Singapore’s political landscape experienced a notable shift on Jul. 17, with there being four vacant seats in the Parliament. Despite this unprecedented situation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has confirmed that there are no plans for an immediate general election to be called.
Resignations of Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui
The day of Jul. 17 marked the resignations of two prominent Members of Parliament (MPs) affiliated with the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The two MPs in question were Tan Chuan-Jin, who also held the position of Parliament Speaker, and Cheng Li Hui, who were revealed to have been engaged in an inappropriate relationship.
Tan Chuan-Jin served as a member of the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC), while Cheng Li Hui represented the Tampines GRC.
Their resignations came after Prime Minister Lee disclosed an “inappropriate relationship” between the two MPs, which persisted even after they were advised to discontinue it, with Tan also being involved in a hot mic incident where he was caught muttering the phrase “f-ing populist” after WP MP Jamus Lim’s speech.
No Immediate General Election
Despite the significant departures of Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui from their parliamentary roles, Prime Minister Lee firmly stated that he would not call for an immediate general election.
He highlighted that the next election is scheduled for 2025, and the present government’s term is only at its midpoint, with the recent opening of the Parliament.
PM Lee assured the public that the government has a comprehensive agenda for the current term, and they will focus on fulfilling their commitments to the nation.
Regarding the GRCs (Group Representation Constituencies) with missing members, he emphasized that the other members of the respective GRCs would step up to ensure effective representation and care for the constituents.
Four Vacant Seats: A Closer Look
The departure of Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui created vacancies in their respective GRCs, which will be temporarily covered by Minister of Culture, Community, and Youth, Edwin Tong and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former Cabinet member, resigned from his position as Senior Minister and relinquished his membership in the PAP to run for the Singaporean Presidency, leaving his seat in Jurong GRC vacant, making it three vacant seats.
The fourth vacant seat was vacated by Workers’ Party member, Raeesah Khan, elected in the 2020 general election who stepped down in Nov. 2021 from her party and Parliament roles after a lengthy scandal where she was caught lying in Parliament.
No by-election took place in Sengkang, and her Compassvale ward was divided among other Sengkang MPs who took over and covered her duties.
Additionally, West Coast GRC is operating without its full complement of MPs as Transport Minister S Iswaran was asked to take a leave of absence by PM Lee after being arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and released on bail, with ongoing assistance in investigations.
As a result, the other MPs from West Coast GRC will be covering Iswaran’s duties during his leave of absence, although whether he returns to parliament will depend on the investigations.