Speaker Seah Kian Peng apologises for nodding off while chairing parliamentary proceedings

SINGAPORE – Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng has apologised for nodding off while chairing proceedings in the House on Sept 9.

In a Facebook post on Sept 18, Seah said he had been feeling unwell that day and taken medication, but added that that does not excuse what happened.

“This should not have happened, and I take full responsibility,” he said.

Seah was seen nodding off during a debate on a Bill to consolidate health regulatory functions under the Health Sciences Authority.

After Hougang MP Dennis Tan finished his speech, the Speaker was supposed to call on the next MP to speak.

There was a pause of about 20 seconds that was caught on the live feed, and Seah did so after he was roused by a parliamentary staff member.

In his Facebook post, Seah added that he should have called for a break earlier rather than continuing, and that he normally does so after four to six hours of parliamentary proceedings.

He had fallen asleep after the four hour mark on that day’s sitting, which began at 10.30am.

Seah added that over the past three years as Speaker, he has sought to discharge his duties conscientiously and to uphold the standards expected of the office.

“This incident fell short of those standards,” he said.

He apologised for the lapse and said he will learn from it and take steps to ensure it does not happen again.

“I remain fully committed to serving Parliament and Singaporeans to the best of my ability,” he said.

Wei Kai is a correspondent at The Straits Times, where he covers politics. He also writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy.