The Government of Singapore has officially announced the deprivation of citizenship of Monisha Catherine Iswaran under Article 135(1)(b) of the Constitution.
The notice, published in the Government Gazette (No. 3557) on 20 August 2025, states that the decision took effect on 19 August 2025.
No further details were provided in the publication regarding the reasons for the deprivation beyond citing the constitutional clause.
Under Article 135(1)(b) of the Constitution, a citizen may be deprived of citizenship if they have, while aged 18 or over and after 6 April 1960, applied for or used a foreign passport.
This suggests the grounds for action were likely related to Monisha Iswaran’s use or application for a foreign passport, though the specific circumstances remain unconfirmed.
The Online Citizen submitted a formal query to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) last week, requesting clarification — including whether Monisha Catherine Iswaran is related to, or is the daughter of, former People’s Action Party Minister S. Iswaran.
The name is notably similar to that of the former minister’s daughter, raising questions among members of the public.
As of publication, ICA has not responded to the queries.
Neither has Monisha Catherine Iswaran made any public statement regarding the matter, including on her LinkedIn page, where she has remained inactive since the notice was published.
The notice’s timing has also attracted public attention due to its proximity to the conclusion of criminal proceedings involving key figures in a recent corruption case.
On 15 August 2025, billionaire Ong Beng Seng was sentenced to a S$30,000 fine for abetting the obstruction of justice in a case linked to former Transport Minister S. Iswaran.
Ong admitted to belatedly invoicing Iswaran for a S$5,700 business class flight from Doha to Singapore, months after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) uncovered the travel manifest in May 2023.
The late invoicing was found to have diminished the likelihood of detection.
Due to advanced multiple myeloma and severe medical complications, the court exercised judicial mercy, imposing a maximum fine in lieu of a custodial sentence.
The sentencing came nearly two months after S. Iswaran himself was released from home detention.
He had been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on 3 October 2024 for receiving gifts from Ong, including flights and hotel stays. He was released on 6 June 2025.
The last similar notice under Article 135(1)(b) was published on 25 October 2024. Such announcements are relatively rare and typically appear without elaboration in the Government Gazette.
Singapore maintains a firm policy against dual citizenship.
The use or application for foreign travel documents by a Singaporean adult is treated as grounds for forfeiting citizenship, as prescribed in Article 135 of the Constitution.
As of this report, no public information is available on whether the individual named, “Monisha Catherine Iswaran”, has contested the revocation or sought any form of legal redress.
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