A look back at Mr Lee Hsien Loong's life and political career as he prepares to hand over the reins to Singapore's next Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
A look back at Mr Lee Hsien Loong 's life and political career as he prepares to hand over the reins to Singapore's next Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
After a year of deliberation, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong was named the successor and, shortly after, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. The 51-year-old will be appointed Prime Minister when Mr Lee steps down. As Prime Minister and the Finance Minister from 2001 to 2007, Mr Lee succeeded in making Singapore’s economy even more sophisticated than it was, and turning the city into a more global city, as a political scientist put it in 2014, 10 years into Mr Lee’s premiership.
Speaking about the next phase of Singapore’s development in that interview eight years ago, he said: “I think that for the next phase, the narrative cannot be a single word, nation-building. It has to be that we live in Singapore, we have a home, this is a place which is quite special.” Through it all, Mr Lee addressed the nation numerous times, communicating clearly the highly fluid situation and COVID-19 restrictions, rallying citizens in one of the most severe crises in modern times.
In another interview in 2007, Prof Bollobás emphasised that Mr Lee was “truly outstanding”: “Loong was not only hardworking, conscientious and professional, but he was also very inventive. All the signs indicated that he would have been a world-class research mathematician.” One highlight of his army career was the 1983 rescue of 13 cable car passengers, after the cableway to Sentosa island snapped. Mr Lee, then a colonel, had directed the rescue operations.
Shortly after becoming an MP, Mr Lee was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Industry and for Defence. He was also Second Minister for Defence and Minister for Trade and Industry in the 80s and early 90s. The wheels were put into motion in May 2004. A group of ministers met and unanimously nominated Mr Lee to be their next leader, while a caucus of PAP MPs on May 28 supported him as their leader to succeed Mr Goh, said a statement from the People’s Action Party . After these two meetings, the PAP central executive committee met and endorsed him as Prime Minister.
After entering politics, Mr Lee was the Member of Parliament for Teck Ghee, which later joined with other wards to become Ang Mo Kio GRC, from 1984 to 2024Mr Lee has fought and won four General Elections as Prime Minister, in May 2006 ; May 2011 ; September 2015 and July 2020 .At the 2003 National Day Rally, the last delivered by Mr Goh, the then-Prime Minister felt the need to reassure Singaporeans about his successor’s leadership style.
He had married in 1978 Dr Wong Ming Yang, who died in 1982 at age 31, leaving behind two young children, a daughter and a son. He later married Ho Ching in 1985, and they have two sons. But social media was also the medium through which the fissures in the Lee family were laid bare for all the world to see.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Late Chief Justice Yong Pung How's Biography Presented to PM Lee Hsien LoongAssociate Professor Dorcas Quek Anderson shares how former chief justice Yong Pung How played a supportive role in her academic career, inspiring her passion for research and writing in law.
Read more »
President Tharman, PM Lee congratulate Prabowo on Indonesia election victorySINGAPORE: Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Mr Prabowo Subianto to congratulate him on his victory in last month's Indonesian presidential elec
Read more »
Singapore Prime Minister Congratulates Dr Mohammad Mustafa on New RoleSingapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has congratulated Dr Mohammad Mustafa on his appointment as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Palestinian Authority. PM Lee expressed support for a humanitarian ceasefire and highlighted Singapore's assistance to the PA.
Read more »
Laotian Civil Servant Visits Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew Exchange FellowshipMr Thongsavanh Phomvihane, the head of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s External Relations Committee, is in Singapore for a four-day visit under the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship. His visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Laos in 2024.
Read more »
Swee Lee Opens New Community-Centred Music Store in SingaporeSwee Lee, a Singapore-based music retailer, has opened its newest and largest store in Singapore, which not only serves as a retail space but also as a community hub for music enthusiasts. The store features various experiential spaces, including a bar and cafe, vinyl listening stations, and a performance venue. The company aims to connect music creators and consumers through this community-centred approach.
Read more »
What we know about Singapore's fourth Prime Minister Lawrence WongDeputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the son of a sales manager father and school teacher mother, will take over the leadership reins from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 15.
Read more »