'I tried to help him': What ex-driver knew and did about MP Leon Perera's alleged relationship with Nicole Seah

As Leon Perera's personal driver for 11 years, Tan (not his real name) drove the Member of Parliament (MP) and his family around for their various engagements.

But, speaking to AsiaOne on Tuesday (July 18) on the condition of anonymity, the 80-year-old claimed that there were several occasions when Perera had fellow Workers' Party (WP) member Nicole Seah for company in his car.

"They were talking very softly inside. From the rear mirror, I also saw them holding hands," said Tan, who worked for Perera from 2010 to 2021.

"I feel that he has let his family and the party down," he added.

On Monday (July 17), a 16-second clip showed Perera, 53 and Seah, 36, looking fondly at each other while holding hands at a restaurant.

The two senior WP members are married and they each have two children.

On the same day, WP said that they were aware of the video clip that suggested "inappropriate exchange between two senior party members".

"The party is currently looking into the matter and will comment when we have the facts," a WP spokesperson said, without naming Perera and Seah.

'I treated Perera like a son' 

While Tan is unsure when or where the video was taken, he claimed that WP knew about Perera and Seah's alleged relationship as early as three years ago.

Describing how he had treated the Aljunied MP "like a son", the elderly man told AsiaOne that he mentioned it to several WP MPs - including Sylvia Lim and Gerald Giam - before informing the party's chief Pritam Singh in 2020.

He told AsiaOne that he requested them not to reveal the information came from him.

But in 2021, Perera told his personal driver that his services were no longer required, in a termination letter seen by AsiaOne. 

While Perera's alleged public display of affection towards Seah in the recent video was met with a mix of shock and dismay on social media, Tan believes the alleged relationship began at least three years ago.

"There was once I was supposed to bring Leon home after a meeting at the WP HQ," Tan said of an incident that allegedly happened one night in 2020.

"But Nicole called him to come back and pick her up. And then [I had] to send them home separately," he added.

Seah lives in Tampines while Perera lives in West Coast, Tan said. 

Perera's alleged hotel meetings with Seah

There were also numerous instances where Perera instructed Tan to drop him off at hotels in the Orchard and Tanglin area, the former driver said.

On one occasion, Tan said that he went to pick Perera up from a Tanjong Pagar hotel, and that he saw Seah leaving through his side mirror.

Perera's alleged hotel visits caused friction between the two, Tan claimed.

"Once I picked Leon from the St Regis hotel," he said. "He didn't tell me that he's going inside, but told me that he would call me to pick him up at the Tanglin Mall pick-up point.

"But when I drove near to the hotel, he came out and told me very angrily, 'Why did you come here?'"

He also shared that he also witnessed them hugging each other and saying goodbye at Forum The Shopping Mall in Orchard Road in 2020.

No action taken despite his complaints

While Tan did not confront Perera about the alleged relationship out of fear of losing his job, he shared that he told the WP chief about it in 2020.

"I tried to help Leon by going to him (Pritam)," the man said. "But [Pritam] just said 'okay'.

"I was so angry. He's the WP leader but didn't take any action. He just kept quiet."

Again, he said that none of them took action regarding his complaints. 

The whistleblower later claimed that Perera handed him a termination letter in 2021 for "not knowing how to use a GPS".

"I know how to use a GPS. It's so easy," the infuriated Tan said. "[Perera] made an excuse to let me go."

In the termination letter dated March 2021 seen by AsiaOne, a clause "reminded" Tan to not make any comments or statements to the press, the general public and social media.

Tan also told AsiaOne that after his dismissal, he sent Perera various WhatsApp messages alluding to his affair.

However, Perera did not respond to the text messages, as seen by AsiaOne. 

Perera's ex-personal driver said he does not fear any legal action from WP or his former boss.

"What will they do? Sue me? I'm telling the truth," Tan said, adding that he only decided to spill the beans after several media outlets recently approached him.

AsiaOne has contacted WP, Perera and Seah for comment.

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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