Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng has apologised after appearing to fall asleep while chairing a Parliament sitting on 9 September.
In a Facebook post on Friday (18 September), Seah said he had been feeling unwell that day and had taken medication, but added that this did not excuse what happened. He said he took full responsibility and that the incident did not meet the standards expected of the Speaker’s office.
Video Shows Speaker Nodding Off During Sitting
Videos circulating online showed Seah appearing to nod off while presiding over parliamentary proceedings.
The incident happened during a debate on the Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill on 9 September. After Hougang MP Dennis Tan finished his speech, there was a pause before a parliamentary staff member approached Seah, after which proceedings continued.
Seah said he fell asleep after the sitting had gone past the four-hour mark.
He added that he should have called for a break earlier instead of continuing with proceedings. He said he normally calls for breaks after about four to six hours of sitting.
Seah Says He Will Learn From Incident
Seah said he had sought to carry out his duties conscientiously and uphold the standards expected of the office during his time as Speaker.
He apologised for the lapse and said he would take steps to ensure it would not happen again. He also said he remained committed to serving Parliament and Singaporeans.
Seah became Speaker of Parliament in August 2023.
