NUS academics distance themselves from study on civil servants' home purchases near unannounced MRT stations
The two professors say they have asked the authors to have their names removed from the paper’s acknowledgements.
The Singaporean government is investigating an academic study that suggests civil servants in the country may have unfairly obtained homes near upcoming MRT stations before they were announced to the public. The research, published by the non-profit National Bureau of Economic Research, examined whether social norms can replace formal enforcement in preventing corruption.
The study focused on civil servants in Singapore, a nation often hailed as having a low corruption rate. Researchers analyzed private property transactions and government directory data to identify home purchases near planned MRT stations, which were not yet publicly announced. Their findings indicated that civil servants were more likely to buy homes near these stations compared to other groups, including real estate agents and corporate board members.
The study also noted that certain changes in legislation in 2012 helped curb this behavior. However, the researchers concluded that social norms alone may not be enough to maintain low corruption levels without ongoing enforcement.
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