Cases involving eight public service officers have been referred to the police as the Singapore government reviews property purchases made by officers involved in rail planning, following allegations raised in a study.
The study was a working paper by the American non-profit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which claimed to have identified a pattern of mid-level Singapore civil servants purchasing homes near MRT stations before their locations were publicly announced.
8 public officers referred to police
Speaking in Parliament on Oct. 6, 2026, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said the government has reviewed property transactions involving 191 officers so far, with further checks ongoing.
For each transaction, Singapore’s Public Service Division (PSD) examined available records, including the officer’s role at the time, whether the officer had access to relevant non-public information, the timing and circumstances of the transaction, and other relevant information.
Eight cases have been referred to the police.
However, Chan quickly clarified that the referrals do not mean wrongdoing has been established.
“The police will look into the facts independently, and due process will be followed,” he said.
Safeguards against misuse of information
In response to questions from MPs regarding the safeguards against misuse of non-public government information, Chan said the public service code of conduct sets out that officers must never use information obtained through their official duties to advance their own private interests or those of others.
The unauthorised use or disclosure of official information may also constitute an offence, depending on the circumstances, he said.
There are also several layers of safeguards in place.
First, access to sensitive information is controlled, with officers given access on a need-to-know basis, said Chan.
Such information is subject to security classification and handling requirements, system and physical access controls, as well as audit monitoring and other project- or department-specific safeguards where appropriate.
Chan added that there are also declaration and approval requirements governing officers’ personal interests and transactions.
Since the 1990s, all officers have been required to declare purchases of private property, as well as any non-owner-occupied properties they hold.
These requirements have been progressively tightened over the years.
When officers possess non-public information relevant to a transaction they intend to make, they must seek approval from the head of their agency before proceeding.
This requirement is not limited to property transactions
It also applies to other personal transactions where an officer possesses relevant non-public information.
The requirements also extend to transactions involving officers’ spouses and financially dependent children.
Agencies that handle particularly sensitive information can also impose additional requirements based on the risks involved, Chan said.
He cited the Singapore Land Authority as an example, noting that it requires officers in the relevant department to declare to human resources any sale of property or land by themselves, their spouses, or financially dependent children.
This supplements the existing requirement for all public officers to declare purchases of private property.
Review of safeguards
According to Chan, the government would assess what the current review reveals about the effectiveness of the existing safeguards and whether there are gaps that need to be addressed.
“Any further measures should be proportionate to the risk and practical to implement, while allowing legitimate personal transactions to proceed with appropriate oversight,” he said.
However, he noted that even with strong safeguards in place, no system can eliminate the possibility of wrongdoing entirely.
“We must therefore continue to reduce the opportunities for abuse, maintain effective means of detection, and act firmly where evidence of wrongdoing emerges,” he said.
“Where the facts disclose grounds for concern, we will refer them to the appropriate authorities.
Where wrongdoing is established, we will act firmly.
We will also learn from this episode.
If the review or subsequent investigation reveals gaps in our safeguards, we will strengthen them.”
“This is how we will continue to uphold the high standards of integrity expected of our Singapore public service, and maintain the trust that Singaporeans place on us,” Chan said.
Findings of the review will be published where relevant
In response to Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Alex Yam’s question on how long the review will take and if the government plans to release its report, Chan said they aim to complete the review as soon as possible.
“If there are findings pertinent to (the matter), if there are findings that are relevant, we will publish them in full,” he said.
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Elysa Chen also asked if the government had identified other avenues through which public officers could make investments using sensitive government information, and whether measures were in place to detect potential breaches.
Chan said the government takes the same approach to all transactions involving sensitive information: Public officers should not use non-public information for personal gain.
This applies whether they are financial transactions, property transactions, or otherwise.
He added that the NBER working paper had made certain assertions based on a statistical association.
“At this point in time, we have not concluded whether any wrongdoing or especially any criminal offences have been committed,” he said.