SINGAPORE — The People’s Action Party (PAP) has never adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards personal conduct and extramarital affairs among its members, instead handling them on a case-by-case basis with compassion and sensitivity where necessary, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. 

This is different from the party’s zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and criminal wrongdoing, he said. 

Mr Wong was responding to a question on whether the PAP now has a zero-tolerance policy towards extramarital affairs during an interview with British broadcaster BBC News on Wednesday (July 26). 

This came after Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui resigned on July 17 after continuing with an affair despite being told not to do so. 

Fielding questions on the controversy, Mr Wong said that when it comes to extramarital affairs, "every case is different — we have to look at the circumstances of the case, the individuals concerned, and we have to also consider the parties involved, including many innocent parties".

He added: "So those sorts of cases, when it comes to conduct, we deal with them case by case. We exercise compassion and sensitivity where necessary, but we want to uphold the trust that we have with Singaporeans at the same time."

He was also asked why it took years for Mr Tan and Ms Cheng’s affair to come to light even though party leaders had known about it in 2020. To this, Mr Wong said that the party does not police the private lives of its Members of Parliament. 

“When the information was first made known to the Prime Minister, as he had already explained in the press conference, he had spoken to them, counselled them, asked them to stop,” he said. 

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during a press conference on July 17 that the pair’s relationship had been going on since at least the 2020 General Election, in response to a question from the media, though he was unsure of when exactly it started.

Mr Wong added: “But we did not know what was going on until subsequently, the Prime Minister found out again and he spoke to them in February this year, and learned that this was continuing, and he accepted (Mr Tan's) resignation then.” 

On why Mr Tan was allowed to continue performing his duty despite PM Lee’s knowledge of the affair, Mr Wong said that this case is different from corruption. 

“With corruption and criminal wrongdoing, we have zero tolerance. When it comes to conduct, you have to exercise judgement,” he said. 

“To be clear, we set high standards for propriety and personal conduct, but in dealing with such cases — which are cases of human frailties — we are also very cognisant of the impact that our actions have on innocent parties, including families, especially the spouses and their children."

He added that the party has to find the right balance between exercising compassion and sensitivity, while upholding the fundamental requirement of its responsibilities and trust with Singaporeans.

Mr Tan and Ms Cheng are not the only MPs who have resigned over an affair. 

In 2012, former Speaker of the House Michael Palmer resigned over an affair with Ms Laura Ong, the former constituency director of the Pasir Ris West Constituency Office. 

In 2016, Bukit Batok MP David Ong resigned from the PAP reportedly due to an extramarital affair with a woman said to be a member of the Bukit Batok PAP Women's Wing. 

In response to a question on how Mr Wong would have acted differently if the scandal involving Mr Tan and Ms Cheng happened under his watch, Mr Wong said that these are “hypothetical situations”.

“What I can say is, since being appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of the PAP in November, I have been taking a lot more time to get involved in party matters and to learn about how the party operates and works,” Mr Wong said. 

He added that this is something he has been doing more in recent times, and that while he has had more experience on the policy front, he is still learning about party matters.

“And the recent spate of incidents, going through each one of them, has also been an opportunity for me to learn and reflect on how, for me as a party leader in the future, I can do better and we can continue to learn from these setbacks and make the party stronger and more effective in the future.” he said. 

ON CORRUPTION PROBE INTO ISWARAN 

Another question posed to Mr Wong was regarding Transport Minister S Iswaran and how it took several days for the Government to confirm his arrest by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

“And I guess, you know, in terms of the extramarital affair, the Prime Minister was informed about it a while ago. I guess it makes people wonder whether that is actually being upfront,” the BBC said. 

Mr Wong said that he can understand why people have these questions but added that the two cases are “quite unrelated”. 

He added that CPIB is an independent agency which has legal powers enshrined in the Constitution to do thorough investigations. It is therefore up to the CPIB and its operational prerogative to decide what information to put out at every stage of the investigation. 

“So when the Prime Minister and I talked about the minister assisting with investigations at the start, that was based on the CPIB statement on that day. We did not want to go beyond what CPIB was prepared to say on that day,” said Mr Wong. 

The BBC then pressed him: "But would you be able to understand the public's frustration that they had the right to know when the arrest was made?"

Mr Wong responded: "Sure. But I hope the public also understands and respects operational considerations, and the autonomy and independence in which CPIB acts.

"I believe Singaporeans have full trust in the work of the CPIB; that throughout our history, their track record is clear and evident for all to see. We have zero tolerance for corruption and CPIB acts independently, and are very thorough in their investigation."

On the lesson he has learnt from the last couple of weeks, Mr Wong said that the trust with Singaporeans is “very critical”. 

“Eventually, if I do have a chance to take over — if I do — I know that it is not just about me taking over because I also have to earn that trust with Singaporeans myself,” he said.