Election expenses open for inspection from May 28

SINGAPORE - The election expenses of candidates who contested the May 3 General Election can be inspected at the Elections Department (ELD) from May 28.

Candidates are required under the law to submit their election expenses – listing how much they spent and what the money was used for – to ensure accountability and transparency of campaign finances.

They have to do so within 31 days of the election result being published in the Government Gazette, which was done on May 16.

For now, 35 candidates have submitted their returns and declarations, ELD said in a statement on May 27.

These include Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Faishal Ibrahim, newly minted Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng.

Others who have submitted their returns are Progress Singapore Party chief and former Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai, as well as independent candidates Darryl Lo, who contested Radin Mas, and Jeremy Tan, who contested Mountbatten.

The records will be available for inspection for six months from the date the submissions are announced in the Gazette.

The law imposes a ceiling on the amount that a candidate contesting an election can spend, so as to ensure a level playing field and to prevent money politics.

This time round, candidates in the general election could

spend a maximum of $5 for each registered voter

, up from $4 previously, to account for inflation.

The last time the limit was revised was in 2015. Spending more than the maximum amount stipulated is against the law.

People who wish to inspect candidates’ election expenses can do so by logging into ELD’s digital service using their Singpass.