House debates Speaker’s independence

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Leong Mun Wai had put forward the motion after Tan Chuan-Jin was caught using 'unparliamentary language'. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Referring to the hot mic incident, Mr Leong said that as an impartial referee charged with enforcing parliamentary rules and procedures, it was a “serious error” for the Speaker to have expressed his opinions.He also said that the independence and impartiality of the Speaker’s office had been eroded over the years, with the evolution of the role from being a non-partisan one, to now having former officeholders or members of the PAP’s central executive committee elected to the role.

Several MPs rebutted him, including Leader of the House Indranee Rajah , and Nominated MP Raj Joshua Thomas, who noted that Singapore’s Constitution recognises that MPs belonging to political parties can be Speaker.Mr Thomas cited Canada and India which also have party-affiliated Speakers who are expected to be impartial.

“It is the electorate, it is the voters, who put the PAP in Parliament as a majority. So you have to bear in mind that the mandate of the majority party is drawn directly from the people.” He added that when Mr Leong had addressed Mr Tan in Parliament in a disrespectful manner, Mr Tan had accepted Mr Leong’s apology and agreed not to take action. He said this is evidence that Mr Tan was impartial.

 

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