The Online Citizen has made available in digital format the full version of the Auditor-General’s report of its findings of an audit conducted on 12 ministries and their associated statutory boards. A total of $6.2 million in public monies were found missing, with a large amount still yet to be recovered.

$6.2 million dollars is a big sum in absolute terms, but as with the increase in ministerial salary, it is peanuts when considered in the grand scheme of things. The annual budget of the government is around $10 billion, and $6.2 million works out to be around 0.062% of the budget, which really is not that big a sum.

The Singapore government has always maintained that paying its civil servants high salaries will enable it to attract more talent, as well as stem corruption. While the amount of public monies found missing is not substantial in relative terms, it is significant because any form of corruption will be seen as a blow to the Singapore government’s image. I remember that on some occasions, Singapore government leaders have trumpeted Singapore’s lack of corruption and attributed it to paying good salaries and having tough laws on corruption. The Auditor-General’s report is certainly an embarrassment, only because the trumpet was blown too loudly.

However, I have no intention to nitpick over this matter. I can accept that no system is perfect. However, because anti-corruption is one of the core values of Singapore, I don’t think the matter should be put to rest quietly. The government should be forthright in this matter, ensure that appropriate actions are taken and make a public announcement on the steps taken to remedy the situation. We have to guard our core values religiously, for if we do not, we will just end up making a mockery of ourselves. The current problem really isn’t the missing $6.2 million but rather, the relatively quiet response from the government about it.

Besides, this report is on the heels of the public discontentment over increase in ministerial salaries. It is bad timing, although the damage is pretty limited due to the mainstream media’s lack of spotlight on the issue. I am not sure how big of an issue it will become on the blogopshere, but the government does not need to wait until there’s public disquiet to deal with the issue. The Singapore government always like to say that even if a decision is unpopular, if it is the right one, the government will do it. I hope that the right thing will be done.