It’s not uncommon to see Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai’s name on the news for all sorts of matters. Although, more often than not, it’s because he got himself into trouble in Parliament again.
But this time, he’s on the news for a different reason.
Leong is stepping down from his position as the secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) after getting in trouble with POFMA.
Here’s everything you need to know.
PSP Chief Leong Mun Wai Steps Down to “Take Responsibility” for Recent POFMA Correction Direction
On Tuesday (20 February), Leong Mun Wai stepped down as the secretary-general of PSP.
Yes, you read that right. Leong, who stepped up to the secretary-general role in April 2023, has stepped down less than a year after being voted into the position.
The reason for stepping down?
He wanted to take responsibility for a POFMA correction direction he received recently.
For all the suakus out there who didn’t know that Leong was issued a POFMA correction direction, let’s get you up to speed.
Last Thursday (15 February), Leong was what we colloquially call “kena POFMA-ed” for a post he made earlier on 12 February.
The social media post was about the lack of financial aid given to a couple living in West Coast.
Say how many times already — the west side is not the best side (we’re kidding).
Thanks to the POFMA correction direction, Leong took down the post from his social media platforms — specifically, his Instagram and Facebook pages. Leong also made a new social media post on 15 February linking to the corrections.
In the post, Leong added: “Accountability is important, and I hold myself accountable for the posts. I have since taken them down.”
At least he’s taking accountability and not merely “tai chi” -ing the bad publicity away.
What happens to the party now that Leong has stepped down as PSP Chief?
For the diehard fans of Dr Tan Cheng Bock, the founder of PSP, fret not — PSP’s legacy doesn’t end here.
NCMP Hazel Poa will be replacing Leong as PSP’s secretary-general. Poa, who was the party’s vice-chairman, was elected and stepped up to the role of secretary-general on the same day as Leong’s step down.
As for Leong, while he’s no longer standing at the forefront of PSP, he remains a member of PSP’s central executive committee (CEC).
PSP said: “PSP’s CEC accepted Mr Leong’s decision and is proud that he has demonstrated accountability through his actions, not just words.”
Leong joined PSP in 2019 and served as assistant secretary-general until July 2020. He stepped down for some time to focus on his NCMP duties before stepping up to the role of secretary-general in April 2023.