Singapore’s PAP has ‘zero tolerance’ on corruption, but doesn’t police MPs’ private lives: Lawrence Wong

The No 2 leader said the ruling party had distinct policies regarding criminal wrongdoing – which is unacceptable – and other forms of misconduct

His comments come after the parliamentary speaker and an MP resigned recently over an affair, and as the transport minister faces a corruption probe

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The Marina Bay area in downtown Singapore. A spate of political scandals has put the ruling party on the back foot this month. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:15pm, 26 Jul 2023Updated: 11:32pm, 26 Jul 2023

Singapore’s scandal-hit ruling party does not police the private lives of its MPs and has never adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards extramarital affairs, the party’s No 2 leader said on Wednesday.

In an interview with the BBC, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the People’s Action Party (PAP) had distinct policies regarding criminal wrongdoing – which is unacceptable – and other forms of misconduct.

“[For] corruption and criminal wrongdoing, we have zero tolerance,” Wong said, in the first major interview by a party leader since a spate of scandals put the long-dominant party on the back foot this month.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the People’s Action Party had distinct policies regarding criminal wrongdoing – which is unacceptable – and other forms of misconduct. Photo: Bloomberg

Parliamentary speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui resigned last week over an affair, and party veteran and Transport Minister S. Iswaran is currently being investigated by anti-corruption officials. Last month, the party was caught up in another public relations crisis over veteran ministers renting colonial-era bungalows.

“When it comes to personal conduct and extramarital affairs, we have never taken that same approach because 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,” Wong said in the interview.