Singapore Parliament Speaker, Lawmaker Resign Over ‘Inappropriate Relationship’

Lee told reporters that the 54-year-old speaker, who is married with two children, offered to resign earlier this year when he spoke to him about the affair.

Lee accepted his resignation but it was to take effect when arrangements for his replacement for his district were made.

The prime minister also said he told the speaker to end the affair.

“But very recently, I came across information that strongly suggested that the relationship had continued,” Lee said.

Tan, in a letter to the prime minister, said he needed to step down from politics to focus on his family.

“I have let them down… I need to take responsibility for them and help heal my family,” he wrote.

Analyst Tan said the PAP losing its two-thirds majority in parliament was now “within the realm of possibility” unless the party makes a swift recovery.

But Mustafa Izzuddin, a political analyst with consultancy Solaris Strategies, described the issues rocking the PAP as “more of a minor shock than a major crisis”.

“It does, however, enable the party to take a pause and engage in critical reflection while assuring the domestic populace that it continues to uphold the highest moral and political standards which are of paramount importance at the time of leadership transition and in preparation for the next general election,” he told AFP.

Premier Lee, asked if there was an erosion in PAP standards, said that “from time to time these things happen” but assured that the party was dealing with the issues decisively.

“No system can be completely infallible,” he said.

AFP