SINGAPORE: Former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin has resigned from his roles in various organisations following news of his extramarital affair with Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui.
He has stepped down as president of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and as an adviser to the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). He has also left his role as patron of the Centre for Fathering.
SNOC said in a statement on Tuesday (Jul 18) that it has accepted Mr Tan’s resignation and thanked him for his years of service and contributions.
Mr Tan has been president of SNOC since 2014 and was re-elected for a third term in September last year in a unanimous vote. He was slated to serve his latest term from 2022 to 2026.
The organisation’s most senior vice president in office, Mrs Jessie Phua, will be appointed as SNOC’s acting president at the next executive committee meeting.
The SNOC constitution states that if the president resigns, the vice president who is most senior in office shall be appointed as the acting president for the remaining term of the resigned president.
Mr Tan was appointed adviser to NCSS in 2017. In a statement on Tuesday, an NCSS spokesperson said that it is grateful for Mr Tan’s leadership and support over the years, “particularly his passion in promoting volunteerism in the social service sector”.
In 2017, Mr Tan was also appointed deputy chairman of the board of directors at Mandai Park Holdings, which is responsible for the business and strategic development of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. Wildlife Reserves Singapore operates the Singapore Zoo and other attractions.
In response to CNA’s queries about whether Mr Tan has resigned from his position, Mandai Wildlife Group said it has “nothing further to add” to his statement on the matter.
The former Speaker also stepped down from his role as patron of the Centre for Fathering on Monday, the organisation confirmed on Tuesday. It thanked Mr Tan for serving as its patron from January 2018.
Raffles Institution said it was unable to comment on Mr Tan’s resignation from politics. It added: “Mr Tan’s portrait remains on the school wall together with other notable alumni of the school.”
Mr Tan is an alumnus of Raffles Institution, along with other Members of Parliament including Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
“INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP”
Mr Tan and Ms Cheng on Monday resigned from parliament and the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The pair had an “inappropriate relationship” with each other and had continued with it despite being told to stop, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a press conference.
Mr Lee said he was first alerted to their relationship after the 2020 General Election. The pair were spoken to and counselled, most recently in February, but went on with the affair.
Mr Tan, 54, is married with two children. Ms Cheng, 47, is not married.