Leong Mun Wai steps down as PSP Secretary-General over POFMA directive received
Leong Mun Wai resigns as PSP Secretary-General, taking responsibility for a POFMA correction directive. His move reflects accountability, with Hazel Poa stepping up as his successor.
Progress Singapore Party (PSP)'s Leong Mun Wai resigned from his position as the secretary-general on 20 February to take responsibility for a correction direction he received under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) on 15 February.
Despite stepping down, the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) will continue to serve on the party’s central executive committee (CEC), marking a pivotal moment of accountability within the political organization.
Mr Leong's resignation paves the way for fellow NCMP Hazel Poa, who was elected and immediately assumed the secretary-general role on the same day. This leadership transition comes in the wake of Leong taking
The PSP, in a statement released on 23 February, expressed pride in Leong’s demonstration of accountability, emphasizing that his actions reflect the values the party stands by.
Mr Leong had been ordered by the Pofma office to correct a social media post made on 12 February, which Mr Masagos Zulkifli, the Minister of Social and Family Development, said it had inaccurately represented the financial aid given to a couple in West Coast.
Following the reception of the directive, Mr Leong removed the offending Facebook post and made a new post, stating that he had been “drawn in” by the couple who had fallen on hard times.
Mr Leong, 65, joined the PSP in 2019 and initially served as the assistant secretary-general until July 2020. He then focused on his role as an NCMP, contributing significantly to the party’s efforts and governance.
Ms Hazel Poa, the newly appointed secretary-general, is no stranger to PSP’s leadership dynamics, having previously served as the party’s vice-chairman.
Her election marks her as the fourth secretary-general since the PSP’s founding in 2019 by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, a notable figure in Singaporean politics for being a former member of parliament with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and a candidate who nearly won in the Presidential Election 2011 and blocked from contesting again in 2017 due to changes in the criteria for candidates.
