Inappropriate relationship between Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui continued despite counselling: PM Lee
SINGAPORE – An affair between Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Cheng Li Hui continued despite their being counselled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February.
PM Lee said he had learnt about the relationship some time after the 2020 General Election, but did not know when it began.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Istana on Monday afternoon following his announcement of Mr Tan’s and Ms Cheng’s resignations from the PAP.
PM Lee said he spoke to both of them most recently in February, and counselled them.
However, in July, he came across information that “strongly suggested” that the relationship had continued.
“I decided then that Mr Tan had to go forthwith, whether or not the arrangements were ready. It could not wait any longer,” he said.
“I think it’s simply inappropriate to have a Speaker having a relationship with one of the MPs... It is not appropriate, it’s not acceptable.”
In February, Mr Tan had admitted to PM Lee that what he did was wrong. He offered his resignation, which PM Lee said he accepted.
But, added PM Lee, he had to first make sure that residents in his Kembangan-Chai Chee ward and Marine Parade GRC continued to be taken care of. Meanwhile, Mr Tan’s relationship with Ms Cheng had to stop.
Earlier in July, when a video clip of Mr Tan’s unparliamentary language circulated, Mr Tan was away. PM Lee asked to see him when he was back.
During the discussion, Mr Tan agreed to leave immediately, due to both his unparliamentary conduct as well as his inappropriate relationship with Ms Cheng.
The latter was something which Mr Tan had told PM Lee he would break off, but did not.
Ms Cheng had also been counselled, including by PM Lee in February, but “nevertheless she had continued the relationship with Mr Tan”, said the Prime Minister.
“It saddens me to discover that these two PAP MPs have fallen short of the high standards of propriety and personal conduct that we expect of all PAP MPs,” he 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.”
He said it was painful to do this to “our friends and comrades-in-arms”, and it can also be politically embarrassing and costly.
“But the PAP has to maintain party discipline and standards of conduct. Our duty is to Parliament and the people of Singapore, and that is paramount.”
PM Lee said high standards of propriety and personal conduct, together with staying clean and incorrupt, are the fundamental reasons Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP.
Singaporeans give the PAP the mandate to form the government and work together with the party to improve the lives of Singaporeans, he said.
“PAP MPs, whether you’re ministers or backbenchers, must uphold these cardinal values at all times. Without party discipline, without integrity, we are nothing. This is an absolute requirement,” he added.
Kindly take note
TLDR: Tan Chuan Jin is a fucking moron.
Heartiest congratulations to TCJ and CLH for being featured an Aussie reality show!
It appears TCJ has reactivated his FB page:
Awww what a "nice" guy this Mr Tan is
"WE NEED TO INCULATE GOOD HABITS AND MANNERS IN CHILDREN. THEY ARE OUR FUTURE LEADERS."
Did Tan Chuan-Jin & Cheng Li Hui’s affair start as early as 2018? Netizens dig up old photo from Baey Yam Keng’s FB post
SINGAPORE: A photo from 2018 of Mr Tan Chuan-Jin and Ms Cheng Li Hui found on Mr Baey Yam Keng’s Facebook led to new speculation as to whether the former Speaker of Parliament’s affair started years earlier.
Going as far back as 2018 into Mr Baey’s Facebook page, netizens dug up an old photo of running buddies Baey, Grace Fu, Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui.
“What’s a good way to end two weeks of parliament sittings? A run with Speaker of Parliament and Leader of the House!” posted Mr Baey on March 8, 2018. He also tagged Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Ms Grace Fu and Ms Cheng Li Hui in the image. Netizens were quick to point out and speculate that the body language of Mr Tan and Ms Cheng was telling.
Mr Baey and Ms Fu were in the foreground of the photo and did not appear to stand as close together as Ms Tan and Ms Cheng, who were in the background.
Another netizen pointed out that since Prime Minister Lee said in his speech that other ministers also tried to counsel Mr Tan and Ms Cheng against the relationship, it was likely that a number of others were also aware of the affair.
PM Lee said he was first alerted to the relationship between Mr Tan and Ms Cheng after the last general election in 2020. “I do not know when it began, but they were spoken to, counselled. Unfortunately, the matter didn’t close and so it came to the hard conversation we had in February this year.”
Mr Tan, 54, is married with two children while Ms Cheng, 47, is not married. Mr Tan was the Speaker of Parliament while Ms Cheng was an MP for Tampines East.
https://theindependent.sg/did-tan-chuan-jin-cheng-li-huis-affair-start-as-early-as-2018-netizens-dig-up-old-photo-from-baey-yam-kengs-fb/
The resignation letters by TCJ and CLH scored an A- and F respectively, courtesy of mkbdnews lol
Many questions in Tan Chuan-Jin-Cheng Li Hui saga
Dear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
Ms Cheng might have been extremely satisfied with Mr Tan's performance over the last 3 years but I don't think the majority of Singaporeans were with yours at yesterday's press conference.
As law-abiding, tax-paying Singaporeans, may we request that you very kindly answer the following questions:
1. You said you found out about Tan and Cheng's "inappropriate relationship" (IR) "some time after GE2020" - roughly 3 years ago. You said as well that you don't know when the IR began.
Were you not naturally curious when the IR began?
Did you not at all ask them when the whole thing started? And how it started?
These are questions a leader would have asked. Not just that, but they would have been among the first questions asked. Are you not a leader?
The length - not to mention the intensity - of the IR would surely have figured in a natural leader's decision as to what to do with the amorous couple - whether to demand their resignation forthright (as you chose not to), whether to counsel them (as you did in February 2023), and whether to keep quiet publicly about the whole affair (pun unintended) for 3 long years until things burst into the open yesterday.
If you thought something was wrong or "inappropriate" (the term that is used), wouldn't you want to know how long it's been going on? Unless you didn't really think it was wrong or "inappropriate" so you didn't care when it started, or you did think it was wrong or "inappropriate" but you thought you could sweep it under the carpet. Either way, not knowing when it started doesn't reflect well on you, does it?
2. You said it was "simply inappropriate" for Tan as Speaker to have a (sexual) relationship with Cheng as MP. Why and how was it inappropriate? Please elaborate.
Further, are you implying that if Tan wasn't Speaker but an ordinary MP that then it would have been OK for him to be involved with Cheng? In other words, it's OK for 2 ordinary PAP MPs to be having an affair, but not if 1 is Parliamentary Speaker?
3. If it was so wrong for Tan as Speaker and Cheng as MP to be having an affair, why did you allow it to go on for 3 years?
4. Michael Palmer was literally sacked in a day while Tan was allowed 3 years to "mend his ways" because the "circumstances were different". How were the circumstances different?
5. Palmer wasn't given a second chance and time to mend his ways because PAP have such high standards of propriety. Are PAP standards now not only slipping but shattering? Is the boast of high PAP standards empty patter?
6. Is your exhortation to "all Singaporeans and the press" to give the lovebirds "time and space to heal from this episode" just a cunning attempt at getting everyone to shut up and not talk about this (to put it mildly) prolonged indiscretion any more lest it stay long in the public's mind and cost PAP seats at the next GE?
7. Has Tan and Cheng's departure been strategically timed by you to co-incide with the revelation of Leon Perera stroking Nicole Seah's hand in a public restaurant?
8. If the answer to the previous question is yes (as it appears suspiciously to be), was their departure timed to transfer the heat and shift the spotlight from you (PAP) to them (WP), with the bonus of distracting from Iswarangate, so you can claim PAP have acted decisively (when in fact you have dallied for 3 years) to clean house while WP take time to "investigate" Leon showing outward affection for Nicole?
9. Did your actions result in Mrs Tan being kept in the dark about her husband's affair? If the answer is yes, how does it comport with your desperate plea to give the Tan family time and space to heal?
10. You said you accepted Tan's offer of resignation in February - a good 5 months ago - and that you told him to hang on for the time being so his constituents could be well looked after in the interim. How long did you expect this process to take? Why was it necessary for this process to take more than 5 months to complete? Why so long? Why didn't it apply in Michael Palmer's case? Anticipating that you would say the circumstances of Palmer's case were different, how different were they?
11. You appeared to be reading from notes when you answered the second journo's question. Was the second journo's question scripted? Did you read from notes a prepared answer to the second journo's question?
12. The third journo's question was obviously unscripted and you were taken aback. You were nervous in answering. Why were you nervous?
13. The fourth journo pointedly asked, "Was there any abuse of power or conflict of interest [between the 2 parties: Speaker and MP]?" You answered by saying a Speaker-MP relationship was inappropriate and unacceptable. That's not answering the question. Could you answer the question please?
Dear Prime Minister, the above questions are very fair and top of every Singaporean's mind. You always tell the opposition to "come clean" on this matter and that. Now we would love to see you practise what you constantly preach. We patiently await your answers. Do take your time, but not 3 years please, that's a bit too long.
https://www.change.org/p/many-questions-in-tan-chuan-jin-cheng-li-hui-saga
I find it most befuddling that Raffles Institution would choose to keep the status quo insofar as TCJ is concerned:
Aiseh the Speaker's office is sibei spacious and makes for the perfect place for lots of piaking!
A complete failure and embarrassment is what he is, Tan Chuan Jin admits himself 👈
Kim Huat: Are the PAP and WP competing with each other to see who can score the most number of own goals?
Christian blog temporarily removes articles by Tan Chuan-Jin following affair scandal
SINGAPORE — The Salt and Light, a Christian blog, had temporarily removed articles penned by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, former Speaker of Parliament, following news of his inappropriate relationship with a fellow parliamentarian.
On Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong confirmed the resignation of Mr Tan and fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Cheng Li Hui, in the wake of the revelations of their affair.
PM Lee also revealed that the two had persisted with the affair, which occurred before the General Election 2020, despite continued advice against it.
The announcement shocked the public and prompted significant questions about the Speaker’s impartiality.
Mr Tan, who is married and known for his active participation in Christian-related events in Singapore, has admitted his mistakes and expressed remorse for his actions.
He acknowledged the hurt he had caused his family, apologized to Singaporeans, and stepped away from politics to focus on his family life.
Amid this upheaval, Salt and Light temporarily took down articles by Mr Tan.
The removal did not go unnoticed and was met with concern by the public. The articles were later restored with an editor’s note addressing the situation.
In a statement released on 17 July, Salt and Light’s editor Edric Sng apologized for the temporary removal of the articles.
He explained that the decision was made while the team contemplated the best approach to handle the unfolding news.
“As faith-based websites, we do our best to highlight examples of people living out their faith. While these are often everyday examples, in some instances, the newsmakers are high-profile figures, including politicians,” Mr Sng wrote in the statement.
He underscored the reality of human fallibility and temptation and emphasized the importance of grace, forgiveness, and restoration.
He urged fellow believers to adopt a restorative posture and join in prayers for all those involved and the nation.
“We believe that those of us looking on as believers should adopt a restorative posture,” Mr Sng wrote. “May love guide our hearts and righteousness be our hallmark.”
Mr Tan’s articles have been reinstated, and readers are advised to view them in the appropriate context considering recent events.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2023/07/17/christian-blog-temporarily-removes-articles-by-tan-chuan-jin-following-affair-scandal
Vat do you think?
Tan Chuan-Jin: From rising star among 4G PAP leaders to surprise Speaker role then shock exit from politics
• Mr Tan Chuan-Jin left a high-ranking career in the military to join politics in 2011
• He was soon touted as a rising star among the fourth generation of People's Action Party (PAP) leaders
Mr Tan was appointed as Minister of State at the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of National Development soon after the 2011 General Election
• In 2017, he was appointed Speaker of Parliament after the incumbent Halimah Yacob stood down to contest the Elected Presidency
• On Monday, Mr Tan said that he had resigned as Speaker, as Member of Parliament and as a PAP member
SINGAPORE — Once touted as an up-and-coming member of the ruling party's fourth generation (4G) of leaders, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin has resigned as Speaker of Parliament, Member of Parliament (MP) and member of the People Action's Party (PAP) over his personal conduct.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday that he had accepted Mr Tan's resignation in February, but had wanted to ensure that Mr Tan's Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) residents were taken care of.
In a letter to Mr Tan, Mr Lee said: "I appreciate your admission that you have fallen short in the matter of your personal conduct, and understand your desire to step away from politics and help heal your family."
Before the latest controversy became public, Mr Tan had apologised to a Workers' Party MP for using unparliamentary language during an April sitting of Parliament.
Mr Tan's resignation came together with that of fellow PAP member Cheng Li Hui, Tampines GRC MP. Mr Lee said the pair had been involved in an "inappropriate relationship".
Mr Lee said that it "saddens me" that the two MPs had fallen short of the high standard of propriety and personal conduct that we expect from all MPs" but that it was necessary to maintain these high party standards.
"This means to counsel, to correct, to admonish, and ultimately, if necessary, to remove the MP from the party and Parliament."
Here is a look back at the careers of Mr Tan, 54, and Ms Cheng, 46.
FROM CAREER SOLDIER TO FAST-TRACK MINISTER
Prior to joining politics in 2011, Mr Tan was a career soldier for about 24 years in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), where he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General.
One of his notable achievements was leading the relief efforts to Aceh, Indonesia in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. The relief mission remains one of the SAF's largest military operations to date, according to Mr Tan’s curriculum vitae on the Parliament website.
In May 2011, he was elected as an MP as part of the Marine Parade GRC team led by party stalwart Mr Goh Chok Tong. Mr Tan has remained MP for the Kembangan-Chai Chee ward since then.
Two weeks after the 2011 General Election, he was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of National Development.
He became Acting Manpower Minister in 2012, and a full minister in 2014. About a year later, he became Minister for Social and Family Development.
APPOINTMENT AS SPEAKER
Mr Tan was nominated by the Prime Minister to be the 10th Speaker of Parliament in 2017, after the incumbent Halimah Yacob resigned from the post to contest the Presidential Election.
Madam Halimah first became Speaker of Parliament in 2013, after her predecessor Michael Palmer resigned from the post and as an MP after admitting to an extramarital affair with a People's Association employee.
In a Facebook post in 2017, Mr Lee described his nomination of Mr Tan as Speaker as a "very difficult decision... as it meant losing an effective and activist minister at MSF” (Ministry of Social and Family Development).
Political pundits were taken aback by the move, as Mr Tan had once been tipped as one of the core members of the 4G leadership.
He was among three new faces who were at the time appointed to the PAP’s highest decision-making body within six months after the 2011 GE, alongside Mr Chan Chun Sing and Mr Heng Swee Keat.
The analysts had noted his rapid rise through the ranks in Cabinet and thought he was earmarked for greater responsibilities.
The decision to appoint Mr Tan as Speaker “suggests he might not feature prominently in the leadership succession plan”, one analyst opined at that time.
Mr Tan was only the second Speaker since Singapore’s independence to be appointed to the position after serving as a Cabinet minister.
Before him, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi became Speaker of Parliament in 2002 after an eight-year stint in the Cabinet.
BEYOND POLITICS
Mr Tan has served as the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council since 2014, taking over from then Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
He was most recently re-elected unanimously for his third term in September 2022.
Other positions that he has held outside Parliament include chairman of the advisory board of Healthway Medical Corporation and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum advisory committee, and deputy chairman of Mandai Park Holdings.
In 2021, Mr Tan was also appointed as a member of the Climate Governance Singapore Advisory Board.
Mr Tan is married with one son and one daughter.
CHENG LI HUI: 'TALK LESS, DO MORE' TYPE
Ms Cheng made her political debut in 2015, replacing former PAP minister Mah Bow Tan, who retired from politics, in Tampines GRC.
She was described by her predecessor leading up to the 2015 election as the "'talk less, do more' type".
At the time, she was the deputy chief executive of engineering firm Hai Leck Holdings.
Prior to being fielded as a candidate, Ms Cheng had 12 years of grassroots experience beginning in Bukit Panjang.
Fertility was among the issues that Ms Cheng had spoken about in Parliament, having raised the issue of elective egg freezing since 2016.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/tan-chuan-jin-rising-4g-star-speaker-shock-exit-2212696
It's only natural any hot-blooded male would wanna fuck the brains out of a hottie MILF like Cheng Li Hui. I would too, if I had the chance ;)
Ridout, Iswaran and now this TCJ/CLH affair...... I can definitely sleep well tonight knowing PAP is slowly but surely coming apart 💤
😲😲😲