Former transport minister S. Iswaran has completed his jail term and is no longer under prison custody. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) confirmed on June 6 that he has finished his time on the Home Detention Scheme. Iswaran had been sentenced on October 3, 2024, where he was given a 12-month jail term, marking the first instance of a former Cabinet minister receiving such a sentence.
As per SPS records, Iswaran had served four months in jail from the commencement of his sentence on October 7, 2024. Subsequently, he was placed on the Home Detention Scheme starting February 7, 2025. This decision was made after Mr. Iswaran was deemed suitable for the scheme due to his low risk of reoffending, clean conduct in prison, and robust family support.
“Inmates who display good conduct in prison are eligible for remission after serving two-thirds of their sentence, or after serving 14 days of their sentence, whichever ends later,” reveals SPS’s assessment, indicating that in Iswaran’s case, eight months of his 12-month term would be considered for remission. This assessment process involves multiple factors like an individual’s behavior, progress, and response to rehabilitation during their time in prison.
While serving under the Home Detention Scheme, Iswaran was required to adhere to specified conditions. These included curfew monitoring through an electronic tag, engagement in work, study, or training, and periodic reporting to the SPS for counseling. His one-year jail term, which was greater than the prosecution’s request of six to seven months, was linked to charges involving obtaining valuable items as a public servant and obstructing the course of justice by making a payment to mislead the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
