compiling interest of an Officer of Singapore Elections Office.

Conflict of interest exists even if no unethical or improper act results and this conflict of interest can create an appearance of his impropriety that can undermine confidence of his official position at Singapore Elections Office.

The People’s Association (PA) is supposedly a non-partisan apolitical statutory board under the Singapore government funded by taxpayers’ monies.

Temasek Review


People's Association Board of Management

People's Association Organisation Structure- 1 Nov 2010