Lee Hsien Loong: Encyclopedia II - Lee Hsien Loong - Prime Minister

Lee Hsien Loong - Prime Minister

On August 12, 2004, Lee Hsien Loong succeeded Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister, relinquishing his Chairmanship of the Monetary Authority of Singapore to Goh Chok Tong in the process.

Lee officiated the opening of the newly-restored Malay Heritage Centre in Singapore on June 5, 2005. The opening was witnessed by Yaacob Ibrahim, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. [1]

Lee sought security support on the Straits of Malacca in the wake of pirate attacks on ships that pass through the Strait of Malacca. Approximately 50,000 ships pass through the Straits each year. In response, Lee sought security assistance from neighbouring countries, including the US, at a meeting of defence ministers from around the world in Singapore June 3, 2005.

Lee hit the headlines on September 19, 2005 when he personally checked out a possible mosquito breeding site in an Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 drain. He also visited homes, a market and a hawker centre in his Teck Ghee ward, handing out leaflets, bamboo pole covers and insecticide to residents.

The activity was part of Lee's initiative to reiterate Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim's message to fight the spread of the dengue virus.

"Unless you know where to look, and you have to make a conscious effort to look, you may not realise that you're breeding mosquitoes. It's an exercise in being continuously vigilant. ... Are they breeding somewhere else or are there more people with the virus so it's transmitted more easily? Maybe the virus has changed. We need good scientific answers in order to plan a sensible, long-term, effective effort. We shouldn't just be going around trying to hunt at random and getting busy."

Lee Hsien Loong - Decisions and Policies

Lee made his maiden "National Day Rally Speech'" sixteen days after he assumed the position as Prime Minister on August 12, 2004. In his speech, Lee initiated the policy of the "Five-day work week", a plan that would remove a half-working day on Saturday. The plan took effect on 1 January 2005.

Lee also proposed two-month paid maternity leaves for new-born's mothers and financial incentives to mothers who give birth to a fourth child. These policies were initiated in response to the declining birth rate that Singapore has experienced in recent years.

In November 2004, Lee sparked a national debate when he revealed a proposal to build two Integrated Resorts (IRs) which are holiday resorts with casinos. In April 2005, despite substantial oppositions expressed by the public, Lee announced the decision to approve the proposal. The two IRs are to be built in Marina Bay and Sentosa. To limit the negative social impact of casino gambling, Lee suggested that safeguards be implemented, such as prohibiting minors from entering the casinos and charging a SGD$100 entrance fee for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Lee made a National Day Rally speech on August 22, 2005 and mapped out the vision to remake Singapore and called on all Singaporeans to play their part. The vision encompasses how Singapore would look like in 2015. He proposed several changes to six major areas, which include:

1. City of the future?

• A new downtown at Marina Bay with three gardens, a lake, one Integrated Resort and a first-class Business and Financial Centre. Plus a vibrant Orchard Road and bustling Bras Brasah and Bugis area.

2. R & D Driver for economy

• A new Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council to take the new economy to the next level. Chaired by PM Lee with DPM Tony Tan as deputy chairman.
• A new National Research Foundation headed by Dr Tan.

3. Service Culture

• A long-term national effort to raise service standards, to be led by Minister Raymond Lim.

4. Education

• Polytechnics will link up with specialised foreign universities in niche areas.
• Post-secondary education accounts for students to pay for their higher education.
• Changes in curriculum for students in Normal (Technical) stream to make it more interesting through group work, hands-on work and use of information technology.

5. Help for Low-Income

• Poorer families to get a housing grant in their CPF to help them buy HDB flats.

6. Health Care

• Age limit for medical insurance scheme Medishield to grow up from 80 to 85.
• Medisave use to become more flexible, for use at private hospital and Class A and B1 ward stays, plus major treatments in specialist outpatient clinics.

We've created a Singapore spirit. We're courageous but compassionate, we're confident, never complacent. It's a spirit which will hold us together as one united people, each one contributing to remaking our nation.

Lee Hsien Loong - Foreign Relations

Relations with China have improved under Lee's administration. Smooth progress has been made in areas of trade, tourism and investment, which is not merely in accordance with the interest of the two countries, but promises to be further beneficial to the common development of the region. The China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) is responsible for promoting Sino-Singaporean co-operations.

During his meeting with vice-premier Wu Yi in September 2005, Lee proposed the establishment of a China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone, which would achieve the goal of realizing US$50 billion in trade volume before 2010. In doing so, both agreed that relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should be elevated.

During his seven-day visit to China in late October 2005, the Prime Minister stressed the need of improving bilateral diplomatic relationships between ASEAN and China. Lee also urged leaders to focus on the next wave of growth in north-eastern China.

"It is a long-term commitment. There is no place in the world that you can go in and your money just grows on trees." "Not in China."

Singapore has generally had a favourable relationship with the USA. The growth of bilateral trade improved commercial and diplomatic ties between the two countries after the implementation of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the growth in bilateral trade has been evident, since the Free Trade Agreement became effective on January 1, 2004.

Lee made his inaugural visit to the United States, as Prime Minister of Singapore, between 6th July and 16 July, 2005. Several other ministers, notably the defence minister Teo Chee Hean and foreign minister George Yeo accompanied Lee.

On July 12, 2005, President George W. Bush and Lee signed the "Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Singapore for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defence and Security". The agreement was a natural step in the expansion of bilateral ties. President Bush and the then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong had first announced their intention to conclude this agreement in October 2003.

The intention of the agreement is to address common threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of Weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which called for even closer cooperation between the United States and Singapore.

The agreement recognizes Singapore's role as a Major Security Cooperation Partner and will expand the scope of current cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, joint military exercises and training, policy dialogues, and defence technology. The Agreement will further enhance regional stability by supporting the continued security presence of the United States in Southeast Asia.

Both Lee and Bush agree that US presence in the South-east Asia has promoted peace and stability, which are crucial for regional cooperation and economic development.

During their meeting, both Bush and Lee acknowledged the progress in the war on terror. Lee commended Bush's 'resolute and steadfast stance in the war on terror' and expressed Singapore’s continued support in this endeavour. In exchange, Bush commended the professionalism of the Singapore Armed Forces personnel, who have been deployed in support of Iraq operations over the past two years and of the Singapore Police Force, which has provided critically important training. Both Bush and Lee also pledged to sustain the close cooperation between the United States and Singapore in key regional and global multilateral institutions.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Prime Minister", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki