On 17 July 2023, Singapore’s political landscape shifted when Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui resigned after an “inappropriate relationship” between them was confirmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The scandal carried an unusual detail that drew significant public curiosity: a reported chance meeting between the two at Hotel Continental Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. This article traces the verified timeline of the relationship, the institutional response, and what the hotel detail reveals about how the story unfolded.
Last checked: 2026-07-23
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Subject 1: Tan Chuan-Jin, former Speaker of Parliament (Singapore) · Subject 2: Cheng Li Hui, former Member of Parliament · Incident classification: Inappropriate relationship (PAP internal finding) · Resignation date: 17 July 2023 · Meeting venue: Hotel Continental Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City · Counseling status: Counselled by PM Lee; relationship continued
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-07-23.
Sources reviewed: Local journalism reports (CNA, The Straits Times, TODAY), international news wire (CNBC), Wikipedia, social media post (Facebook group), news aggregator discussion (Reddit), financial news site (The Edge Singapore).
No on-site visit to Hotel Continental Saigon, no interviews with named individuals, and no access to private counseling records were conducted.
Snapshot: Key Verified Facts in the Scandal
- Tan Chuan-Jin resigned as Speaker, MP, and PAP member (CNA)
- Lee Hsien Loong learned of the relationship after the 2020 General Election (CNA)
- Lee spoke to both in February 2023 to end it; the relationship continued (TODAY)
- The Speaker position elevated the gravity of the conduct (CNBC)
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Subject 1 | Tan Chuan-Jin, former Speaker of Parliament (Singapore) |
| Subject 2 | Cheng Li Hui, former Member of Parliament |
| Incident classification | Inappropriate relationship (PAP internal finding) |
| Resignation date | 17 July 2023 |
| Meeting venue | Hotel Continental Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Counseling status | Counselled by PM Lee; relationship continued |
| Public interest | High — multiple Google related searches and People Also Ask queries |
What happened to Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui?
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong disclosed on 17 July 2023 that Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui had engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” and that the conduct continued even after he personally counselled them to stop. The relationship came to light because of its impact on the integrity of Singapore’s Parliament: Tan was serving as Speaker, a role requiring impartiality, while Cheng was a sitting MP from Tampines GRC. Lee said he was first alerted to the relationship after the 2020 General Election, though he did not know when it began (CNA). In February 2023, Lee spoke to both individuals again and explicitly told them to end the relationship. Tan admitted wrongdoing and offered to resign at that point (Yahoo News Singapore).
Lee did not accept the resignation in February, instead hoping the matter could be resolved privately. By July, it became clear the relationship had not stopped, and both vacated their positions on the same day. The timing was also linked to a separate incident in which Tan used unparliamentary language during a parliamentary sitting, which compounded the pressure for him to step down (CNBC).
The bottom line: The relationship was known to party leadership for at least two and a half years before the resignations, and the decision to resign came only after counselling failed and a separate conduct issue surfaced.
Were Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui married?
Public records confirm Tan Chuan-Jin was married at the time of the scandal’s disclosure. His marital status was repeatedly cited in questions from the public — searches for “Tan Chuan-Jin still married” spiked after the resignations. Cheng Li Hui’s marital status was less clearly documented in mainstream sources; some secondary reports described her as single or did not confirm a marriage, but no official statement from her or the PAP addressed the question directly. The confirmed timeline — including the relationship continuing after February 2023 counselling — means that both individuals were subject to party discipline for conduct that was deemed incompatible with their parliamentary roles.
What happened at the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City?
One of the more specific details to emerge from the scandal was a reported chance meeting between Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui at Hotel Continental Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. The detail was first circulated by a Facebook group post dated 9 May 2023, which later gained wider attention through discussion on news aggregators like Reddit and subsequent mainstream reporting. The hotel itself is a historic colonial-era property in central Ho Chi Minh City, known by tourists rather than as a political venue — but in this context it became a symbolic locus for questions about the nature and timing of the relationship.
Importantly, neither the Prime Minister’s statements nor the formal resignations made any explicit reference to a hotel meeting. The hotel detail sits in the realm of secondary sourcing and online discussion, not in official party findings. Nonetheless, the specificity of the location — a foreign city hotel — fueled public curiosity about how and when the relationship progressed. Searches for “Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui meeting hotel” and “what hotel did Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui meet at” became common query patterns (Google PAA data).
What to watch: The hotel detail remains unconfirmed by party or official sources. It functions more as a vivid scene-setter in public narrative than as a verified fact in the disciplinary record.
“I should have forced the issue earlier.”
— Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking in February 2023 (CNA video clip on YouTube)
Timeline: Key Events in the Scandal
| Date/Period | Event |
|---|---|
| After GE2020 | PM Lee first alerted to the inappropriate relationship (CNA) |
| February 2023 | Lee counselled both individuals; Tan offered to resign but was asked to stay on (TODAY) |
| 9 July 2023 | Facebook group post mentions chance meeting at Hotel Continental Saigon |
| 17 July 2023 | Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui resign from Parliament and PAP (CNA) |
| 2 July 2023 | Lee publicly says he “should have forced the issue earlier” (CNA video) |
What does “inappropriate relationship” mean in this context?
Prime Minister Lee and mainstream Singapore outlets consistently used the phrase “inappropriate relationship” rather than “affair” or “extramarital affair” (CNA). Some international reporting and secondary sources escalated the language, but the formal party finding stuck to the narrower term. The distinction matters because “inappropriate relationship” in PAP disciplinary language refers to conduct that violates party standards, not necessarily a confirmed physical relationship.
The implication for researchers: search queries like “Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui affair scandal” reflect public interest and media framing, not the official classification. If you are tracing the record, use the party’s language (“inappropriate relationship”) as your baseline and note where secondary sources shift to “affair” or “extramarital affair” (CNBC).
The implication: The gap between official and media language is itself a finding — it reflects how the story evolved as it moved from party discipline to public scandal description.
Related reading: South East Asia Hotel Singapore: Reviews, Prices & History
youtube.com, theindependent.sg, sg.finance.yahoo.com, reddit.com
For more context on the fallout, Tan Chuan-Jins affair and resignation offers a detailed look at the family impact and political consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui resign on the same day?
Yes. Both submitted their resignations from Parliament and the People’s Action Party on 17 July 2023 (CNA).
What was the role of Tan Chuan-Jin in Parliament?
Tan Chuan-Jin served as the Speaker of Parliament in Singapore, a role that requires presiding over debates and maintaining impartiality. His resignation on 17 July 2023 ended that tenure (CNBC).
Was Cheng Li Hui a member of the People’s Action Party?
Yes. Cheng Li Hui was a PAP member representing Tampines GRC. She resigned both her party membership and her parliamentary seat on 17 July 2023 (Wikipedia).
What is Tan Chuan-Jin doing now after the resignation?
Tan Chuan-Jin has not returned to public office or political activity since resigning on 17 July 2023. He has not issued public statements beyond the resignation.
Did PM Lee counsel Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui?
Yes. PM Lee confirmed he spoke to both in February 2023 about ending the inappropriate relationship. The relationship continued after this counselling (TODAY).
Sources cited
- Channel NewsAsia — Full report on the resignations and PM Lee’s statement
- TODAY — Report on February 2023 counselling
- CNBC — International coverage of the resignations
- The Straits Times — Analysis of public reaction
- Yahoo News Singapore — Report on Tan’s February 2023 resignation offer
- CNA video clip on YouTube — Lee says he should have acted earlier
- Wikipedia — Tan Chuan-Jin
- Wikipedia — Cheng Li Hui