'I hoped to give them a softer exit': PM Lee explains why he didn't take earlier action against Tan Chuan-Jin, Cheng Li Hui

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he should have "forced the issue sooner" when dealing with the extramarital affair between former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and former Tampines MP Cheng Li Hui. 

PM Lee delivered a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday (Aug 2), addressing why he did not take action against Tan and Cheng earlier, despite finding out about their affair three years ago.

The two People's Action Party (PAP) MPs announced their resignations from their posts on July 17 this year. Later that day, PM Lee revealed in a press conference that the pair were in an inappropriate relationship, and that they were both counselled and told to stop the relationship.

'They will happen again': PM Lee

Explaining why he did not take action against Tan and Cheng immediately, PM Lee agreed he should have forced the issue sooner, in retrospect. 

"These sorts of relationships happen from time to time. They have happened in the past, and no doubt they will happen again in the future. 

"In such cases, what we do depends on many factors: the circumstances, how inappropriate or scandalous the behaviour was, the family situations." 

Another factor for consideration was the impact on the families of those involved, he added.

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There is no single template that applies to all extramarital affairs, PM Lee said as he elaborated on at least three situations: 

The first is where the individuals involved are spoken to, and no further action is taken if they agree to stop. 

The second scenario warrants immediate action to be taken — for instance, if one party has supervisory power over the other party. 

The third situation is where the relationship raises some  questions of propriety, which go beyond it being an extramarital affair per se. 

"The parties will be talked to but the matter cannot end. But what that action is and when it is taken, depends on the nature of the facts and the boundaries," he said.

PM Lee shared that the recent case falls into the third category. 

"It is wrong," he said, "Mr Tan and Ms Cheng had to stop the affair, I told them to stop." 

'Perfectly alright' for Speaker to be married to MP 

In deciding the next steps to take, PM Lee also mentioned that it was "perfectly alright" for the Speaker of Parliament to be married to an MP, as there is "no direct reporting line" between the two roles. 

"However, the Speaker has some official capacity vis-a-vis MPs. An extramarital affair between the Speaker and an MP is therefore problematic. It puts other MPs and staff in an awkward position, and it is just not proper." 

If Tan and Cheng had stopped their affair after being counselled, a "possible" follow-up action would have been to ask Tan to step down as Speaker, PM Lee explained.

At that time, he hadn't decided if Tan and Cheng should resign as MPs, but PM Lee shared that it was "quite likely both would have had to leave at some point". 

"By giving them some time, I had hoped to give them a softer exit and save them and their families the pain and embarrassment they are suffering now. 

"I placed much weight on protecting their families — perhaps too much.

"Regrettably, in the end Mr Tan and Ms Cheng did not stop the affair, and both had to go." 

'All their families are suffering' 

In his speech, PM Lee also made a "personal plea" to his fellow Parliamentarians and members of the public. 

"All their families are suffering. I hope that MPs and the public can empathise with and have compassion for the families, and give them the privacy and space they need to heal." 

He also made a case for former Workers' Party members Leon Perera and Nicole Seah, who admitted to having an extramarital affair.

A leaked video clip on July 17 showed the two WP Central Executive Committee members looking at each other while holding hands at a restaurant.

In a press conference two days later, WP chief Pritam Singh announced that both Perera and Seah resigned from their posts.

READ ALSO: PM Lee reveals Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui were in a relationship

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