[Kneefrenolf]

Wednesday September 12, 2012

Singapore govt should make amends to Koon Swan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Singapore government and judiciary has a responsibility to redeem the reputation of ex-MCA president Tan Koon Swan, who was wrongly prosecuted over the Pan-El crisis in the 1980s.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the Singaporean authorities should do “whatever needs to be done”.

“We will give him (Tan) our full support and sympathy if what was disclosed by the former Singaporean prosecutor is true,” said Dr Chua during a press conference after chairing the party's presidential council meeting at Wisma MCA yesterday.

It was reported that former Singapore prosecutor Glenn Knight had apologised to Tan for wrongly prosecuting him in the Pan-El crisis in the mid-1980s.

In 1985, Knight, the first director of the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), prosecuted Tan, who faced 15 charges including criminal breach of trust (CBT) and share manipulation, after the collapse of Pan-El Industries which temporarily halted the Malaysia and Singapore stock exchanges.

Tan, who had a stake in Pan-El, pleaded guilty and was jailed two years and fined S$1mil. He quit as MCA president after his sentencing.

[Kneefrenolf]

Wednesday September 12, 2012

Koon Swan: I try to forgive

Compiled by NG SI HOOI, TERENCE TOH and A. RAMAN

FORMER MCA president Tan Koon Swan said a myriad of thoughts ran through his mind when he heard that former Singapore prosecutor Glenn Knight had apologised for wrongly prosecuting him in the Pan-El crisis in the mid-1980s, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Tan, who is on a business trip to Hainan Island, China, said he had not decided whether to take legal action against the Singapore government.

He said he was jailed for a year in Malaysia in 1988 after serving a jail term in Singapore.

“I was then declared a bankrupt,” he said. “I still remember the difficult times I had to go through then.”

Tan, who is a property developer with several projects in China, ended his bankruptcy in 1995.

A devout Christian, Tan said it was akin to being reborn after going through the difficulties.

“I try to forgive those who had changed my life.”

In 1985, Knight, who was the first director of the Singapore Commer-cial Affairs Department (CAD), prosecuted Tan, who faced 15 charges including criminal breach of trust (CBT) and share manipulation after the collapse of Pan-El Industries which temporarily halted the Singapore and Malaysian stock exchanges.

Tan, who had a stake in Pan-El, pleaded guilty and was jailed two years and fined S$1mil then. He quit as MCA president after his sentencing.