Tan Chuan-Jin
陈川仁
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
In office
11 September 2017 – 17 July 2023
DeputyCharles Chong
Lim Biow Chuan
Christopher de Souza
Jessica Tan
Preceded byHalimah Yacob
Succeeded bySeah Kian Peng
Minister for Social and Family Development
In office
9 April 2015 – 10 September 2017
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byChan Chun Sing
Succeeded byDesmond Lee
Minister for Manpower
In office
1 May 2014 – 4 May 2015
Acting: 1 August 2012 – 30 April 2014
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
Succeeded byLim Swee Say
Senior Minister of State for National Development
In office
1 August 2012 – 31 August 2013
MinisterKhaw Boon Wan
Member of Parliament
for Marine Parade GRC
(Kembangan–Chai Chee)
In office
7 May 2011 – 17 July 2023
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority20,143 (15.52%)
Personal details
Born (1969-01-10) 10 January 1969
Singapore
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		People's Action Party
(2011–2023)
Children2
Alma materLondon School of Economics (BSc)
King's College London (MA)
National University of Singapore (MPA)
Military service
Branch/serviceSingapore Army
Years of service1987–2011
RankBrigadier-General
CommandsCommander, Army Training and Doctrine Command
Commander, 3rd Division
Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans)
Commander, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade
Army Attaché, Jakarta
Commanding Officer, 3rd Guards Battalion

Tan Chuan-Jin (Chinese: 陈川仁; pinyin: Chén Chuānrén; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Chhoan-jîn; born 10 January 1969) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Tan served as Speaker of the Parliament between 2017 and 2023, and 12 years as an MP for Marine Parade GRC from 2011 to 2023.

He also served as Minister for Manpower between 2014 and 2015, and Minister for Social and Family Development between 2015 and 2017.

Prior to his appointment to the Cabinet, he served as a Senior Minister of State and Acting Minister between 2012 and 2014. Tan also served as President of the Singapore National Olympic Council between 2014 and 2023.

Tan resigned as Speaker of the Parliament and as a Member of Parliament on 17 July 2023, after having been exposed to an extramarital affair with fellow MP, Cheng Li Hui.

Education

Tan attended Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles Junior College before graduating from the London School of Economics with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics under the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship.

He also completed a Master of Arts degree in defence studies at King's College London,[1] and a Master of Public Administration degree at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in 2008.

Career

Military career

Tan enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces in 1987 and was commissioned as an officer in the Singapore Army before attaining the rank Brigadier-General. During his time in the military, he held various command and staff positions, including Commanding Officer of the 3rd Guards Battalion, Army Attaché at the Singapore embassy in Jakarta, Commander of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans), Commander of the 3rd Division, and Commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command.[2][3] In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Tan was the commander of the Singapore Armed Forces Humanitarian Assistance Task Force deployed to Meulaboh. He received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) for services rendered in the Tsunami Relief Operation in 2005.[4][5] He was also the chairman of the executive committee of the Singapore National Day Parade in 2009.

On 25 March 2011, Tan retired from the Singapore Armed Forces to enter politics.

Political career

Tan was announced as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate joining the five-member PAP team contesting in Marine Parade GRC during the 2011 general election. After the PAP team won with 56.65% of the vote against the National Solidarity Party, Tan became a Member of Parliament representing the Kembangan–Chai Chee ward of Marine Parade GRC.[6]

On 1 August 2012, he was appointed Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of National Development and Acting Minister for Manpower.[6] During his tenure at the Ministry of National Development, Tan worked with heritage, nature, environmental and animal welfare groups on issues related to the Rail Corridor and Bukit Brown Cemetery. He also worked on issues which led to Sisters' Islands being designated as Singapore's first marine park, as well as amendments being made to the Animal and Birds Act.[7]

On 1 September 2013, Tan relinquished his appointment at the Ministry of National Development and became Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Manpower while continuing to serve as Acting Minister for Manpower. On 1 May 2014, he was promoted to full Minister.[8] On 9 April 2015, Tan relinquished his portfolio as Minister for Manpower and became Minister for Social and Family Development as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.[9]

In January 2014, Tan began serving as the president of the Singapore National Olympic Council.[10] He resigned in 2023.[11]

During the 2015 general election, Tan joined a five-member PAP team contesting in Marine Parade GRC again and they won with 64.07% of the vote against the Workers' Party. After the election, Tan continued serving as Minister for Social and Family Development.

Speaker of Parliament (2017–2023)

On 11 September 2017, he resigned his Cabinet portfolio and became the 10th Speaker of Parliament after the post was vacated by Halimah Yacob when she resigned to contest in the 2017 Singaporean presidential election.[12][13]

Tan retained his parliamentary seat in Kembangan–Chai Chee after his five-member PAP team contesting in Marine Parade GRC during the 2020 general election won again with 57.74% of the vote against the Workers' Party (WP). After the election, he continued serving as Speaker of Parliament.

On 11 July 2023, Tan made a public apology to WP MP Jamus Lim after a clip of him using unparliamentary language during a 17 April parliamentary sitting was shared on Reddit. As Speaker of Parliament, Tan was heard saying "fucking populist" under his breath at the end of a 20-minute speech by Lim urging the PAP government to further help lower-income groups and to establish an official poverty line, when the microphone picked up Tan's comment. Lim accepted his apology.[14][15]

Resignation

On 17 July 2023, both Tan and Cheng Li Hui simultaneously resigned from Parliament and as members of the PAP due to "propriety and personal conduct".[16] Prime Minister and PAP's Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong confirmed that Tan, who is married, and Cheng were having an extramarital affair, since at least 2020.[17] Though Lee found out that the extramarital affair continued through to February 2023, and Tan had offered his resignation then, Lee asked for Tan to first sort out the succession arrangements in his ward.[18][19]

In a statement, Lee responded to their resignation letters that their resignations were "necessary" for "maintain[ing] the high standards of propriety and personal conduct which the PAP has upheld all these years."[20][21] Their respective parliamentary seats at Marine Parade GRC and Tampines GRC were subsequently left vacant, and the workload for Tan's Kembangan–Chai Chee division of Marine Parade GRC and Cheng's Tampines East division of Tampines GRC were distributed among the other MPs in their respective GRCs. Tan also resigned his position as Speaker of the Parliament.[16]

Personal life

Tan is married with two children. He is a practising Christian.[22][23]

On 17 July 2023, it was revealed that Tan had an extramarital affair with fellow parliamentarian Cheng Li Hui since at least November 2020.[24][25]

References

  1. ↑ "Mr TAN Chuan-Jin". Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "Reaching Out Operation Flying Eagle" (PDF). Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  3. ↑ "cyberpioneer - News - 3 Div gets new commander (21 Jan 08)". Mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "News - Update on SAF Relief Operations (08 Jan 05)". MINDEF. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Parting Shot: Reflections from BG Tan Chuan-Jin". Mindef.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 "MP | Parliament Of Singapore". www.parliament.gov.sg.
  7. ↑ "Tan Chuan-Jin still doesn't know why he was appointed Speaker of Parliament". Mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tan and Wong promoted to full Minister". Channel NewsAsia. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Cabinet reshuffle: Tan Chuan-Jin to helm MSF; Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister". Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "SNOC New Executive Committee Elected". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Tan Chuan-Jin resigns as president of Singapore National Olympic Council after affair". CNA. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Chuan, Toh Yong (5 September 2017). "Tan Chuan-Jin to become new Speaker of Parliament, Desmond Lee to helm Ministry of Social and Family Development". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  13. ↑ "Tan Chuan-Jin becomes Singapore's 10th Speaker of Parliament". Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  14. ↑ "Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin apologises for using 'unparliamentary language'". CNA. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  15. ↑ Lee, Amanda (11 July 2023). "Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin apologises to Jamus Lim for 'unparliamentary language' caught on hot mic". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, MP Cheng Li Hui resign over 'propriety and personal conduct'". CNA. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  17. ↑ Goh, Yan Han (17 July 2023). "Inappropriate relationship between Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui continued despite counselling: PM Lee". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Lee, Hsien Loong (19 July 2023). "PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Q&A Segment at the Press Conference on the Resignations of Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  19. ↑ Martens, Hannah (17 July 2023). "Tan Chuan-Jin & Cheng Li Hui told to end 'inappropriate relationship' in Feb. 2023 but didn't". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  20. ↑ "PMO | Statement by PM Lee Hsien Loong on Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin's resignation". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "PMO | Statement by PM Lee Hsien Loong on MP Cheng Li Hui's resignation". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  22. ↑ Ong, Gabriel (26 June 2020). "Can a politician be religious? Tan Chuan-Jin on living out his faith in the public eye". Thirst. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  23. ↑ Tan, Huey Ying (29 June 2020). ""Stay anchored on your purpose": Mr Tan Chuan-Jin shares how faith and politics converge in public and private". Salt&Light. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  24. ↑ Min, Ang Hwee. "Tan Chuan-Jin, Cheng Li Hui continued 'inappropriate relationship' even after being told to stop: PM Lee". CNA. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  25. ↑ Goh, Yan Han (2 August 2023). "'I should have forced the issue sooner': PM Lee explains approach to Tan Chuan-Jin, Cheng Li Hui affair". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
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