Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, MP Cheng Li Hui resign due to ‘inappropriate relationship’

SPEAKER of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Tampines GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui have stepped down from their positions as they were in an “inappropriate relationship”, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a press conference on Monday (Jul 17).

“I think it’s simply inappropriate to have a Speaker having a relationship with one of the MPs,” said PM Lee. Tan and Cheng have resigned as MPs and as members of the People’s Action Party (PAP).

This follows other recent controversies such as Transport Minister S Iswaran’s arrest and questions over Ridout Road properties leased to two ministers. But political observers expect little impact on Singapore’s international reputation.

All this is a “minor blip” for Singapore’s standing, given its “good policies”, said Felix Tan, political analyst at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan noted the city-state’s global reputation has been carefully built up, with a “reservoir of trust, confidence and goodwill” that is now “being drawn down” to take the country through this.

Still, he cautioned that external parties will be keeping a “closer watch on Singapore than they ever had in the past”.

Chong Ja Ian, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said that while the revelations suggest Singapore can do better in transparency and restraint of those in authority, it does not affect the policy outlook, nor will it have an immediate effect on investor confidence.

NUS’ Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) senior research fellow Gillian Koh said that PM Lee is “very clear of the optics” and is signalling to the world that Singapore’s “national integrity regime runs without fear or favour”, with “zero tolerance for wrongdoing”.

In contrast, the PAP’s fourth-generation leaders “have been rather muted, or quiet, in their response”, said NTU’s Dr Tan. “This doesn’t bode well, when they don’t seem to have a voice and opinion of what happens within their own party.”

In the press conference, PM Lee said he learned about Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng’s relationship “some time after the last general election in 2020” and told Tan to end it, but “the matter didn’t close”. This led to a conversation this February where Tan offered his resignation.

The prime minister accepted his resignation, but said that arrangements had to be made for the residents of Kembangan-Chai Chee – Tan’s ward – and Marine Parade GRC, and told Tan to stop the relationship in the meanwhile.

Recently, however, PM Lee “came across information that strongly suggested that the relationship had continued” and decided that Tan had to leave “whether or not the arrangements were ready”, he said.

The two MPs fell short of the PAP’s “high standards of propriety and personal conduct”, PM Lee said. “When such a situation arises, it is my duty as secretary-general of the party to deal with them and put things right. This means to counsel, to correct, to admonish, and ultimately, if necessary, to remove the MP from the party and Parliament.”

The move comes after Tan apologised on Jul 11 for using “unparliamentary language” in Parliament in April, after a speech by Workers’ Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim.

After the “hot mic” incident was revealed, PM Lee spoke to Tan, who agreed to leave immediately both for the unparliamentary conduct and his “inappropriate relationship” with Cheng. Tan is married with two children, while Cheng is single.

Separately on Monday, WP said that it is looking into a video suggesting an “inappropriate exchange” between senior party members Leon Perera – an MP for Aljunied GRC – and Nicole Seah.

Political observers said it is too early to tell how all this will affect the next general election, to be held by November 2025.

Singaporeans feel that politicians’ private conduct reflects what they would do publicly, said Dr Koh: “If the PAP still has its political acumen, it will ensure these issues are very precisely and definitively dealt with before they call the election.”

She expects the party to reiterate its principles, “come down hard” on wrongdoers, and try to give confidence that these occurrences are “aberrations rather than systemic issues”.

SMU’s Prof Tan said: “There will be a political price that will be paid.” There may be a perception that the PAP has fallen short of its promised standards, with some voters wanting “insurance” in the form of greater political diversity, he added.

As for the WP, it faces past controversies over former MP Raeesah Khan and negligence in the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) payments process – but could enjoy more of the benefit of the doubt, compared to the PAP, he said.

NTU’s Dr Tan, noting Singaporeans have been “up in arms” over the controversies, said the next general election could see the “rise of other political parties”. But it is important to understand that Singaporeans vote for the specific teams contesting their constituencies, and not the parties overall, he said.

In contrast, Prof Chong does not think the recent problems will become “make it or break it” election issues, thanks partly to recency bias: “Lots of issues will come up between now and then. Politically, it’s several lifetimes. And in general, people’s memories are quite short.”

Unlike other analysts, he sees a need to account for societal change, as reflected in changing views on divorce and children out of wedlock. Singaporeans may not expect politicians to be moral beacons, and can separate their personal matters and performance of duties, he said.

But IPS senior research fellow Woo Jun Jie noted that in both cases, the affairs “can give rise to conflicts of interest” and are therefore more than “a personal issue”.

A new Speaker of Parliament will be nominated by the next sitting on Aug 1, where PM Lee will also make a ministerial statement. In the meantime, Deputy Speaker Jessica Tan will be the Acting Speaker.

Said PM Lee: “High standards of propriety and personal conduct, together with staying clean and incorrupt, are the fundamental reasons Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP, and give us their mandate to form the government and work together with us to improve the lives of Singaporeans.”

In his resignation letter, Tan said of the “hot mic” incident: “My mistake raised broader questions over my neutrality and impartiality as Speaker. The credibility of Parliament and the Chair is critical and cannot be compromised.”

He said the episode has “added to the hurt” he has caused to his family, noting that he has “let them down” and must step away from politics to devote himself to them.

Following his resignation, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who is also an MP for Marine Parade GRC, will take care of residents in the Kembangan-Chai Chee ward.

Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, who is also an MP for Tampines GRC, will take care of residents in the Tampines East ward, in place of Cheng.

With the departure of MPs Tan and Cheng, the PAP has three empty seats in Parliament, after former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepped down to become a presidential candidate.

Asked if the empty seats would affect the next election’s timing, PM Lee said he has no plans to call an immediate general election, noting that the government has just entered the second half of its term.

As for the impact on the possible upcoming presidential election, observers agreed that Tharman has built a good reputation outside of previous party affiliations.

Chong added that the recent issues are generally not in the president’s purview. SMU’s Prof Tan said that Singaporean’s “don’t want too radical a change”, and see Tharman as someone who knows the inner workings of the PAP and commands trust.