Singapore, known for its political stability, has been rocked by a string of rare political scandals.
Last week, a senior minister was arrested in a corruption probe, the first in four decades to be implicated in such an investigation.
And on Monday, two lawmakers – one of them once tipped as a potential prime minister – resigned after it was revealed they were in an extramarital affair.
It has shocked residents of the city-state, which prides itself on its reputation for clean governance and has the highest paid leaders in the world.
Analysts say the unfolding scandals could dent support for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 and holds a large majority in parliament.
They also say it casts doubt over when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong can hand over the reins of leadership.
On Monday, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-jin, 54, and fellow lawmaker Cheng Li Hui, 47, resigned from the party and the legislature over their “inappropriate relationship”. Mr Tan is married, while Ms Cheng is single.
More questions on transparency arose last week, when Singapore’s anti-corruption watchdog arrested Transport Minister S Iswaran and billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng. The two men played key roles in bringing the Grand Prix to Singapore in 2008.
Singaporeans were told last Wednesday that Mr Iswaran had been asked to take leave from his ministerial duties amid a probe.
Deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong has told local media the corruption probe would be “full, thorough and independent”, and that nothing will be swept under the carpet.
But authorities only announced the arrests three days after they actually took place. Both men have not been charged and are currently out on bail.
The arrests came on the heels of allegations that two other senior ministers had rented colonial-era bungalows in a high-end neighbourhood at below-market rates.
While an anti-graft review cleared the two men, K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan, of wrongdoing, the matter sparked a heated debate on inequality in Singapore and political optics.
