Elected officials have responsibility to be transparent to voters

The correct approach to personal scandals is transparency, and Mr David Ong should explain to the public, especially Bukit Batok voters, who elected him last year, what the so-called indiscretion was.

While people respect the privacy of others, it is not the same with public figures. Voters place their trust in those who run for election and have a right to know what exactly went wrong with Mr Ong. It makes sense for him to admit his extramarital affair, if the speculation is genuine, just as former Speaker of Parliament Michael Palmer did, to avoid the public and media from guessing.

Work must begin immediately to apply damage control.

Francis Cheng Choon Fei