Lee Kuan Yew Resigns From Powers Finally

They are Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, who each had become prime minister (PM) and managed to bring Singapore into the developed world.

According to news agency Associated Press (AP), Lee and Goh felt it was time to leave the cabinet to provide opportunity for the next generation. Before announcing retreat, his last position was the minister mentor Lee and Goh is senior minister.

“Young people want more involvement in decisions that will impact directly to them,” the statement together with Lee and Goh. “After the elections, we decided to exit from the cabinet and submit fully to the team of younger ministers to connect and engage with the younger generation as well,” they said, quoted by AP.

Lee and Goh’s decision comes after disappointing results in the general election last May 7. They actually still get a seat in parliament, but the People’s Action Party (PAP) that they support has decreased the number of votes in the election yesterday.

PAP remains the ruling party, but support from the people is now only 60 percent. That is the sum of the worst ever experienced support PAP, the official who ruled Singapore since independence in 1965. In the last ten years the party was steadily declining support. In 2001 support for the PAP is still at 75 percent, while in the general election in 2006 dropped to 67 percent and now only 60 percent.

Lee, who was 87 years old, is the first prime minister of Singapore. He ruled from 1959 until his retirement in 1990 and was succeeded by Goh. Fourteen years later, Goh, who on May 20, aged 70 years later, resign as prime minister and was replaced by Lee Hsien Loong, who is the son of Lee Kuan Yew.

Although no longer the Prime Minister, Lee and Goh still has a strong influence in the political scene in Singapore. They both had been named as ministers, although not leading the department, until finally deciding to retire.