Singapore Speaker of Parliament apologises for use of 'unparliamentary language'
Tan Chuan-Jin expresses remorse for expletive caught on hot mic after Parliament speech by opposition MP Jamus Lim,
SINGAPORE — Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin has issued an apology on Tuesday (11 July) for his use of unparliamentary language that was captured on a hot mic during a parliamentary session in April this year.
The incident came to light through a Reddit thread, which revealed that Tan had muttered "f****** populist" after requesting a response from Sembawang GRC Member of Parliament Vikram Nair to Associate Professor Jamus Lim, the Workers' Party MP of Sengkang GRC.
According to The Straits Times, Lim had finished a speech on doing more to help the lower-income groups in Singapore, and had suggested the establishment of an official poverty line during his speech.
Tan acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post on Tuesday, stating, "I had to listen to the recording as I did not recall the occasion. Based on the clip, it appears that I had a reaction to a speech made in the chamber."
He admitted that, like any other person, he forms his own opinions while listening to speeches.
Emphasising that his remarks were privately-expressed thoughts and not intended for anyone in particular, Tan acknowledged, "However, I should not have expressed them aloud or in unparliamentary language, and I apologise for that."
He also revealed that he has personally spoken to Lim and extended his apology, to which Lim "has kindly accepted".
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