SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling will transition to a corporate development role at Grab Singapore, following social media discourse on her appointment as the company's director of public affairs and policy.
In a media statement by the tech giant on Friday (Feb 10), the company said it had come to a "mutual agreement" with Ms Tin on this revised role, after discussions on her career aspirations and evaluating her experience against relevant open roles.
In her new role as director of corporate development, she will "not be involved in public affairs and policy work in Singapore, nor will she represent Grab in public policy discussions with Singapore Government officials", said Grab.
"Her duties will include realising synergies across our investments and acquisitions, as well as supporting strategy development," it added.
"She will be expected to continue abiding by the rules of engagement we have put in place to declare and avoid any possible conflicts of interest, and operate in the same manner as other MPs holding private sector roles."
This comes just over a week after Ms Tin's initial appointment was made public. She had attended Grab’s Chinese New Year appreciation lunch for driver- and delivery-partners on Feb 1 in her new capacity.
Prior to joining Grab, she had served as the chief executive officer at Business China, a Singapore non-profit organisation cultivating Singapore-China relationships, since May 2018. She left the role in December 2022, but remains a board member.
“Pei Ling has deep on-ground understanding of digital economy and smart nation policy, and close ties with the local community. She will build partnerships and programmes to harness the positive potential of technology to create impact in Singapore," a Grab spokesperson had said in the company's initial statement on Feb 1 about her appointment.
News of her appointment caught the attention of social media users, many of whom pointed out potential conflicts of interest between her role at the tech giant and as MP.
Ms Tin was elected to Parliament in 2011 under the People's Action Party (PAP), and is currently the MP for MacPherson SMC. She is also the chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Communications and Information, and a member of the GPC for Culture, Community and Youth.
Addressing the "significant discourse" that surfaced after Ms Tin's initial appointment, Grab said "the discourse has led us to pause and reflect on how we can create an environment where Pei Ling can serve effectively in both her roles as an MP as well as representing Grab".
"We acknowledge that this is difficult if the intent behind every action or position she takes in the future is doubted or called into question," it added.
When the tech giant first decided to hire Ms Tin, "much thought and care was given to address any potential conflict of interest" that may arise.
"We had worked closely with her months in advance to ensure her hiring and the scope of her expected responsibilities are in line with the rules governing her duties and conduct as an MP," it added.
"Pei Ling informed her party leaders, who did not object to her appointment. We also established rules of engagement where Pei Ling should not be advocating for Grab’s interest in her capacity as an MP, and correspondingly, she should also not be advocating for her constituency and party in her work within Grab."
Nonetheless, the company acknowledged feedback from public, and noted that "conflicts of interest in any setting warrant robust discussion".
To address queries on social media, Ms Tin had also written a LinkedIn post on Feb 2, stating that "there is a clear and mutual understanding that my role as a Parliamentarian is distinct from my role at Grab".
"I am absolutely clear that when I am discharging my duties in my capacity as a Member of Parliament, my constituents and Singapore come first. When I am working on behalf of Grab, I will have to ensure that Grab's interests are safeguarded," she said.
"As to which capacity I represent at any time: I will be transparent and above board."
Ms Tin added that Grab has established "clear rules of engagement" to ensure that any possible conflict of interest will be "properly declared and avoided".
Likewise, the PAP has a published set of Rules of Prudence, as well as mechanisms in place for declarations of interest and the avoidance of conflicting interests. These were last communicated through a letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to PAP MPs after the 2020 General Election.
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In a media statement by the tech giant on Friday (Feb 10), the company said it had come to a "mutual agreement" with Ms Tin on this revised role, after discussions on her career aspirations and evaluating her experience against relevant open roles.
In her new role as director of corporate development, she will "not be involved in public affairs and policy work in Singapore, nor will she represent Grab in public policy discussions with Singapore Government officials", said Grab.
"Her duties will include realising synergies across our investments and acquisitions, as well as supporting strategy development," it added.
"She will be expected to continue abiding by the rules of engagement we have put in place to declare and avoid any possible conflicts of interest, and operate in the same manner as other MPs holding private sector roles."
This comes just over a week after Ms Tin's initial appointment was made public. She had attended Grab’s Chinese New Year appreciation lunch for driver- and delivery-partners on Feb 1 in her new capacity.
Prior to joining Grab, she had served as the chief executive officer at Business China, a Singapore non-profit organisation cultivating Singapore-China relationships, since May 2018. She left the role in December 2022, but remains a board member.
“Pei Ling has deep on-ground understanding of digital economy and smart nation policy, and close ties with the local community. She will build partnerships and programmes to harness the positive potential of technology to create impact in Singapore," a Grab spokesperson had said in the company's initial statement on Feb 1 about her appointment.
Related:
GRAB ADDRESSES POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
News of her appointment caught the attention of social media users, many of whom pointed out potential conflicts of interest between her role at the tech giant and as MP.
Ms Tin was elected to Parliament in 2011 under the People's Action Party (PAP), and is currently the MP for MacPherson SMC. She is also the chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Communications and Information, and a member of the GPC for Culture, Community and Youth.
Addressing the "significant discourse" that surfaced after Ms Tin's initial appointment, Grab said "the discourse has led us to pause and reflect on how we can create an environment where Pei Ling can serve effectively in both her roles as an MP as well as representing Grab".
"We acknowledge that this is difficult if the intent behind every action or position she takes in the future is doubted or called into question," it added.
When the tech giant first decided to hire Ms Tin, "much thought and care was given to address any potential conflict of interest" that may arise.
"We had worked closely with her months in advance to ensure her hiring and the scope of her expected responsibilities are in line with the rules governing her duties and conduct as an MP," it added.
"Pei Ling informed her party leaders, who did not object to her appointment. We also established rules of engagement where Pei Ling should not be advocating for Grab’s interest in her capacity as an MP, and correspondingly, she should also not be advocating for her constituency and party in her work within Grab."
Nonetheless, the company acknowledged feedback from public, and noted that "conflicts of interest in any setting warrant robust discussion".
Related:
To address queries on social media, Ms Tin had also written a LinkedIn post on Feb 2, stating that "there is a clear and mutual understanding that my role as a Parliamentarian is distinct from my role at Grab".
"I am absolutely clear that when I am discharging my duties in my capacity as a Member of Parliament, my constituents and Singapore come first. When I am working on behalf of Grab, I will have to ensure that Grab's interests are safeguarded," she said.
"As to which capacity I represent at any time: I will be transparent and above board."
Ms Tin added that Grab has established "clear rules of engagement" to ensure that any possible conflict of interest will be "properly declared and avoided".
Likewise, the PAP has a published set of Rules of Prudence, as well as mechanisms in place for declarations of interest and the avoidance of conflicting interests. These were last communicated through a letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to PAP MPs after the 2020 General Election.
Continue reading...