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97-576: The SIJORI Growth Triangle is a partnership arrangement between Singapore, Johor (in Malaysia), and Riau Islands (in Indonesia) that combines the competitive strengths of the three areas to make the subregion more attractive to regional and international investors. More specifically, it links the infrastructure, capital, and expertise of Singapore with the natural and labour resources and the abundance of land of Johor and Riau. The SIJORI Growth Triangle

194-633: A Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School in 1980. Lee resigned from the SAF in 1984 to enter politics and was elected the MP for Teck Ghee SMC . Since its dissolution in 1991, he has represented the Teck Ghee ward of Ang Mo Kio GRC. Lee has served as Deputy Prime Minister , Minister for Finance , Minister for Trade and Industry , and Second Minister for Defence under two Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong before assuming

291-403: A Senior Minister of State . In 1981, he was promoted to Minister for Trade and Industry and later served in other appointments including Minister for Health and Minister for Defence . Goh was tasked to organise the 1981 Anson SMC by-election which was a pivotal event in shaping his political sensibilities. Despite having been passed over as first assistant secretary-general by Tony Tan, Goh

388-701: A chef . His mother has ancestry from Tong'an District and Longhu while his father has ancestry from Dabu County in China. Lee was educated at Nanyang Primary School and Catholic High School —where he played clarinet in the school band, and National Junior College before he was awarded the President's Scholarship and Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship in 1971 by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to study mathematics at Trinity College, University of Cambridge . He became

485-586: A senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1992 to 2004 and was the member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade SMC from 1976 to 1988, and Marine Parade GRC from 1988 to 2020. Prior to his appointment as prime minister, he was the country's deputy prime minister , where he advocated for the Medisave , a savings scheme that allows Singaporeans to set aside part of their income into

582-517: A 75% to 80% majority in Parliament, in the future, would constitute a 'strong mandate' for the Singapore government. In the same interview, he noted that he does not believe the electoral system needed any further tweaking. On 4 August 2019, Goh made a Facebook post stating that he felt saddened by how his long-time friend, former PAP politician Tan Cheng Bock , had "lost his way" by forming

679-740: A Medisave account to meet future medical expenses. Goh also advocated for the Edusave Awards, a monetary reward for students who did well in school based on either their academic achievements or character to enshrine meritocracy . Shortly before and during his tenure as prime minister, Goh proposed political reforms like the introduction of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP), to allow more opposition into Parliament, Group Representation Constituencies (GRC), to make sure that minorities are represented in Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMP), to have independent opinions in Parliament since all NMPs are non-partisan . Goh assumed

776-736: A diplomatic breakthrough, which raised tensions with the PRC. The Singapore government later published the full records of the discussion with the Chinese embassy in Singapore's local media. On 28 August 2004, in his first National Day Rally speech and as prime minister, Lee criticised the Taiwanese leadership and populace over their pro-independence stance. He reiterated the reasons for the visit and said that Singapore's decision to stand firm on its vital interests had earned it international respect. Relations were eventually mended when Lee met Hu Jintao at

873-481: A fourth child. In November 2004, Lee sparked a national debate when he proposed to build two Integrated Resorts (IRs), or hotel-casinos. Despite the longstanding stance against gambling in Singapore, with the exception of regulated industries such as the Singapore Turf Club and Singapore Pools , the government was concerned its stance was hurting the economic competitiveness of the country, risking

970-473: A government notification to users". In the leadup to the 2020 general election, Lee's own brother Lee Hsien Yang accused him of reneging on promises made in his 2004 National Day Rally speech about promising increased civil liberties and the freedom to express diverse views without interference. Lee and his ministers actively rebutted allegations by overseas media that POFMA is a tool for censorship, saying that "no information or view has been suppressed" as

1067-406: A more open-minded and consultative style of leadership than that of his predecessor. This greater openness extended also to the socio-economic spheres of life, for instance, in his support for the rise of "little bohemias" in Singapore, enclaves where more creativity and entrepreneurship could thrive. Goh's administration introduced several major policies and policy institutions, including: During

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1164-497: A new political party, Progress Singapore Party (PSP), to contest in the next general election. On 25 June 2020, Goh made a Facebook post announcing his retirement as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC after 44 years of service and will therefore retire from politics. A second volume of his biography titled Standing Tall: The Goh Chok Tong Years was released in April 2021 to mark his 80th birthday. The sequel consists of

1261-405: A number of threats of terrorism in Singapore, Goh met local Islamic religious leaders in 2004 and made a visit to Iran, where he met Iranian president Mohammad Khatami and visited local mosques. Goh subsequently visited other Middle Eastern countries as Senior Minister, with a view to improving diplomatic relationships and thus gaining wider opportunities for Singaporean businesses, especially in

1358-401: A prelude to Heng succeeding Lee as Singapore's fourth prime minister after the next general election. Lee noted that the cabinet reshuffle "was more extensive than usual", with younger, fourth-generation ministers being prioritised and now heading two-thirds of the ministries. Speaking at his party convention on 19 November 2017, Lee said that raising taxes was a necessity to fund investment in

1455-834: A result of the Act and that the government "has not restricted free debate". In an interview with The Straits Times , Lee noted that fake news could disrupt society, and that the United States and Europe were struggling to manage the situation, especially in light of alleged Russian interference in recent elections . He cited Germany as a country that has enacted a similar law . In response to concerns that POFMA could curb free speech, Lee said that free speech exists within appropriate boundaries, with no society having absolute freedom of speech, and that defamatory or threatening speech should be banned to facilitate meaningful exchange of information and ideals. The first COVID-19 case in Singapore

1552-592: Is a Tibetan Buddhist while both his children are Methodist Christians . In December 2020, Goh stated in a Facebook post that he would be undergoing four weeks of radiotherapy following the removal of a lump in his larynx, in order to ensure that all cancer cells are eliminated. It was the latest in a series of health issues faced by Goh in recent years. In 2021, now retired and talking about his health, Goh indicated that he plans to try to live until at least 93 years of age, much like his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad . Having served as prime minister between

1649-427: Is a little red dot . If we don't defend our interests, who will?" Lee in his National Day Rally speech The PRC later retaliated by cancelling several visits by high-ranking PRC officials to Singapore and delaying planned signing ceremonies , hinting that free trade negotiations would also be pushed back. The matter was further complicated and magnified when Taiwanese media headlined the visit and portrayed it as

1746-548: Is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been the senior minister of Singapore since 2024. He previously served as the third prime minister of Singapore and secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 2004 to 2024. He has been a member of parliament (MP) for Teck Ghee since 1984, initially as Teck Ghee SMC from 1984 to 1991 and as a division of Ang Mo Kio GRC since 1991. Born and raised in Singapore during British colonial rule , Lee

1843-526: Is a tax free export zone rather than a free port , therefore much industry is limited to international exports. Batam has also become an alternate air transport hub as Java's airports are congested. Some 62,000 Singaporeans visited Batam in January 2012, compared with stronger links to Johor, some 70,000 daily. sources: (Budan Pusat Statistik 2010 Census Indonesia, Statistics Singapore, Statistics Malaysia) For GDP stats, Riau Island's Quarterly GDP output

1940-508: Is of close proximity to Anson. The rising costs of housing and upcoming public bus fares was a source of unhappiness among voters. PAP lost the Anson seat with a 37-point swing in just 10 months since the last general election, marking the first time since Independence that PAP had lost a seat. This watershed event prompted rumours within the PAP of the end of Goh's political career. While Lee Kuan Yew

2037-547: Is the eldest son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew . He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge , in 1974 with first class honours in mathematics and a Diploma in Computer Science with distinction (equivalent to a first-class master's in computer science). He served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) between 1971 and 1984, and attained the rank Brigadier-General , completing

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2134-586: The 1984 general election , all of the old Central Executive Committee members except Lee Kuan Yew resigned on 1 January 1985. Lee was first elected Member of Parliament for the Teck Ghee SMC in 1984, at the age of 32. He was subsequently appointed Minister of State for Trade and Industry , and Minister of State for Defence . In 1985, Lee chaired the government's economic committee, which recommended changes to established government policies to reduce business costs, foster longer-term growth and revive

2231-437: The 2011 Singapore general election , the PAP saw a 6.46% swing downwards to 60.14%, its lowest since independence. The result, while a landslide victory for the PAP by international standards, was seen as a rebuke to the ruling party as a result of massive immigration of low-skilled workers, high-profile rail transport breakdowns and the rising cost of living in the intervening years. During the campaigning period, Lee has sensed

2328-468: The 2011 general election . Over the following months, he progressively released snippets prior to the election on the importance of grooming a successor who could be part of the fourth generation PAP leadership to helm Marine Parade GRC in the long run. After the 2011 general election in which the opposition made unprecedented gains by winning a group representative constituency in ( Aljunied ), Goh and Lee Kuan Yew announced that they were retiring from

2425-701: The APEC Economics Leaders' Meeting on 19 November 2004, which signified the end of the dispute. On 12 August 2004, Lee succeeded Goh Chok Tong as prime minister and relinquished his chairmanship of the Monetary Authority of Singapore to Goh. Chief Justice Yong Pung How had Lee sworn in at the Istana . As prime minister, Lee also became chairman of the People's Association . In his maiden National Day Rally speech on 22 August 2004, Lee announced several new initiatives, among them

2522-464: The Cabinet in order to give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the rest of his team a clean slate from which they can make a fresh start in the new parliamentary term. On 18 May 2011, Lee Hsien Loong announced that Goh was to be appointed a senior adviser to the Monetary Authority of Singapore , and would be given the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister". On 24 June 2011, Goh was awarded

2619-595: The Great Recession ; the downturn was attributed to the city's trade-dependent economy. To counteract the ailing economy, the government announced a S$ 2.8 billion stimulus fund in November 2008 for SMEs and local firms and further pledged a S$ 20.5 billion Resilience Package in January 2009. These measures were intended to keep the unemployment rate low, having risen to 2.6% in December 2008 and 3.3% by

2716-608: The Minnan region of Fujian province in China. He has Chinese Hokkien ancestry. Goh studied at Raffles Institution from 1955 to 1960. He was a very competitive swimmer in his younger days and was given the nickname "Bold". Goh completed a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours degree in economics at the University of Singapore , and a Master of Arts degree in development economics at Williams College in 1967. Upon his graduation, Goh returned to Singapore to work in

2813-721: The Remaking Singapore Committee . On 10 July 2004, Lee visited Taiwan , an island claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) that has been ruled by the Republic of China (ROC) since 1945. The Singapore government maintains a policy of neutrality in the Cross-Strait relations between the two sides despite having severed diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on 3 October 1990 in favour of

2910-471: The Senior Wrangler at Cambridge in 1973, and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours degree (later promoted to Master of Arts by seniority) in mathematics and a diploma in computer science (now equivalent to a master's degree in computer science) with distinction. His college tutor, Denis Marrian, later described Lee as "the brightest mathematician he had admitted to

3007-666: The 14 years which Goh was the Prime Minister of Singapore. Goh is married to Tan Choo Leng and they have a son and a daughter, who are twins. Their son, Goh Jin Hian, is a physician and their daughter, Goh Jin Theng, lives in London with her husband. In his biography Standing Tall , Goh described himself as having no religion; he was brought up with traditional Chinese religions and "nominally practise ancestor worship ". His wife

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3104-513: The 1999 Seattle WTO protests and Doha Round. As international trade was three times Singapore's GDP at that time, securing trade treaties was paramount to Singapore's economic survival, with the US as its most desired trading partner. By riding on the improved relations with the Clinton administration, Goh personally reached out to President Clinton during the annual summit at Brunei in November 2000, near

3201-727: The 1st Class, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government. On 4 May 2012, Goh was appointed as Patron for Advancement of the Singapore University of Technology and Design . In 2018, Goh's first volume authorised biography book titled Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story was published. It details Goh's life from his childhood to until he took office as Singapore's second prime minister in 1990. In an interview in 2019, Goh stated that he believed

3298-530: The GST to be suspended entirely or for the exemption of essential goods from the tax. Lee's government introduced the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) in 2018, colloquially known as the "fake news law", which was first mooted by Minister of Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam . Despite concerns by activists and opposition Members of Parliament that the Act would limit free speech under

3395-733: The Joint Operations and Plans Directorate, and Chief of Staff of the General Staff. He also attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in 1978. Lee rose quickly through the ranks in the Singapore Army , becoming the youngest brigadier-general in Singapore's history after his promotion in July 1983 at the age of 32. Notably, he was put in command of

3492-691: The Lee Kwan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong eras, Goh has often been referred to in Singaporean political jokes as part of the trinity of "father, son, and the holy Goh". In October 2014, the Madame Tussauds Singapore museum unveiled a wax figure of Goh. At its opening, Goh posed for pictures with his statue. The Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards by Mediacorp Enable Fund is named after him. Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong PPA(E) SPMJ DK (born 10 February 1952)

3589-690: The Lee government's effort to promote Singapore as an international center for arbitration, the city hosted the leaders of Mainland China and Taiwan for the Ma-Xi meeting on 7 November 2015 and the North Korea–United States summit on 12 June 2018. Singapore hosted the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation on 7 August 2019, the first United Nations treaty named after it, and ratified it on 25 February 2020. On 20 July 2018, it

3686-443: The MP. The new PAP candidate was Pang Kim Hin , who had difficulties connecting to the electorate as he had a reputation of being a "rich man's son", as the nephew of Old Guard minister Lim Kan San. Despite being a three-cornered fight, it was apparent that the main opposition candidate was J. B. Jeyaretnam , who was a veteran opposition at the time, having previously came close in winning the seat at Telok Blangah Constituency , which

3783-518: The PAP to three general election victories in 1991, 1997, and 2001, in which the party won 61%, 65% and 75% of the votes respectively. After the 2001 general election , Goh indicated that he would step down as prime minister after leading the country out of the recession. During an interview with Time magazine in July 2003, Goh surprised Singaporeans by announcing that his government was openly employing homosexuals, even in sensitive jobs, despite homosexual acts remaining illegal under Section 377A of

3880-527: The Penal Code . In October 2003, Goh announced that he would step down when the economy recovered from a downturn that was caused by the SARS. Eventually on 12 August 2004, Goh stepped down as prime minister and held a new position as Senior Minister in the Cabinet of his successor, Lee Hsien Loong . On 20 August 2004, Goh assumed the position of Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore . After

3977-461: The People's Republic. To continue facilitating this policy when Lee becomes Prime Minister, Lee believed it to be important for him to "personally feel for the situation" in Taiwan and made the trip going to Taiwan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials advised that any visit to Taiwan by an incumbent prime minister would be diplomatically impossible, hence the trip was planned a month before Lee assumed

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4074-510: The Singapore economy, which was experiencing a recession at the time. The committee's recommendations included reductions in corporate and personal taxes and the introduction of a consumption tax . In 1986, Lee was appointed Acting Minister for Trade and Industry . In 1987, he became a full member of the Cabinet as Minister for Trade and Industry and Second Minister for Defence. In March 1986, First Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong discussed

4171-557: The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. On 1 February 2005, Goh was appointed an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia , Australia's highest civilian honour, "for eminent service to Australia-Singapore relations". On 19 May 2005, Goh signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Israel's Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Israel, superseding the agreement signed in 1971. Improvements in

4268-639: The age of seventy, noting the need for someone to be in tune with the public. In the 2015 Singapore general election , Lee was re-elected in Ang Mo Kio GRC, with the PAP winning 83 of 89 seats in Parliament and 69.9% of the national vote. Lee's fourth term as prime minister was marked by events such as the China–United States trade war , which adversely affected the nation's economy, being highly reliant on free markets and trade. Increased cyberattacks on Singapore-related services and websites led to

4365-518: The agreement include enhancements to the withholding tax rate on interest income, which was reduced from 15% to 7%. This would benefit Singaporean businessmen with investments in Israel and vice versa, by ensuring they are not taxed twice. Goh is a founding patron for the Institute of Policy Studies , a government think tank . In the 2006 general election , Goh was tasked to help the PAP win back

4462-456: The announcement came three months before the 2006 Singaporean general election , it drew criticism that the ruling party was involved in "vote buying". In that election, the PAP won 82 of the 84 seats, including 37 walkovers. The Ang Mo Kio GRC was contested for the first time in 15 years. The Workers' Party (WP) claimed that they wanted to give Ang Mo Kio residents a chance to exercise their vote. Lee and his six-member GRC team won 60.42% of

4559-532: The cabinet as part of a rejuvenation process in the government and to provide a clean slate for Lee. Lee was sworn in to a third term on 21 May 2011. On 1 June 2011, Lee was named chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation , which manages more than S$ 100 billion in assets. He succeeded his father, Lee Kuan Yew, who remained as senior advisor to the fund until his death. In 2012, Lee indicated that he hoped not to be prime minister beyond

4656-444: The college". Béla Bollobás said that Lee "would have been a world-class research mathematician", but his father did not realise this and persuaded Lee to leave the field. In an interview prior to Lee's resignation as prime minister in 2024, Lee said he did not feel regret pursuing the path of politics over mathematics, saying that he "had the responsibility to come back to Singapore, be part of Singapore, and do what [he] could to help

4753-526: The company's Planning and Projects Manager. His career advanced quickly and by 1973 he was the Managing Director. At NOL, Goh worked under the company's founder, Muhammad Jalaluddin Sayeed , with whom he maintained close ties. In the 1976 general election , Goh, then 35, was elected as Member of Parliament for Marine Parade SMC as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate. He was appointed as

4850-436: The country to succeed", and added saying it was "the right thing to do". He subsequently went on to complete a Master of Public Administration degree, becoming a Mason Fellow at Harvard University 's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1980. Lee joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1971, and served as a commissioned officer between 1974 and 1984, and held various staff and command posts, including Director of

4947-694: The diplomatic freeze. In September 1998, Goh had a meeting with Clinton in the White House and agreed to contribute to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization which helped build strong ties between the two Koreas. The considerable improvement in this bilateral relationship had great impact on Singapore's economic recovery from the Asian Financial Crisis as several trade negotiations, part of "The Millennium Round", failed during

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5044-502: The discontent in public sentiment and made a public apology. While the PAP swept into power, winning 81 out of 87 seats, it lost Aljunied GRC to the Workers' Party (WP), a historic win by an opposition party. Foreign Minister George Yeo and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua of the GRC were defeated. Following the election, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong resigned from

5141-568: The end of Clinton's second term of his presidency. After a midnight golf session with Clinton after the banquet, Goh successfully convinced Clinton on a Singapore-USA FTA, with Clinton suggesting an FTA similar to the US-Jordan FTA. The FTA with the USA was eventually signed in 2003, and it was the USA's first FTA with an Asian country, with Goh exalting this FTA as the "crown jewel" of Singapore's international trade. As secretary-general, Goh led

5238-446: The end of Q2 2009. In August 2009, Lee declared that "the worst [was] over" and that Singapore was in a stronger position due to better-than-forecast growth in the manufacturing and services industries. The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced an end to the recession in November 2009 and forecast a 3–5% growth for 2010. Singapore subsequently saw a record-high economic recovery of 14.53%, defying predictions of moderate growth, with

5335-758: The form of the GST , which is expected to rise from 7% to 9% by 2025. Lee's government said that it was necessary to plan ahead for increasing annual recurrent expenses, with Heng Swee Keat saying that the "hike cannot be put off or scrapped" to pay for critical future needs, especially in the healthcare sector. In his Budget 2020 speech in February, Heng announced amendments to the GST Voucher Fund Act that would allow grants-in-aid to be given to parents or guardians for infants and children to mitigate their expenses. Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong said

5432-522: The government. Goh's dream of getting a PhD was disrupted as the government would not transfer his bursary bond to the university, where he had signed on as a research fellow after graduation. In 2015, Goh was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by his alma mater , the National University of Singapore, for his contributions to the country. In 1969, Goh was seconded to the national shipping company Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) as

5529-481: The growing sophistication of the economy and the financial markets' increasing volatility, Lee "may not have the full-time attention" due to his concurrent duties as prime minister. The economy grew for the first two years of Lee's tenure but plunged 12.5% during the Great Recession . Singapore became the first Asian country to slip into a recession during the fourth quarter of 2008, with the financial, construction and manufacturing sectors being particularly affected by

5626-470: The guise of preventing disinformation, the bill passed by a 72–9 vote on 8 May 2019 after two days' debate. Reporters Without Borders called the bill "terrible", "totalitarian", and a tool for censorship. Reuters wrote that the act "ensnares" government critics. Social media firms like Facebook expressed concern that the law would grant "broad powers to the Singapore executive branch to compel us to remove content they deem to be false and pro-actively push

5723-466: The independence of Taiwan , with the PRC claiming that Singapore was making a "historical error" for the trip. Then-Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar replied to the PRC counterpart of him Li Zhaoxing that the ROC government had been asked to keep the visit low-profile and that it would proceed as planned. "When our vital interests are at stake, we must quietly stand our ground. As Dr Habibie said, Singapore

5820-506: The intent was to expand the range of people who qualify for the fund. With the amendment, the Act would allow for the funding of the $ 6 billion Assurance Package, which was intended to delay the impact of the impending hike for five years. The proposed hike met with broad disapproval from the opposition, with the Workers' Party and Progress Singapore Party calling for the GST to be retained at its present rate of 7% and others calling for

5917-831: The introduction of the Cybersecurity Act in 2018 and the establishment of the Cyber Security Agency . The defeat of the Barisan Nasional government in the 2018 Malaysian general election , which saw the return of Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, led to a chill in relations as the new Pakatan Harapan government sought to overturn previously signed agreements on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail and Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System , and also disputed with Singapore on airspace and maritime rights. As part of

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6014-559: The leadership that the lack of an official channel to engage with the younger generation might lead them to vote for opposition parties and potentially bring the PAP government down. The youth wing was an official "tailor-made" mechanism to allow dissenting opinions to be heard. Lee was the first chairman of the PAP Youth Committee upon its establishment, the predecessor to Young PAP . On 28 November 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister. Lee Hsien Loong

6111-475: The loss of tourism revenue to other cities. In April 2005, despite some public opposition, the government approved the proposal. The IRs were built in Marina Bay and Sentosa . To limit the negative social impact of casino gambling, Lee suggested safeguards such as prohibiting minors from the casinos and charging an entrance fee for Singaporeans of S$ 100 (or S$ 2000 for a yearly pass). The Casino Control Act

6208-555: The number of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) in Parliament. In between 2020 and 2021, Lee oversaw the government response to COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent recession and recovery . In 2022, he also oversaw the government response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine , making Singapore the only Southeast Asian country to impose sanctions on Russia. That same year, his government de jure and de facto legalised same-sex sexual activity between men by repealing

6305-406: The number of group representation constituencies (GRC) and increasing the number of non-constituency members of parliament (NCMP) and nominated members of parliament (NMP) to a maximum of nine each (inclusive of the number of elected opposition members). A cooling-off day on the day before the election was instituted, where campaigning is prohibited except for party political broadcasts. In

6402-614: The office of prime minister in August 2004. In his first two years, his government enacted a five-day work week and extended maternity leave days. His proposal to build two integrated resorts in Singapore to increase tourism revenue led to the development of the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa . Following the Great Recession of 2008, he oversaw the country's economic recovery within two years. Further political reforms in 2010 saw increased online activism, as well as

6499-418: The pandemic pushing Singapore into a recession, the government unveiled four successive stimulus packages intended to keep the economy afloat, the Unity , Resilience , Solidarity and Fortitude budgets. Following the 2020 Singapore general election , Lee was re-elected in Ang Mo Kio GRC, with the PAP securing 61.23% of the national vote, beginning his fifth successive term as prime minister. The election

6596-498: The period under Goh's administration, Singapore has experienced several crises, such as the aircraft hijack of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 in 1991, the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, threats of terrorism in 2001 including Singaporean victims of the 9/11 attacks in New York City by Al-Qaeda and the Singapore embassies attack plot by Jemaah Islamiyah , the 2001–2003 economic recession, 2003 SARS outbreak , and other events. Goh's access to Bill Clinton's White House

6693-403: The policy of the "five-day work week" which removed the half-working day on Saturday. The plan took effect on 1 January 2005. In response to public feedback, maternity leave was also extended from eight to twelve weeks after consultation with employers and unions. To encourage the growth of the birthrate in Singapore, the Baby Bonus scheme was expanded to provide financial support to women who bear

6790-454: The popular vote, and losing an unprecedented four seats in Parliament to the opposition, Goh had to quell rumours about his potential resignation to the international news media. In 1992, Lee handed over the post of secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) to Goh, successfully completing the leadership transition. Goh's deputy prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Ong Teng Cheong were both diagnosed with cancer in 1992, which prompted

6887-434: The premiership and in his capacity as a private citizen, not as a government minister or as the head of government, with the PRC embassy informed on 9 July 2004. On the same day's afternoon, the PRC government summoned the Singapore ambassador in Beijing and urged the cancellation of Lee's trip, citing the likelihood of Chen Shui Bian 's administration in Taiwan exploiting the trip as a diplomatic coup and using it to promote

6984-419: The premiership in the event the PAP lost. Teo Chee Hean, who is currently one of the core leaders of the third generation of members of PAP and a senior minister, was one of the new politicians brought in to contest in the by-election. . The PAP retained Marine Parade GRC with 72.9% of the popular vote, allowing Goh to continue on as prime minister, eventually for the next decade. As prime minister, Goh promised

7081-420: The prime minister to call an by-election in his own constituency of Marine Parade in 1992, just over a year after the 1991 elections, citing the need for 'political self-renewal' and to get 'ministerial calibre' people to join the government. By calling the by-election, Goh became the first prime minister of Singapore to vacate his seat to contest a by-election. The vacation also produced a real risk of Goh losing

7178-429: The question with Lee on encouraging younger Singaporeans to join the party. Goh was firm that the proposed committee should attract only the right kinds of members, ruling out material rewards as an incentive. The proposed youth wing was to encourage the improvement of the system from within, which would give new members a stake in the country's future. Lee later said the establishment of the youth wing reflected concerns by

7275-607: The rescue operations following the Sentosa cable car disaster . Lee served as commanding officer of the 23rd Battalion Singapore Artillery in the Singapore Army before he left the SAF in 1984 for politics. During the 1980s, Lee was regarded as the core member of the next batch of new leaders in the People's Action Party (PAP) leadership transition that was taking place in the mid-1980s, as Lee Kuan Yew had declared that he would step down as prime minister in 1984. Following

7372-519: The responsibility of government in a carefully managed leadership transition. In 1990, He introduced the Vehicle Quota System to limit the exponential increase of personal vehicles. In 1991, Goh also enacted the elected presidency scheme in 1991, with previous presidents having been appointed by Parliament. On 12 August 2004, Goh was succeeded by Lee Hsien Loong , the eldest son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew , and

7469-418: The second prime minister of Singapore. During the first year of Goh's premiership, Lee remained as secretary-general of the PAP. Lee also remained an influential member of Goh's Cabinet , holding the post of senior minister . The 1991 general elections, the first electoral test for Goh, led to the party winning 61% of the popular vote, the all-time low for PAP since independence. Because of the drop in share of

7566-440: The social, healthcare, economic and infrastructure sectors. Annual expenses on preschools is expected to reach $ 1.7 billion by 2022, while the growth in the ageing population is predicted to create a larger demand for affordable healthcare. Construction and refurbishment of new port and rail infrastructure, coupled with economic restructuring and training of workers, also necessitated tax increases. The taxes raised would be in

7663-527: The then already unenforced colonial-era Section 377A . Lee is frequently noted by the international media as the world's highest-paid state leader . His libel suits against journalists and political opponents have been frequently covered by international news outlets. In April 2024, Lee announced that he would not seek a sixth term as prime minister in the forthcoming general election and resigned from his position as prime minister in May alongside his cabinet; he

7760-579: The time, before splitting off as a part of Riau Islands province in 2004). As more Malaysian and Indonesian states joined the grouping, the IMS-GT was formed to formalise the new grouping. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on 17 December 1994 by the representatives of the participating countries; Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong , Malaysia' s International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz and Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Trade and Industry Hartono. Batam

7857-663: The two opposition wards of Hougang and Potong Pasir . However, he was unsuccessful in this task, as Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong retained their respective wards. In 2006, Goh was briefly considered for the job of United Nations Secretary-General but he lost out and the job eventually went to Ban Ki-moon . In 2008, Goh was invited to join the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government , an independent international organisation of former world leaders. On 24 January 2011, Goh announced that he would continue to seek re-election to Parliament at

7954-460: The unemployment rate falling to 1.8% by September 2010. On 27 May 2009, Lee gave a speech in Parliament validating the roles of nonpartisan Nominated members of parliament (NMP) and praising the NMP scheme as having improved "quality of debate" in the-PAP dominated parliament. He proposed to make the scheme permanent. In May 2010, Lee instituted electoral reforms to the electoral system by reducing

8051-463: The votes against WP's inexperienced team. On 29 November 2007, Lee announced that he would relinquish his finance ministerial portfolio to Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 1 December of that year. The handover was largely supported by business analysts, who felt that the importance of the position necessitated the dedication of a full-time minister for Singapore to entrench and promote its role as a financial hub. Regional economist Song Seng Wun said that with

8148-640: Was Tony Tan . However, Goh was selected by the second generation of PAP leaders that included Tony Tan and Ong Teng Cheong ; Lee accepted their decision. However, during the 1988 National Day Rally, Lee Kuan Yew publicly discussed his preferred choice of successor to the nation – ranking Goh as his second below Tony Tan, and while praising his 'faster mind', criticized Goh's indecisiveness and softer and consultative approach to leadership. This led to Goh feeling humiliated and astonished, as he recounted in his 2018 memoir, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story . On 28 November 1990, Goh succeeded Lee Kuan Yew and became

8245-440: Was Rp26.510.648,31 mln (Q1/14, US$ 2.3 billion or US$ 9 billion annual) Singapore's Quarterly GDP was 95,959.1 mln (Q1/14, $ 76.57 billion or US$ 310 billion annual) and Johor Bahru state was RM24,452 per capita (entire 2012, US$ 26 billion annual). Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong AC SPMJ (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as

8342-403: Was announced that sophisticated state-linked actors had hacked Lee's health data along with that of 1.5 million other residents. The hack was intended to access Lee's data in particular. On 23 April 2019, Lee reshuffled his cabinet and promoted Heng Swee Keat to deputy prime minister , effective 1 May 2019. As part of the party's leadership succession, the move was widely interpreted as

8439-711: Was appointed chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in January 1998, and in 2001 he was made the finance minister . To ease the growing budget deficit due to falling tax revenues from cuts in corporate and personal income taxes and other factors such as the Iraq War and SARS outbreak, Lee proposed on 29 August 2003 to raise the GST from three per cent to five per cent, a change that took place in January 2004. Lee initiated several amendments to render requirements for Singapore citizenship less restrictive, notably for foreign-born children of Singaporean women. The changes were made after repeated pleas from MPs and

8536-401: Was asked to his surprise by Lee Kuan Yew to lead and organise the by-election, ostensibly because of Goh's previous successful campaigns in organising the 1979 by-election at Anson SMC and the 1980 General Elections. Early on in the campaigning for the 1981 Anson SMC by-election, a chasm of leadership emerged as volunteers and older activists for the previous MP Devan Nair departed along with

8633-545: Was blocked because of the Michael Fay incident; it did not deter Goh from reaching out to the US President to pitch his idea for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the US, as he did not believe Clinton to be aware of the diplomatic freeze. With the help of American businessman Joe Ford, Goh managed to reached out to President Clinton during the 1997 APEC summit, where he played golf with Clinton, ending

8730-471: Was confirmed on 23 January 2020. Early cases were primarily imported until local transmission began to develop. By late March, clusters were detected at multiple dormitories for foreign workers, which soon contributed to an overwhelming number of new cases in the country. In response, Lee announced on 3 April 2020 that Singapore would enter a limited lockdown with restrictions on movement. The policy, officially called " circuit breaker " in governmental parlance,

8827-511: Was enacted into law on 1 June 2006, which regulated the operations of the casino operators and provided social safeguards intended to deter problem gambling. In February 2006, Lee announced a S$ 2.6 billion Progress Package to distribute budget surpluses in the form of cash, top-ups to the Central Provident Fund , rental and utilities rebates, and educational funds. The cash bonuses were distributed in early May 2006. As

8924-569: Was first publicly announced in 1989 by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong . The 'triangle of growth' was envisioned to be a key component of the Singapore regionalisation scheme of the 1980s and 1990s, relocating labour-intensive industries to neighbouring places such as the Malaysian state of Johor (known as the Iskandar Development Region ) and the island of Batam in the nearby Indonesian province of Riau (at

9021-515: Was intended to halt the disease's spread in the wider community. Workplaces were shut and all schools switched to home-based learning from 7 April to 1 June. Lee served as advisor to a multi-ministry level task force that had been set up in January, chaired by Minister for Education Lawrence Wong and Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong . Lee's government also contributed US$ 500,000 to support the World Health Organization . With

9118-435: Was made one of two deputy prime ministers, along with Ong Teng Cheong . He continued to serve as the minister for trade and industry until 1992, when he was diagnosed with lymphoma . He subsequently relinquished his ministerial position and underwent three months of chemotherapy , though he continued to be a deputy prime minister during his illness. The chemotherapy was successful, and his cancer has gone into remission. Lee

9215-439: Was subsequently appointed as a senior minister in the Cabinet and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) between 2004 and 2011. He resigned from the Cabinet in 2011, and was given the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister" by Lee. He stepped down as a Member of Parliament (MP) and retired from politics in 2020. Goh was born in Singapore on 20 May 1941 to Goh Kah Choon and Quah Kwee Hwa, who hailed from

9312-517: Was succeeded by Lawrence Wong , who formed a new cabinet and subsequently appointed Lee as a Senior Minister . Lee Hsien Loong was born at KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore on 10 February 1952, during the time when Singapore was a British colony . He is the eldest child of Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo and the patriline grandson of a retired storekeeper-turned- salesman , Lee Chin Koon (1903–1995) and Chua Jim Neo (1905–1980),

9409-483: Was worried that Goh lacked political sensitivity towards the electorate, as he failed to detect the possible loss of the seat and remained overconfident until very close to polling day, he did not blame Goh for the loss, as he reflected in his memoir From Third World to First . In 1985, Goh became deputy prime minister and began to assume the responsibility of the government in a carefully managed leadership transition. According to Lee Kuan Yew , his preferred successor

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