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.
Image by Matthias Ang
Image by Matthias Ang
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