Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha! I wish all Muslims performing their pilgrimage this year a safe and meaningful pilgrimage. For those heading out for visiting or receiving guests at home, have a wonderful time with your loved ones!

Spoke in Parliament on the Ridout Road issue. The reports by CPIB and SM Teo found no wrongdoing, and that all rules and procedures were complied with. It is important to have this accounting in Parliament, to uphold the people’s trust in the PAP government and our political system.

Spoke about the recent resignations. High standards of propriety and personal conduct, together with staying clean and incorrupt, are the fundamental reasons Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP, and give us their mandate to form the government and work together with us to improve the lives of Singaporeans. PAP MPs must uphold these cardinal values at times. Without party discipline, without integrity, we are nothing, so this is an absolute requirement.

No system can be completely infallible. When things happen, we have to make sure we deal with them rigorously, transparently, and put them right. We must maintain our high standards so that Singaporeans understand this is how our system works and has to work, in order for Singapore to succeed.

Watch my full Ministerial Statement in Parliament on the CPIB investigation involving Minister S Iswaran, and the resignations of the former Speaker of Parliament and a PAP MP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltQTdlEkpok

From time to time, inappropriate relationships may happen. What we do in dealing with such cases depends on many factors: the circumstances, the inappropriateness, and the family situations. We also have to be conscious of the impact on innocent parties.

When issues come up, the PAP govt will deal with them properly and transparently. In cases of possible corruption, there is zero tolerance. For matters of personal misconduct, we will deal with them as humanely and sensitively as possible, according to principles the Party has established.

要继续维持廉洁的政治体系，要让人民继续信任人民行动党政府，我们必须不隐瞒事实，公开处理问题。

如果任何人，包括部长、议员，涉嫌贪污或违法行为时，我们绝不姑息，必定查个水落石出，并依法采取相关严厉行动。但有关个人行为不检的事件，情况不一，所以我们会因事制宜。

当类似事件发生时，我们依然会按照人民行动党一贯的原则来处理。我和我的团队都清楚知道，维持清廉政治风气对我们的民主制度至关重要。我们会一如既往，保持自律，坚持廉正的原则。这是人民行动党政府的承诺。

We will protect the integrity of our system, to keep it clean and robust. This is how the PAP govt can continue to deserve the trust that Singaporeans have placed in us. This is how we will keep Singapore safe, strong and prosperous for many years to come.

On the matter of safeguards, the solution is not to be found in more and more layers of checks and balances, but in honest people with integrity, conviction and courage to make the system work with a reasonable degree of redundancy. And that is what we have done.

This government decided to “ownself check ownself”. We started this very serious investigation because our system worked and we picked up that something was wrong. And that is how the system is meant to work. And that depends on the leadership and the government, on the whole ethos of our society. To have no tolerance for corruption and when something needs to be done, painful or not, we do it.

A wonderful celebration of our nation’s 58th birthday at the Padang! 🇸🇬This year’s theme “Onward As One” calls for all Singaporeans to look forward with confidence and build our shared future as one united people with hope, confidence and optimism! go.gov.sg/hz5n24

ITE College Central hosts this year’s National Day Rally once again. I first spoke here 10 yrs ago! Join me this Sun, 20 Aug at 6.45pm, live on my FB Page & the PMO YouTube channel. The PMO team will also bring you live updates here. go.gov.sg/gasqnv

PM Lee Hsien Loong has started his National Day Rally 2023 speech in Malay and Mandarin. Watch it on the PMO YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW61kRjNtBo

English dub of these speeches is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPNVG0DIAGk