Hello.
Singapore’s political landscape was rocked by two more events this week. First, the resignations of Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui after an extramarital affair. Then the resignations of MP Leon Perera and senior party member Nicole Seah from the opposition Workers’ Party (WP), also after an extramarital affair.
The swift succession of controversies, coming amid a corruption probe into Transport Minister S Iswaran, has raised questions about the integrity and moral character of our political leaders. NTU political analyst Felix Tan looks at how and why Singapore’s political leadership must rebuild trust among the public. And with 5 of 93 parliament seats in Singapore now vacant, there is also a question of adequate representation, says the Institute of Policy Studies’ Gillian Koh.
With speculation swirling about what this could mean for the next General Election, one might almost have forgotten that there’s an upcoming Singapore Presidential Election. Former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song confirmed his intention to run for the presidency, throwing his hat into the ring with former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and businessman George Goh. The Institute of Policy Studies’ Woo Jun Jie looks at how a three-cornered fight might play out.
Meanwhile in Thailand, a political upheaval of a different sort is playing out. Thailand’s parliament has rejected Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s re-nomination bid for the prime minister job, prolonging its political limbo. All eyes are now on coalition partner Pheu Thai, but there’s no guarantee of a path to victory for them either, says Control Risks director Harrison Cheng.
We hope you enjoy our selection of commentaries this week.
Alison Jenner
Senior Editor, Commentary
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