A few days ago, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai penned a lengthy Facebook post claiming that he had no chance to respond to Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on 4 Mar.
In response, Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin took time to explain the rules of debate in Parliament, saying that each debate is subject to a cutoff time, or the Guillotine Time.
Mr Leong was subsequently advised to take down his Facebook post and apologise for his comments.
On Tuesday (8 Mar) evening, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member complied with the request and apologised for his comments on Facebook.
He clarified that it was never his intent to “impugn” the Speaker or the Parliamentary processes. Mr Leong has since taken down the Facebook post.
Speaking with a sombre voice, Mr Leong took to the podium on Tuesday (8 Mar) evening to apologise for his comments.
He explained that he had intended to ask the Mr Tan See Leng “a very important point about the displacement of Singaporean PMEs”.
However, he conceded that he did not “set out all the facts” in his post, and provided a “misleading impression”.
As such, he apologised “sincerely and unreservedly” for his Facebook comments and videos which “impugn the Speaker and the processes of the Parliament”.
He also clarified that that was never his intention. He simply wanted to point out that exercising “some amount of discretion and flexibility” with the standing orders will contribute to Parliamentary discussions.
Mr Leong said he had taken down his posts at 5.30pm on Tuesday (8 Mar). He would also be withdrawing the comments.
The PSP member additionally posted the apology on his Facebook page.
In response, Deputy Leader of the House Zaqy Mohamad said he accepted Mr Leong’s apology.
He also highlighted that Parliamentary procedures serve as a guide for members to debate important issues that affect Singapore and its citizens,
We have, in this House, developed a set of procedures and practices to guide us on how we ought to do this in an effective and efficient manner.
Earlier on Tuesday (8 Mar), Mr Zaqy described Mr Leong’s actions as “dishonourable and a contempt of Parliament.”
He then advised Mr Leong to apologise by the end of the day for his comments on social media.
Parliament should be a fair and conducive forum for politicians to discuss issues that will affect Singapore and its people.
To suggest otherwise is undoubtedly a serious accusation that strikes at the heart of our meritocratic system.
We hope Mr Leong will avoid making such comments moving forward and will instead focus on how our national policies can be improved for the betterment of our country.
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Featured image adapted from MCI Singapore on YouTube.
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