Singapore’s third Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s tenure has left its mark on the political and societal landscape of Singapore, with a pivot towards a softer, more collaborative approach to governance, analysts say.
And in good order he has: By many matrices, the country’s third Prime Minister is indeed leaving the state of the country better than before he took office back on Aug 12, 2004 – one that is more prosperous, developed and equal.
The Gini coefficient shows the gap between the richest and poorest in a country’s income or wealth distribution, with 0 being perfect equality and 1 being perfect inequality. The government under Mr Lee has invested more in education, with its annual recurrent expenditure on education climbing from S$5 billion in 2004 to S$12.9 billion in 2022.Dr S Vasoo, Second Advisor to Ang Mo Kio GRC Grassroots Organisations, said Mr Lee has sought toby shining a spotlight on the ITE College Central campus located in Ang Mo Kio.
“Also extremely important are all the moves the government has made to ensure we have an inclusive society – to take care of the poor, the disabled, and the marginalised. This is epitomised by the Enabling Plans and their implementation; the 2022-2023 decisions to allow for the wearing of the tudung in healthcare institutions and the repeal of 377A,” she said.
In Mr Lee’s time in office, the population of Singapore has grown from 4.2 million to 5.9 million, with the total fertility rate going in the other direction, falling from 1.26 to aThe population is fast ageing, with the percentage of citizens aged 65 and over currently 19 per cent, up from 8 per cent in 2004. This number is expected to hit 25 per cent by 2030.
She cited the creation of “Alliances for Action” – where people from the public and private sectors identify issues to improve conditions in their industry – and for businesses, the industrial transformation maps for 23 sectors. Assoc Prof Bilveer Singh, deputy head of the Department of Political Sciences at National University of Singapore, thinks Mr Lee has made the government more accountable to the electorate by overseeing the rise of a more robust political opposition, including naming a Leader of the Opposition, engaging the public on critical issues and tolerating responsible anti-establishment perspectives.
Apart from financial aspects such as repayment and costs, Mr Lee was also conscious of the social impact, including disruption to residents’ social life and support networks, said Dr Vasoo.Singapore’s maritime activity also boomed, with annual port container throughput growing from 21.3 million to 39 million twenty-foot equivalent units .
He often seeks his grassroots leaders’ advice on constituency matters, trusting and relying fully on their input to make certain decisions, Teck Ghee Citizens’ Consultative Committee chairman Gerald Singham told CNA. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong giving hongbao to a resident at Teck Ghee Community Club on Jan 14, 2023.
“He gave us a free hand to do our work in our own constituencies. As and when we needed guidance, he was always there,” said Dr Lee, who later moved to Nee Soon GRC where she served until 2020. He was uncertain when Mr Lee first asked him to lead as he felt he was still quite young – under the age of 40 – back then, and that there were more senior volunteers who were more capable of holding the role. However, Mr Lee’s belief in him gave him the confidence to step up eventually, in October 2020.Mr Singham noted that Mr Lee’s position, as the leader of the country’s government and an MP, gives him an insight into how good or bad national policies are.
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