The recent spate of high-profile incidents involving members of the People's Action Party (PAP) has resulted in an erosion of trust, opined Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Chairman Tan Cheng Bock.

"[The ruling party] must be more open," Tan said to Mothership while on a Jul. 22 walkabout at West Coast Market.

"Because when this concerns leaders — leaders who are running the country — you cannot give me a little bit here and there and expect me to find out [the rest]... we have a right to know."

Tan was speaking in reference to the news of Minister of Transport S Iswaran assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau with an investigation and the recent resignations of former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui after revelations of an affair.

Commenting on the Workers' Party's own run-in with an illicit romance — one involving Nicole Seah and Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera — Tan said that he was "sad".

"Because it [affects] the whole system — our whole political system. The world looks at us as a country where we are very proud to be corruption free or whatever — a good political environment. They all think we are like that."

"Like this, people will have a different look at you," he added.

Recovered from Covid-19

In his first walkabout since recovering from a bad bout of Covid-19, Tan accompanied his party's Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa.

The veteran politician appeared in good spirits as he greeted and conversed with residents.

Speaking to Mothership, the 83-year-old said that he had an operation to remove part of his lungs in the previous year, before contracting Covid-19 this year.

He only recovered from the virus last month, Tan added.

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Top image by Matthias Ang