HDB employee sacked after preliminary police finding that he was involved in forgery over fake Facebook account

SINGAPORE — The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said in response to media queries on Thursday (May 28) that it had sacked a 30-year-old employee who is assisting the police over his alleged involvement in spoof Facebook page NUSSU – NUS Students United.

Separately, in response to TODAY’s queries, the police confirmed that "a 30-year-old man is assisting with investigations for his suspected involvement in a case of forgery involving a fake Facebook account following a Police report lodged on Nov 26, 2019".  

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the fake account in question appears to have been used to impersonate another person, as the administrator of the NUSSU – NUS Students United Facebook page,” the police added. 

HDB and the police did not name the former employee in their responses. It is understood that the man is Mr Shermon Ong, who studied law at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he was once vice-president of its students’ union.

The police also did not specify the person whom Mr Ong is alleged to have impersonated.

HDB said that the former employee was subjected to disciplinary proceedings before his service was terminated, adding that it “takes a strong view on matters involving the conduct of our staff”.

TODAY understands that Mr Ong was dismissed about two months ago.

The Public Service Code of Conduct states that public officers are expected to uphold the highest standards of personal conduct and integrity.

The police report was made a few days after Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam’s press secretary Goh Chour Thong said that a NUSSU – NUS Students United post misleadingly quoted Mr Shanmugam to give a false impression of what he had said.

The offending post featured a chart describing Ms Rachel Ong Sin Yen as a new face of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). Ms Ong is also the founder and chief executive of Rohei Corporation and Rohei Foundation, which is involved in learning, consulting and corporate training.

Ms Ong was one of four young party activists introduced at the PAP65 Awards and Convention held on Nov 10 last year, which was to mark the 65th anniversary of the PAP’s founding.

On the chart on the Facebook post was a quote by Mr Shanmugam that reads: “If we do not separate religion from politics, then whose religion comes into politics?”

Below the chart is a statement, apparently made by the person who published the post: “If Ms Ong wishes to run for elections, she must resign all executive positions with Rohei, an organisation with religious leanings.”

Among other things, Mr Goh had said that when Mr Shanmugam was talking about separating religion and politics, the law minister had meant that Members of Parliament, even government ministers, can hold positions in religious organisations.