S Iswaran said in a Facebook statement hours before his scheduled surrender that he would not be appealing his sentence. He thanked his supporters and apologised unreservedly to all Singaporeans.

SINGAPORE: Former transport minister S. Iswaran will not be appealing the sentence handed down by the High Court on Thursday (Oct 3).

Singapore’s Indian-origin former transport minister S Iswaran on Monday began his one-year jail term in a corruption case, opting not to appeal his conviction, and apologised “unreservedly” to the nation.

The former transport minister says he will begin his one-year jail term on Monday and ‘apologises unreservedly to all Singaporeans’.

"As a Minister, what I did was wrong under section 165. I accept full responsibility for my actions and apologise unreservedly to all Singaporeans," he said

A Singapore court was due on Thursday to sentence a former transport minister convicted last week of receiving more than $300,000 worth of gifts, in what could be the first jailing of an ex-cabinet member in a city-state known for clean governance.

Iswaran, who was convicted after pleading guilty to four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant and one count of obstruction of justice, is scheduled to surrender to the court at 4 pm on Monday to begin his sentence.

Singapore’s former transport minister S Iswaran said he would not be appealing his 12-month jail term, which starts today, after he was convicted of four counts of receiving gifts and one of obstructing justice.