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PAP holds meeting with members to address controversies, boost morale

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Mr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Alex Yam having a conversation after a meeting at the PAP Headquarters on July 18, 2023.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Mr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Alex Yam having a conversation after a meeting at the PAP Headquarters on July 18, 2023.

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SINGAPORE — A day after the revelation of an affair between two of its Members of Parliament, and their resignations, the People’s Action Party (PAP) held a special meeting to address the issue.

CNA understands that the meeting on Tuesday (July 18) night, attended by branch secretaries and members, was convened to update members and to boost morale.

According to sources, branch secretary meetings are typically held once every two months, with one already known to have taken place last week.

Senior party leaders attended Tuesday night's meeting, including PAP Assistant Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing and Assistant Organising Secretary Alex Yam. Both men are part of the party’s Central Executive Committee.

PAP party whip Janil Puthucheary was also seen at the meeting venue — the party's headquarters at New Upper Changi Road.

Dr Janil Puthucheary arrives at the PAP Headquarters on July 18, 2023.

As Mr Chan walked towards the building around 7.20pm, he was asked by reporters if Tuesday's meeting was being held under any special circumstances.

The Education Minister offered brief remarks. He said the PAP has always had meetings, adding: "This is our HQ, right?"

He declined comment when approached after the meeting.

Dr Puthucheary and Mr Yam did not take questions from reporters.

Mr Yam, a Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, was spotted entering the building at about 6.45pm, while Dr Janil —  Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Communications and Information — arrived at 7.40pm.

The exact number of attendees was not clear but based on this reporter's observation of people leaving the venue, there were at least a hundred people in attendance. 

The meeting ended at 9pm. Mr Chan and Dr Janil left about 30 minutes later.

Mr Chan Chun Sing, Dr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Alex Yam with party members after a meeting at the PAP Headquarters on July 18, 2023.

The meeting on Tuesday came on the back of a string of controversies that has dogged the ruling PAP in recent months.

Two of its more senior ministers — Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan — faced questions about their rental of state properties at the exclusive Ridout Road, culminating in a six-hour parliamentary debate on July 3.

Both ministers were cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal review led by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and a separate investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Last week, it was revealed that Transport Minister S Iswaran was assisting the CPIB with a case it had uncovered. It was subsequently made known that property tycoon Ong Beng Seng had been arrested in connection with the case, as was Mr Iswaran. 

Both men are now out on bail, with Mr Iswaran being questioned by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday for 10 hours.

On Monday, Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui resigned from parliament and the party following the revelation of the extramarital affair between the two. 

Just a week before, a months-old recording showed that Mr Tan had uttered an expletive in parliament, an incident which he then apologised for.

But it was the affair, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong termed an "inappropriate relationship", that was to be Mr Tan's undoing. CNA

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.

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PAP Chan Chun Sing Alex Yam Janil Puthucheary

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