WP & PSP Respond to Tan Chuan-Jin’s Hot Mic Saga; Both Say Speaker Should be Impartial

The Tan Chuan-Jin hot mic drama is back in the spotlight. Just when you thought everyone’s eyes were glued to Transport Minister S Iswaran, the opposition parties in Parliament have decided to stir the Tan pot. They’ve got a few things to say about Speaker of the House Tan Chuan-Jin’s hot mic saga.

Here’s what they said.

WP & PSP Throw Their Hats in the Ring on Tan Chuan-Jin’s Hot Mic Saga; Both Insist on Speaker’s Impartiality

Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim may have personally responded to Mr Tan’s apology, but that doesn’t mean his party is keeping mum.

On Friday (14 June), the Workers’ Party decided to break their silence, expressing their disappointment at Mr Tan’s action.

They believe it’s “paramount” for everyone to trust that Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin is playing fair and square during debates.

“The Speaker is the umpire of the political match at the highest level, maintaining order and providing guidance on Parliamentary procedures,” WP said.

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) didn’t want to be left out of the action either.

On the same day, they revealed that their Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs), Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai, have filed a motion for the next sitting, all while pointing out the “regrettable” hot mic incident.

They took to social media to air their views.

While they acknowledged Mr Tan’s apology to Assoc Prof Lim and Ms Indranee’s statement on Thursday, the PSP thinks this isn’t a matter to be swept under the rug.

They believe that “this serious matter deserves a full parliamentary debate as it touches on parliamentary privileges, professional ethics, and the impartiality and independence of the office of the Speaker.”

Filing a motion? That’s their way of saying they want a full-blown discussion on this.

“That this House reaffirms its commitment for the need for the Speaker of Parliament to be independent and impartial, and for Parliament to be a fair playground for all,” PSP declared in their motion.

They’re also calling for a revamp of some parliamentary procedures and processes to “facilitate more constructive and productive debates”.

“Our NCMPs will share PSP’s views on what parliamentary reforms can be made to ensure that Parliament is a fair playground for all during the coming debate.”

Oh, did anyone else remember a saga involving colonial houses and Ridout Road? Or even the fact that we’re going to have an election soon?