Singapore is a very politically active nation. When it leaked how Speaker of their Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng, was caught sleeping while chairing a proceeding last week, hundreds of Singaporeans had come down heavily on him.
Only a week after, Mr Peng has bowed to pressure and publicly apologised.
The drama started when video clips of the clerk trying to wake the Speaker during a proceeding on September 9 was circulated. The videos gained traction quickly, leading to backlashes from all corners, with many questioning the seriousness of their leader.
In a Facebook post, Mr Peng said he wasn’t well on that day but added that his illness wasn’t supposed to be an excuse.
“I should have called for a break earlier rather than continuing with proceedings. I normally do so after four to six hours,” he said, added that he had learnt from the mistake. “I apologise for the lapse. I will learn from it and take steps to ensure it does not happen again.
“I remain fully committed to serving parliament and Singaporeans to the best of my ability,” Seah Kian Peng said in the post.
It made the matter worst that it was some serious legislative business the lawmakers were discussing – Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill.
The video footage showed the Speaker continuing his sleep, only waking up about 20 seconds later after another parliamentary staff member approached him.
When Peng became Speaker in August 2023 he famously said that he goal was discharge his office “conscientiously and to uphold the standards expected of the office” throughout his stay.