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

Published Sep 18, 2026, 11:37 AM

Updated Sep 18, 2026, 11:37 AM

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 new laws governing the Health Sciences Authority in Parliament on Sept 9, after Hougang MP Dennis Tan’s speech.

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 1030am.

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.

发布于 2026 年 9 月 18 日上午 11:37

更新于2026年9月18日上午11:37

新加坡——国会议长佘建平就9月9日在国会主持会议期间打瞌睡一事道歉。

Seah 于 9 月 18 日在 Facebook 上发帖称，他当天感觉身体不适并服用了药物，但他补充说，这并不能成为他所作所为的借口。

“这本不应该发生，我愿承担全部责任，”他说。

9月9日，在国会就卫生科学局新法律进行辩论时，后港议员陈志远发表讲话后，有人看到谢丽尔打瞌睡。

Seah 在 Facebook 帖子中补充说，他本应该早些呼吁休会而不是继续进行，他通常会在议会会议进行四到六个小时后这样做。

当天上午 10:30 开始的庭审，进行到 4 个小时后，他就睡着了。

Seah补充说，在过去三年担任议长期间，他一直努力尽职尽责地履行职责，并维护该职位应有的标准。

他说：“这起事件没有达到这些标准。”

他为自己的疏忽道歉，并表示会从中吸取教训，采取措施确保此类事件不再发生。

他说：“我将继续竭尽全力为国会和新加坡人民服务。”