Seeking clarification on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech, Workers Party Secretary-General Pritam Singh asked what PM Lee did over a period of almost three years before coming clean on the affair between Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui.

He also asked how many official overseas trips the two went together "at the taxpayers' expense".

Select committee, overseas trips and counselling

Singh asked why Tan and Cheng were allowed to be on the same standing select committee of Parliament after the general election (GE) back in 2020, when PM Lee learnt that the two were in an inappropriate relationship in Nov. 2020.

"Wouldn't their being on the same committee have resulted in more interactions between them than necessary or given official reasons to be together?" he inquired.

Singh asked how many foreign trips the two former PAP members went together "at the taxpayers' expense".

Singh also asked whether Tan and Cheng were counselled immediately after PM Lee was informed about the affairs in 2020.

"Did he personally counsel them? And how often did he check in on the status of the relationship thereafter?" he asked.

"They both agreed to stop. It didn't happen."

On the issue of counselling, PM Lee said he counselled Tan at the beginning and ensured that Cheng was also counselled.

"They both agreed to stop. It didn't happen."

While not delving into the ins and outs of how it happened, PM Lee said that eventually, the situation came to a breakpoint.

Both the former PAP Members did not stop the affairs, and they had to go.

"I could have done it sooner. I should have done it sooner," PM Lee said, adding that Marine Parade was a consideration.

Yet all things considered, PM Lee acknowledged he should have moved earlier.

"But the important thing is we move and we brought it out and we are open about it," he said. "And I think we account to Singaporeans."

Tan and Cheng only took one overseas trip together on official business

On the issue of overseas trips, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah responded on PM Lee's behalf. Indranee said that since the 2020 election, Tan had gone on five official trips and three working trips, citing the Olympic Games as an example of the latter.

Tan and Cheng were only present together on one official trip, the Asean interparliamentary general assembly in Cambodia. There were 15 Member of Parliament delegates in total for this trip.

Of the 18 overseas parliamentary trips since the election, Cheng only attended that one. With regards to the selection for that trip, her name was put up by the staffing officer and approved with respect to the House Committee.

Standing Select Committee

Indranee said there are several standing select committees, and the names on the composition of the committees are put forward, with respect to the two former PAP members, by herself as Leader of the House.

"After the last general election, I had sought the Leader of the Opposition's nominations for the opposition MPs, because the rules provide that for standing select committees, the proportion of the ratio of majority MPs and opposition MPs should be roughly (reflective of) the proportion that they're represented in this House."

What is the difference between Tan Chuan-Jin and Michael Palmer's cases?: Pritam Singh

Singh also asked PM Lee to elaborate on how Tan's affair with an MP was different from the circumstances and conditions of former PAP MP and Parliament Speaker Michael Palmer's affair with a People's Association (PA) member.

Singh asked why was there a need for "so much time" to plan and care for the Marine Parade and Kembangan-Chai Chee residents, when other cases of former PAP MPs' resignations did not require as much time.

He asked the Prime Minister to explain the exact steps that were taken between February and July 2023 to arrange for the care of the residents in those areas, and if the planning for the care of these residents was enough justification for Tan to remain a Marine Parade MP for five months.

"Why was he not asked to step down as Speaker first, and a new Speaker elected? If he had stepped down as Speaker, could he still not have continued as a Marine Parade MP until the arrangements were made?" Singh asked.

Two differences between Tan and Palmer's case: PM Lee

PM Lee said there are two differences between Tan and Cheng's affairs and Palmer's affair with a PA staff.

First, Palmer's affair involved a PA staff who worked in a team which supported him and other Grassroots Advisers (GRAs).

"There is [a] reporting relationship there," he said.

Second, the specifics of the extramarital affair also matter.

The families involved and other circumstances surrounding the affairs have to be considered, both of which differ in every case.

PM Lee stressed that these circumstances differ in both Tan and Palmer's cases.

Top image via Parliament of Singapore/Facebook.