“Ex-Driver Accuses WP MPs of Affair Scandal Involving Pritam Singh”

SINGAPORE: An individual claiming to be the former driver of Workers’ Party (WP) MP Leon Perera has alleged that party leaders were aware of an inappropriate relationship between Perera and fellow senior party member Nicole Seah. He asserts that he was dismissed after bringing this issue to the attention of party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh.

The allegations were made public in a video published by AsiaOne, a publication under Singapore Press Holdings. This comes just a day after the WP confirmed its investigation into a video circulating online that showed Perera caressing Seah’s hand during a dinner.

Both Perera and Seah are married and have two children each. Despite requests for comment from The Independent Singapore, neither WP member has responded.

The anonymous former driver claims to have worked for Perera for over a decade. He alleges that Perera and Seah met frequently—almost daily—and would go out together to hotels and restaurants.

According to AsiaOne, the driver was encouraged by other WP MPs to inform Singh about the alleged affair. He stated that when he brought the issue to Singh, the secretary-general simply replied, “Okay.” However, three or four months later, he was reportedly terminated from his position.

Claiming that his intentions were to help Perera, the former driver recounted telling the MP to “take care of your family” before leaving. He noted that Perera reacted angrily and seemed confrontational.

The WP has yet to provide an update on the outcome of its investigation into these allegations. While some have taken the claims at face value, others question their authenticity, suggesting they may be a distraction from the recent resignations of ruling party politicians Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui.

Both PAP MPs resigned abruptly from their positions due to an alleged affair. Tan, who served as Speaker of Parliament and was once a frontrunner for succession to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has since deactivated his social media accounts and informed PM Lee that he needs time to heal his family. He also apologized for a previous incident in Parliament involving inappropriate language directed at WP MP Jamus Lim.

PM Lee has indicated that he was aware of Tan’s affair for some time and had asked him to end it in February, which he failed to do. The recent events have left five parliamentary seats vacant.

In a similar vein, former WP MP Raeesah Khan resigned in 2021 after admitting to lying in Parliament. The ruling party has set a precedent of not calling for by-elections when a sitting MP in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) vacates their seat. The WP appears to have followed suit, opting not to request a by-election in Sengkang GRC after Khan’s resignation, despite her status as the minority candidate for the ward.