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July 17 (UPI) -- The speaker of Singapore's Parliament, Tan Chuan-Jin, and Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui resigned Monday and left the ruling People's Action Party over their involvement in an "inappropriate relationship," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. "High standards of propriety and personal conduct, together with staying clean and incorrupt, are the fundamental reasons Singaporeans trust and respect the PAP," Lee said during a news conference Monday.
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"Without party discipline, without integrity, we are nothing. So, this is an absolute requirement."
Deputy Speaker Jessica Tan will serve as acting speaker until Lee nominates a new speaker Aug. 1, Yahoo! News reported.
Tan Chuan-Jin, who is married with children, previously sparked controversy for inappropriate language that was picked up on a hot mic during a debate.
"For me personally, this recent episode has added to the hurt I have caused my family," Tan Chuan-Jin said in a letter to Lee. "There are areas where I have fallen short. I need to take responsibility for them and help my family."
Tan Chuan-Jin's MP responsibilities will be handled by Edwin Tong, while Masagos Zulkifli will handle those of Cheng. The next general election is due by 2025. Lee said he doesn't plan to call an immediate election.
Monday's announcement is the latest controversy facing Singapore leaders. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau is investigating Transport Minister S. Iswaran and businessman Ong Beng Seng in a high-profile graft probe.
"Sometimes things go wrong, and they will have to be put right," Lee said. "We have to make sure we deal with them, and to deal with them rigorously as well as transparently, and everybody can see that we are doing that."
