SINGAPORE — As scandals over personal conduct dominated Singapore politics this week, a straw poll done by TODAY suggests that youth mainly agree that politicians should step down if caught having extra-marital affairs.

For their part, some experts said while the political culture here on such moral issues has long been set by the People's Action Party (PAP), there are some signs the culture is shifting towards a more tolerant, forgiving one.

Still, they said that due to the “whiter than white” standards set by the ruling party, Singaporeans have become accustomed to holding their politicians to exacting standards in terms of morality and character in addition to expecting them to be competent in their jobs.

The various views emerged after two politicians from the PAP and two from opposition Workers’ Party (WP) resigned this week following revelations that they were having extramarital affairs.

And while these are hardly the first here where politicians here have stepped down over affairs, there were some key differences in the way the cases were handled.

In the case of Mr Tan Chuan-Jin and Ms Cheng Li Hui of the PAP, they were counselled to end the “inappropriate relationship” sometime in 2020, and then again in February this year by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Their resignation on Monday came after Mr Lee found out that they had continued in spite of being told to put things right.

As for Mr Leon Perera and Ms Nicole Seah of WP, party chief Pritam Singh emphasised the fact that they had lied to the party when confronted about the matter more dwelling on the affair itself.

One expert cited this distinction as an example of a shift in political culture, though political analysts largely agreed that Singapore was not likely to shift to the extent that one describes as “political permissiveness”.

Meanwhile, in TODAY's unscientific straw poll of 32 youths aged 21 to 34, a clear majority of 28 said that politicians should step down if they have been discovered to have extramarital affairs. Though when pressed further about the issue, some indicated that they had a more nuanced view.

WHY ARE OUR POLITICIANS HELD TO HIGH MORAL STANDARDS?

The high standards which politicians here are held up to can be traced back to the nation's forefathers, said political and sociology experts.

Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, head of policy development, evaluation and data analytics at consultancy firm Kantar Public, said: “This is the only standard that Singaporeans know since our founding, imbued by the late (founding) Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“This high benchmark in moral value is tied to the esteemed social standing as a Member of Parliament (MP) and for the financial compensation (they receive),” he added.

In the recent cases here, Dr Laavanya Khatiravelu from Nanyang Technological University said that people who view it as a political issue might “take the view that the concealment of an extramarital affair is an issue of public trust”.

In other words, the MPs were not living up to the expectations of the electorate, said the associate professor in sociology.

Sociology and political observer Tan Ern Ser said that the family as an institution in Singapore is a very important value to the society, and cases of infidelity are seen as a breach of trust that also breach this societal "pillar".

When it comes to cases of infidelity or extramarital affairs, while all known cases among politicians here have ended in them stepping down, it is not the case in other countries.

Assoc Prof Kathiravelu said that it varies “by national context and the reputation of the individual”.

She noted how Americans reacted differently to the cases of infidelity of former United States President Bill Clinton compared to Mr Donald Trump, for example.

Mr Clinton had sexual relations with an intern in the White House while Mr Trump, also an ex-President, has been accused of multiple instances of infidelity and alleged sexual abuse of women. Both men are married.

In some countries, personal conduct such as marital infidelity enters the public arena only if it relates to a politician's official role, such as if he espouses family values as a political platform.

Assoc Prof Tan, who teaches at the National University of Singapore, said it was a matter of whether politics trumps morality.

“I don't think they (the electorate) are supporting committing adultery, right? But they are willing to overlook it to such a very extreme extent,” he said, referring to those supporting Mr Trump despite the allegations over his personal life.

ARE THE STANDARDS CHANGING?

The experts, however, broadly believe hat there may be some shifts in the political culture in Singapore.

“If you look at the personal background of political candidates over the generations, you will see that we have more diverse profiles today, for example: Single, not married, divorced,” said Dr Leong.

“This is in line with the changing demography — fewer married couples, and a more normalised view on marriage dissolutions.”

Expectations around infidelity may have also changed in the broader society, said Assoc Prof Laavanya.

“We can see this reflected, for example, in amendments to the Women’s Charter that will allow for divorce by ‘mutual agreement’,” she said.

“This allows marriages to be dissolved without either party being ‘blamed’ by having to prove adultery or desertion.”

However, she added that this may not be the case when it comes to politics, as the public may still hold politicians to different moral standards.

Assoc Prof Tan noted that he could see “signs” of political culture here changing, such as “a lot more forgiveness, repentance, and giving the offending party a second chance”.

He noted how there was a time gap between when the allegations of the improper relationships arose and final action taken by both the PAP and WP against their members.

Agreeing, Dr Leong said that the way the cases were handled “appeared to be more calibrated and compassionate”. 

He added that this might be derived from lessons learnt in past cases, to “consider giving them a graceful exit”. 

Regardless of the broader changes in the society that he mentioned earlier, Dr Leong added that this is not to suggest that Singapore will go the way of “political permissiveness like those in the West”.

“Our social values may become liberal overtime, but not our political values in the context of adultery for elected officials,” he said.

WHAT YOUNG SINGAPOREANS ARE SAYING

Most of the young Singaporeans interviewed by TODAY said they would expect an MP to step down if he has been discovered to have had a extramarital affair.

Many expressing that view link cheating to a moral failure and politicians, as representatives of the country, ought to be held to higher moral standards than common citizens.

On the other hand, Mr Joel Lim, 30, said that “there seems to be a growing recognition that personal relationships should be distinguished from professional capabilities”. 

“From what I observe on social media, the younger generation largely tends to focus more on a politician's performance and policies rather than getting caught up in their personal lives,” said the media professional, who runs an Instagram account that breaks down political news and developments into bite-sized chunks.

While the young adults also hold elected leaders to higher standards, some take a more measured approach if they were put in a position to choose.

For 23-year-old Hidayat Malik, a university student studying law in Britain, political leaders should not commit infidelity. 

“But when an affair has in fact happened, I am unsure if it should then mean that the politician must leave office and politics simply on that account."

However, he noted that the two recent cases involve more than just the affairs and hence the resignation of the politicians were "reasonable".

While he acknowledges the argument of viewing the personal and professional lives of political leaders separately, it may be difficult to draw a clear line at times, he said.

“For example, like Trump and his misogynistic comments. One could say that that's a private view that he has. But one would view it as a private thing that we think affects his qualities as a leader," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Anand George, 34, said that a politician who was caught having an affair should leave immediately.

However, when asked to imagine he was about to vote and to evaluate a hypothetical political candidate with a record of cheating, he said: “Personally for me, it will never be one single factor.”

Whether the affair happened in office, or if the candidate possesses “qualifications and character traits that significantly outweigh any negative perception that I have”, are among many factors that he would weigh, said the legal industry professional.