Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party was rocked by two resignations, including that of parliament speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, in what is shaping up to be the biggest slew of scandals in the city-state’s political history.
“I have accepted Mr Tan’s resignation from the People’s Action Party,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a statement on Monday. “His resignation is necessary, to maintain the high standards of propriety and personal conduct which the PAP has upheld all these years.”
Tan apologized to an opposition member of parliament last week for using “unparliamentary language.” Tan said he was muttering to himself but his “private thoughts” were caught during a recording of the parliament hearing.
Lee also accepted the resignation of another member of parliament, Cheng Li Hui, who also stepped aside as a member of the People’s Action Party. No reason was given for her resignation.
The resignations add to a series of scandals that have rocked the ruling PAP in recent weeks. The city-state said separately on Friday it arrested Transport Minister S. Iswaran and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng in a graft probe that has challenged the city-state’s reputation for clean governance.
(updates throughout)
Author: Philip J. Heijmans
