WP 'disappointed' by Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin's 'outburst'; says confidence in his impartiality is 'paramount'

SINGAPORE: It is "paramount" for everyone to have the confidence that the Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin presides over debates in an "impartial manner", said the Workers' Party (WP) in its first statement since his use of "unparliamentary language" in an April sitting. 

WP said on Friday (Jul 14) that it was disappointed at Mr Tan's "audible outburst" towards Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim. 

On Apr 17, Mr Tan muttered "f****** populist" after he called for MP Vikram Nair (PAP-Sembawang) to speak, following a speech by Associate Professor Lim.

"The Speaker is a referee for political debate at the highest level, maintaining order and providing guidance on Parliamentary procedures," said WP. 

Mr Tan on Tuesday apologised for using "unparliamentary language" during the parliament sitting. He also apologised to Assoc Prof Lim for the hot mic incident and the apology was "kindly accepted". 

The opposition MP confirmed this in a comment in Mr Tan's Facebook post on the matter.

Leader of the House Indranee Rajah will address Mr Tan's use of unparliamentary language in the next parliamentary sitting. 

According to the Standing Orders of Parliament - to which MPs are required to adhere - questions and speeches should not include unparliamentary language such as vulgarities.

The date of the next sitting has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be in early August. 

"It is appropriate for public concerns over this issue to be addressed in Parliament," said WP on the matter.

PSP FILES MOTION FOR NEXT SITTING

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) also said on Friday its Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs), Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai, have filed a motion for the next sitting, while noting the "regrettable" hot mic incident.

While the opposition party acknowledged Mr Tan's apology to Assoc Prof Lim and Ms Indranee's statement on Thursday, the PSP believes 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." 

"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 arena for all," said PSP on its motion.

It also called for some parliamentary procedures and processes to be changed 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 arena for all during the coming debate."