Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan on Tuesday (May 5) reminded MPs to "put out facts" when raising allegations against public officers.
He was making a clarification in Parliament, in response to Sengkang GRC MP Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's statement that the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) did not appear to have independently verified a complainant's submitted document for authenticity.
The complaint was made after the complainant's dog died following a medical procedure carried out by a vet.
In his statement made during the second reading of the Veterinary Practice Bill on April 8, Assoc Prof Lim said he supported the formation of a veterinary council, which gives a degree of independence and authority to investigators to go about the process of investigating complaints.
"A regulatory framework is only as strong as the practical implementation of fair and effective actions, followed by reasonable and acceptable disciplinary procedures. I say this in part because, based on the experience of at least one of my residents, the prior regime may have fallen short.
"That resident has alleged that a key document submitted to AVS for investigation did not appear to be independently verified for authenticity. This, in turn, undermined her confidence in accountability of the whole process," he said.
'A serious allegation'
Referring to the statement made by the MP, Tan rebutted the allegations of lack of informed consent and forgery, pointing out that Lim was made aware of the findings.
On the allegation of lack of informed consent, citing the lack of explanation on the potential risks and benefits of the medical procedure for the complainant's pet, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage had recorded the vet explaining the risks.
Turning to the allegation that the clinic had forged her signature on a consent form to sedate or anaesthetise her dog for treatment or diagnostics — both the police and AVS had separately found no evidence to support the claim.
Instead, police found evidence that the complainant had signed the form digitally, in the presence of the clinic's staff.
Tan also referred to an email on Oct 28, 2025, in which Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, who had been kept informed of the investigation outcome since he made an appeal on the resident's behalf, noted that AVS had found "no relevant regulatory violations" and advised the resident to accept that unless material new information exists to reopen the case, the route of appeal "is effectively closed".
Said Tan: "If member Jamus Lim had put all these facts before Parliament and the public, it would have given Parliament a fuller and more complete picture of the matter. Instead, the impression he created was that AVS had not been thorough in its investigations.
"This is unwarranted. And it is not fair to the AVS officers."
@asiaone Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan on Tuesday (May 5) responded to comments which member of Parliament Jamus Lim had made on April 8, who had alleged that the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) did not appear to have independently verified a complainant's submitted document for authenticity. #sgnews #Singapore #Animals #AnimalWelfare ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
In closing, Tan reminded the House that public confidence and trust applies not only to the work of public agencies and its officers, but also to what is said in Parliament.
"That is why it is crucial to set out the facts for the record, and to uphold the public's confidence and trust in our institutions, and to ensure fairness to our public officers.
"That is also why MPs must take care to put out facts carefully and be careful when asserting allegations against public officers," Tan said.
Responding to the clarification, the WP MP said he does not dispute the accounting and will provide the update to his resident.
"Prior to the delivery of that speech, I had checked to see that I was faithfully representing the case, and I believe I did so.
"This is my job," Lim added.
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