19-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) In a surprising turn of events, Workers’ Party (WP) senior members, Leon Perera and Nicole Seah, have tendered their resignations from the opposition party after acknowledging an extramarital affair between them. The announcement was made by WP Secretary-General, Pritam Singh, during a press conference held on Wednesday (Jul 19).
Furthermore, Mr. Perera has informed the acting Speaker of Parliament that he will be stepping down from his MP’s seat as well.
Addressing the media, Mr. Singh revealed that both individuals confessed to their affair, which reportedly began after the General Election of 2020 but had ended some time ago. He also stated that when the allegations initially surfaced in 2021, they had denied any truth to them when questioned by the party.
Mr. Singh expressed his disappointment, citing that Leon Perera’s conduct and lack of honesty when confronted with the allegations fell short of the expected standards for Workers’ Party MPs, deeming it “unacceptable.”
The controversy unfolded just two days after a video clip surfaced on Facebook, seemingly showing the duo engaged in what appeared to be an intimate exchange. In response, the party launched an inquiry into the “inappropriate exchange between two senior Party members,” emphasizing their expectation for all members to take full responsibility for their actions.
The 15-second silent clip depicted Mr. Perera, who represented Aljunied as a Member of Parliament, dining with Ms. Seah, a candidate in the 2020 General Election, while holding and stroking her hands. However, the exact time and location of the video remain unknown, and it has since been removed from Facebook along with the associated account, posted by user “Victoria Wang.”
Both Leon Perera and Nicole Seah are married, with Mr. Perera, aged 53, being a father of two, and Ms. Seah, aged 36, having welcomed her second child in April of the previous year.
Before their resignations, both figures played significant roles within the WP; Mr. Perera led the media team, and Ms. Seah served as the youth wing president. Mr. Perera’s foray into Singapore’s political arena began during the 2015 general election when he contested as a candidate for East Coast. Over time, he became a Non-Constituency MP before joining the winning slate for the WP’s stronghold in Aljunied during the 2020 polls. His professional background includes being a civil servant and co-founder and CEO of a business research and consulting agency.
Nicole Seah, on the other hand, joined the WP in 2015 and contested in East Coast GRC during the 2020 elections, following her involvement with the Reform Party and National Solidarity Party. She gained online fame as the youngest female candidate during the 2011 General Election at the age of 24. In 2020, she was reportedly working at a multinational marketing firm.
This incident also brings to mind a similar event in 2012 when the WP expelled then-Hougang MP, Yaw Shin Leong, following rumors of an extramarital affair. More recently, on Monday, former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin resigned from parliament and the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) after admitting to having an affair with fellow PAP MP Cheng Li Hui, who also resigned from the party.
