SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said on multiple occasions that he wants to hand Singapore over to his successor “in good order”.
New: You can now listen to articles.By many matrices, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is leaving the state of the country better than before he took office back on Aug 12, 2004, analysts and observers say
Beyond his role at the national level, Mr Lee is a compassionate leader who is always in touch with the ground despite holding high office, long-time grassroots volunteers and former Members of Parliament say Over the last 20 years, Singapore’s gross domestic product has more than doubled, from S$228 billion to S$532 billion .Under Mr Lee’s watch, Singapore saw lower inequality, with the Gini coefficient after government transfers and taxes dropping from 0.42 to 0.37.
Educational reforms have softened the stark streaming that was a major feature of Singapore’s high-stakes, academically focused school system, and given Singapore students more diverse pathways to success. “Getting the students involved and getting others to see how they can participate, does in a way inject a feeling of achievement and a feeling of improvement.”
Singapore has traditionally emphasised self-reliance and targeted assistance even amid crises, for instance, during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, noted Ms Ngiow. Back then, the Government of then-PM Goh Chok Tong had favoured tax rebates over cash handouts to help citizens and businesses cope. Under him, the reserved election system for the presidency was introduced to guarantee minority representation, and the number of Non-Constituency MPs increased, and provided with the same voting rights as elected MPs, said Dr Koh.
“This is very involved governance processes and have been found to be effective in delivering practical solutions with joint commitment of the relevant parties to ensure effective outcomes,” she said. “If asked what could well be his most lasting legacy, it would likely be a combination of his ensuring national political and economic growth continued throughout the Covid pandemic, and his meticulous preparation for the smooth handover of the reins of government administration to the 4G PAP leaders,” said Assoc Prof Singh.Mr Lee also oversaw an infrastructure boom during his time as Prime Minister of Singapore.
Ms Ngiow noted that Singapore’s position as a global hub for business, tourism and commerce has been boosted through multiple strategic infrastructure projects within Mr Lee’s tenure. 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.
Mr Ang added that Mr Lee has a sharp eye for details. For instance, he was always concerned whether the town council had set aside enough reserve funds to replace old lifts when needed, and whether older and non-English-speaking residents received adequate attention about developments within the constituency.
“Once there was an issue that kept me up at night, I could not sleep and decided to send him an email at 2am. To my surprise, he replied immediately! He leads by example.” 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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