The impending leadership change in Singapore

Producer: Yvonne Gomez
First broadcast: 19 July 04, Radio Singapore International

Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be sworn in as the new Prime Minister on 12 August. He will succeed Mr Goh Chok Tong who has been Singapore’s Prime Minister since 28 November, 1990. What role will Mr Goh play after he steps down? And how have some Ministers reacted to this?

Yvonne Gomez finds out in this report.

PM Goh has been at Singapore’s helm for 14 years. Speaking to reporters on Sunday (18 July), he said it’s time to close a chapter in Singapore and start a new one.

GCT: "I’m very happy that I’ve come to this stage where I can relinquish my position knowing that Singapore will be in very good hands. That’s more than I can ask for. "

Mr Goh will remain in the new Cabinet after he steps down from office. On what role he’ll play, Mr Goh said that he’s leaving it up to his successor Mr Lee Hsien Loong to decide.

GCT: He’s asked me to stay back in Cabinet. So I’ve told him that if I have a role to play, I’ll stay back. Otherwise, I’m quite happy to leave Cabinet and be a back-bencher. He told me that there’ll be a role for me to play, and let him spell out the role in his Cabinet announcement.

Mr Goh also expressed confidence in Mr Lee’s new leadership.

GCT: "I’m very confident the new prime minister would take Singapore to a higher level, and you need to have a change from time to time, you need to have fresh initiatives and that’s best to come from the new person."

Mr Goh will close his chapter of Singapore’s history with a valedictory message on National Day, and new Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will open a new chapter for Singapore with his National Day Rally speech on August 22nd.

Some of Singapore’s Cabinet Ministers also gave their reactions to PM Goh’s announcement.

Mr Lim Swee Say, Singapore’s Environment Minister says: "He's done a lot to reposition the economy, at the same time strengthen social foundations. But more importantly, Prime Minister Goh has also opened up the international space in both the political and economic arenas so that Singapore has a high global standing."

Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs in Singapore, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim had this to say: "The attention to the Malay-Muslim community will continue because it's an attention to the citizens of Singapore. I think DPM Lee is interested in the development of the various communities. So I don't see anything new or special being done. But more important is how the Malay-Muslim community will respond to changes and contribute where we can to the shaping of this new Singapore. I don't see the process changing while the challenges may change, the process that PM Goh and SM Lee started will continue."

Since PM Goh took over from Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1990, Singapore has gone through many social and economic changes. Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng described some of these, and outlined some of the issues that will face the new Prime Minister: "A lot has changed since then. As you can see, the economy has changed tremendously and we have an economic restructuring exercise going on now and it still has to work itself out. He is also facing a new electorate - those who were born after 1965 will form a very significant part of the electorate and the expectation of our younger people will be very different from that of our parents and even my generation."