Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jessica Tan will take over Tan Chuan-Jin's role as Speaker until a new Speaker is nominated, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a press conference on Jul. 17.

PM Lee added that he will nominate the new speaker at the next sitting of Parliament and that he will also be making a ministerial statement on the matter.

PM Lee mentioned Tan's inappropriate relationship with Cheng as a "more serious matter"

Both Tan Chuan-Jin and People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui resigned on  Jul. 17.

The prime minister mentioned the recent incident of Tan Chuan-Jin's "unparliamentary language" as well as his relationship with Cheng.

A Jul. 10, 2023 Reddit post pointed out that Tan Chuan-Jin had muttered "f*cking populist" during the April 2023 Parliament session.

Tan Chuan-Jin could be seen and heard making the comment under his breath after he called on PAP Member of Parliament (MP) Vikram Nair to speak after a speech given by Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim.

PM Lee said,

"Besides Mr Tan’s recent, hot mic incident, the unparliamentary language which was used, there is also the issue of his inappropriate relationship with fellow PAP MP Ms Cheng Li Hui. This is, in comparison, the more serious matter because he was the Speaker and she is an MP, and there should not have been a relationship".

PM Lee said that he has spoken to Tan about this relationship most recently in February this year.

Tan admitted that what he did was wrong, and offered his resignation, which PM Lee accepted.

However, PM Lee came across information that strongly suggested that the relationship had continued.

This was when PM Lee decided that Tan "had to go forthwith, whether or not the arrangements were ready. It could not wait any longer".

Called on the public to give Tan, Cheng and their families space and time to heal

"I have let them (Tan's family) down. We have spoken about my personal conduct before," Tan wrote in his letter to PM Lee, dated Jul 17.

"There are areas where I have fallen short. I need to take responsibility for them and help heal my family. We need space to recover and work through the issues. I have discussed the matter with my wife and agreed I must step away from politics and devote myself to my family," he added.

Tan, 54, is married with two children.

PM Lee called on the public to give Tan, Cheng and their families space and time to heal from the episode.

"We should show compassion to them and hope that in time, they can heal," he said.

PM Lee added:

"High standards of propriety and personal conduct, together with staying clean and incorrupt, are the fundamental reasons Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP, and give us the mandate to form the government and work together with us to improve the lives of Singaporeans.

PAP MPs, whether they are ministers of backbenchers, must uphold these cardinal values at all times. Without party discipline, without integrity, we are nothing. So this is an absolute requirement.

Tan Chuan-Jin's social media accounts deactivated

Tan Chuan-Jin appears to have since deactivated both his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

As for Cheng, while her Facebook page is no longer available, her Instagram account can still be found.

Motion filed by PSP in response to Tan Chuan-Jin's comment

Earlier in July, Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa filed a debate motion, in response Tan Chuan-Jin's comment.

In a Jul. 14 Facebook post, PSP described the hot mic incident as a "serious matter".

PSP claimed it deserves a full parliamentary debate as it touches on parliamentary privileges, professional ethics, and the impartiality and independence of the office of the Speaker.

In addition, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said that she will be addressing Parliament in August about Tan Chuan-Jin's unparliamentary comment.

Speaking to The Straits Times, she said the incident concerned parliamentary conduct.

Prior to Indranee's statement, Tan had also issued an apology on social media on July 11.

Top left photo via Jessica Tan Facebook, right photo via gov.sg/YouTube