Workers’ Party in Trouble: Senior members resign from Singapore’s opposition party over extramarital affair

WP members Leon Perera and Nicole Seah have resigned from the opposition party, Secretary-General Pritam Singh announced on Wednesday, adding both of them admitted having an extramarital affair that started after the 2020 General Election but had stopped some time ago.

When allegations of an affair surfaced in 2021, the two told the party there was no truth to the claims, said Singh at a press conference, highlighting Perera’s conduct “fell short of the standards expected of Workers’ Party MPs.”

What Did A 15-Second Clip On Facebook Apparently Show?

Perera had even informed the acting Speaker of Parliament that he would be resigning his MP’s seat, the secretary-general said. It comes just a couple of days after a video clip apparently showing Perera dining with Seah while holding her hands surfaced on Facebook.

While it’s unclear when or where the 15-second clip was shot, it was first posted by “Victoria Wang” and as of Tuesday evening, it was no longer available. The Facebook user’s account had also vanished into thin air by that time.

The video prompted the party to say it was looking into an “inappropriate exchange” between two members. Both Perera – a Member of Parliament for Aljunied – and Seah – a 2020 General Election candidate – are married, with each having two children with their spouses.

Ruling Party MPs Quit Over Affair

Things also appear to be tough on the ruling People’s Action Party‘s end. While the party was already dealing with its highest-profile corruption case in decades, two of its MPs resigned on Monday after having an affair.

Former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and fellow PAP MP Cheng Li Hui had an “inappropriate relationship” and continued with it despite being told to stop, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a press conference.

Tan recently grabbed headlines for another incident as well. Video footage showed the speaker muttering “f***ing populist” in response to a WP member’s speech advocating a minimum wage. His “neutrality and impartiality” as a speaker is now being questioned, the MP acknowledged.