The relationship between Tan Chuan-Jin and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui would have “come up sooner or later” even without a recent incident involving him.
The former Speaker of Parliament resigned a week after he was caught muttering “f*cking populist” under his breath following a Parliament speech in April.
But according to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, he’d already known about the matter, and Mr Tan had offered to resign as recently as February this year.
The Prime Minister instructed him to settle arrangements for his Marine Parade GRC before doing so.
However, PM Lee found out very recently that the two had continued their relationship. As such, they had to resign immediately.
According to PM Lee in an interview on Monday (17 July), he spoke to Mr Tan most recently in February about stopping the relationship with Ms Cheng.
“It would have come to light sooner rather than later because it had reached that point,” PM Lee said.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office on Facebook
“In February, I had spoken to Mr Tan and accepted his resignation. I said, sort out the succession arrangement in Marine Parade first.”
He said they were in the process of doing that — they put Mr Edwin Tong and Mr Tan See Leng as the anchor ministers there.
Very recently I got new information that the relationship was continuing, and after our conversation in February, that was completely unacceptable.
“So, he had to go. It so happened that the hot mic incident came up, and so it precipitated that moment,” PM Lee stressed.
He also said later on that a Speaker of Parliament having a relationship with an MP is inappropriate.
Responding to a question over whether the PAP’s standards have slipped, PM Lee replied that these things happen from time to time.
And when they do, the matter has to be dealt with rigorously and transparently.
“In that process, I think everyone should draw the right conclusions and do the right things.”
“No system can be completely infallible. You appoint people, sometimes things go wrong, you have to find out and put it right,” he said.
He referenced recent high-profile issues, such as the Ridout case.
The ministers involved underwent a rigorous investigation by Teo Chee Hean, and the results were delivered in Parliament.
“Even the Leader of the Opposition said, ‘Nobody is alleging corruption or wrongdoing’,” PM Lee said.
“It’s an example not of the PAP’s slipping standards, but of how we deal with these circumstances.”
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Featured image adapted from Tan Chuan-Jin on Facebook via Lianhe Zaobao and Prime Minister’s Office.
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