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Analysis: POFMA order given as reason behind Leong Mun Wai's resignation as PSP chief but could there be other factors?

One analyst says Mr Leong's move to step down was an "important gesture" given his pattern of unparliamentary conduct, which may also have led to disquiet within the party.  

Analysis: POFMA order given as reason behind Leong Mun Wai's resignation as PSP chief but could there be other factors?
Leong Mun Wai has stepped down as secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party over a recent POFMA order issued against him.
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SINGAPORE: The public should take what the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) said at face value with regard to why Mr Leong Mun Wai stepped down from his role as party chief. But still, his resignation was an "important gesture" given his pattern of unparliamentary conduct which may also have led to internal disquiet, said a political analyst.

PSP announced on Friday (Feb 23) that Mr Leong stepped down as secretary-general to "take responsibility" for a recent correction direction issued against him under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) for making false claims about the lack of financial aid for a couple living in West Coast.

The 65-year-old had been PSP secretary-general for less than a year.

While the public should “respect” what PSP has said about Mr Leong's reason for stepping down, it is also “incontrovertible public knowledge” that he has demonstrated unparliamentary behaviour since becoming a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) after the 2020 General Election, said Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

“It is a pattern of conduct. If the PSP wishes to be a serious player in the political system, then this gesture is important, not just for the POFMA correction but for ongoing parliamentary conduct.”

Other analysts CNA spoke to noted that while Mr Leong stepped down from his role as secretary-general, he is still a member of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).

He will continue to be part of PSP’s decision-making process leading to the General Election and is also likely to be fielded as a candidate, they said.

Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, felt that Mr Leong may have wanted to take personal responsibility “for inadvertently uttering an untruth” and did not want to “bring the name of the PSP into disrepute”, especially with the General Election likely to be held soon.

“With PSP believing that it has a reasonable chance to wrest control West Coast GRC from the (People’s Action Party), the party does not want to risk jeopardising it with Leong, … the face of the party as the secretary-general, being recently POFMA-ed,” said Dr Mustafa. The PAP recently lost its anchor minister in West Coast GRC - former Transport Minister S Iswaran had resigned from the party and is facing corruption charges.

“As PSP may well need as much of the middle ground support as possible to boost its chances of winning West Coast GRC, Leong being seen as a mixed bag may not serve the interest of the party to win parliamentary seats in the coming election.”

Mr Leong had defended his "confrontational" parliamentary style, saying at a press conference last May that he was only trying his best to seek responses to questions he thinks have not been answered in parliament.

He also acknowledged then that there were parliamentary procedures that he was not familiar with and with more experience, he expects to become "more polished".

"NO VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE" AGAINST MR LEONG: PSP

Following the announcement of Mr Leong’s resignation, rumours circulated on social media that the party had held a vote of no confidence against him.

Responding to CNA's query, a PSP spokesperson on Saturday said this was not true.

“There was no vote of no confidence. Mr Leong resigned from the post of (secretary-general) on his own accord," the spokesperson said.

“Mr Leong remains a key member of the party and the CEC and will contest in the next GE but it is premature to talk about which constituency when electoral boundaries have not yet been drawn."

While the POFMA order is not Mr Leong’s first brush with controversy, with an impending election, it is “important to keep the good name of the party protected”, said Dr Mustafa.

Secondly, PSP may be thinking about rejuvenating the party leadership so this comes as an “opportune time”, he added.

It could also be a “culmination of controversies” such that with the POFMA order in place, the party may have felt that a change is now due, noted the political analyst.

For example, in July 2021, TODAY reported that some PSP members had raised concerns about the party’s stance on the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The opposition party's two NCMPs - Ms Hazel Poa and in particular, Mr Leong - were involved in testy exchanges in parliament with government ministers over CECA.

Leong Mun Wai's past controversies

In January 2022, Mr Leong alleged that teachers were practising vaccination-differentiated measures, a claim that he made based on a screenshot of a Telegram chat group sent by a Facebook friend.

This led Leader of the House Indranee Rajah to highlight that speaking in parliament is a privilege that “must be exercised responsibly”.

That same year in March, Mr Leong apologised for a post and comments on Facebook accusing then-Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin of not letting him speak in the House.

He later explained in parliament that it was not his intent to “impugn” the Speaker or the parliamentary process and that he “sincerely and unreservedly” apologised for his conduct.

He also took down the post and comments in question, complying with a request from Deputy Leader of the House Zaqy Mohamad.

Mr Leong again apologised to Mr Tan a year later, this time for addressing him in a disrespectful manner.

While engaged in a heated debate with Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, Mr Leong responded to a clarification from Mr Tan by saying: “Speaker, if the minister didn't ask me, I suggest you do not ask."

Mr Leong was called out for repeated "unparliamentary" conduct during that debate, which centred on why Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife were named but not the people investigated in the Keppel Marine & Offshore corruption case.

Mr Leong had also filed a complaint against MP Murali Pillai following a parliamentary debate in August 2023 for the second reading of the Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Bill, where Mr Pillai said that Mr Leong had “advocated some form of rent control”.

In his complaint, Mr Leong referenced Standing Order 50 and alleged that Mr Murali's statement had imputed improper motives to him, as he had not made any such statement.

The complaint was later dismissed by Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng.

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WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE PARTY

Mr Leong’s decision to step down from his role as party chief may also work in PSP’s favour, analysts said.

Demonstrating accountability may “bolster the public image” of Mr Leong and the party as taking responsibility for their actions, noted Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian of the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS). 

Additionally, in his role as an NCMP, Mr Leong can be a credit to PSP “if he can avoid further political mishaps and help to put his party on strong footing” for the next GE, said IPS’ Dr Koh.

“If he cannot do so in the rest of this parliamentary term, then it would have been a wasted opportunity for the PSP,” she added.

Dr Koh also pointed out that many will remember the provocative questions Mr Leong has raised on various areas of public policy which have led to useful clarifications from the front bench in the House.

“Hopefully, this will outweigh the effect of his conduct in the House and on social media to suggest he adds value to governance in Singapore, and likewise (to) the PSP as a party.”

HAZEL POA TO TAKE OVER

PSP also announced on Friday that Ms Poa will take over as PSP's new secretary-general.

Ms Poa was previously secretary-general of the National Solidarity Party (NSP) in 2011, making her the first female secretary-general of a political party.

Although she stepped down from her role in September 2013 due to health reasons, she was later appointed as acting secretary-general in June 2015 following the resignation of Mr Tan Lam Siong as party chief.

However, in 2015, Ms Poa resigned from NSP as she "strongly disagreed" with the party's decision to reverse its decision to withdraw from MacPherson SMC in the 2015 General Election. She was later unveiled as a PSP candidate for the 2020 General Election and named vice-chairman of the party in April 2023.

On her leadership background, Solaris Strategies Singapore’s Dr Mustafa said Ms Poa has “grown in stature” to become more of a public figure due to her position as NCMP.

In her role as NCMP, she has been speaking up in parliament on issues that matter to Singaporeans, he added.

“Her leadership role will be crucial in taking PSP into the next lap of its political development (after Dr Tan Cheng Bock),” said Dr Mustafa, referring to the PSP chairman.

Assoc Prof Chong of NUS said that although Ms Poa tends to be "quieter", he does not see that hindering her from being an effective secretary-general.

“Whether someone is quiet or not has no bearing on the effectiveness of leadership. Successful people have different leadership styles,” he said.

Dr Koh said: “I think she will keep things on an even keel for the rest of the term, provide useful points to the important debates given her record and her background, and try her best to profile the young PSP positively for the upcoming GE.”

Noting that the party seems to be “taking a while to settle”, she added that Ms Poa has to provide a clear agenda, brand and depth to the bench if PSP wants to signal that it is “much bigger than two or three personalities.

Responding to queries from CNA, Ms Poa said: “I believe that people’s confidence in the party as well as party morale is more determined by what we do as a party collectively, rather than a single factor of who is (secretary-general).”

She added that Mr Leong will continue to play a “valuable role” in the party and in parliament.

“Being freed of party administrations will allow him to devote even more time to his parliamentary duties and continue to push for accountability, a role that he has done admirably.”

CNA has contacted 16 past and present PSP members for comments on the latest developments, with most remaining tight-lipped.

However one party member, who did not want to be named, told CNA that they had heard of a change coming, but that things within the party had been smooth to their knowledge.

“A sudden change of leadership is never good for any political party but Hazel is very experienced in politics having participated (in a) few GEs and she has Dr Tan's guidance," the member said.

“I do think Mun Wai has done very well as an NCMP over the years, although he had a rough start but every diamond must be polished.” 

Source: CNA/ng
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