Lee Hsien Loong and Singapore

This book examines the leadership and legacy of Lee Hsien Loong, the third Prime Minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024.

Lee’s tenure was a time of profound change within Singapore and its external environment. The chapters in this book recount how he led Singapore through several crises, including the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The world was becoming multipolar, with relations between the United States and China turning confrontational and fraught. Being a key member of ASEAN, Singapore was not immune to the impact of these developments. It was vital to navigate them delicately to secure the country’s strategic interests.

As an open market economy, Singapore had to adapt to the massive technological disruptions of the last two decades with the rapid spread of the Internet and mobile connectivity, the rise of the digital economy, as well as advances in automation and artificial intelligence. Lee introduced policies to promote innovation and enhance competitiveness, mitigate the impact of economic restructuring, and develop Singapore’s human capital, all to achieve quality and inclusive growth for Singaporeans. The book also discusses the way he responded to the domestic challenges of income inequality and social stratification, low fertility, an ageing population, online safety and Singaporeans’ desire for a more sustainable, affordable and liveable habitat.

The essays by Singaporean thought leaders analyse how Lee’s Government crafted policy and engaged stakeholders to anticipate as well as adapt to the significant shifts in the internal and external operating context. They examine the impact of policy innovations to consider whether there remains unfinished business that his successor must address.

The authors’ critical perspectives on areas ranging from foreign policy to economic strategy, social support frameworks, politics and state institutions reveal how prepared Singapore is for the future as a small but not inconsequential city-state in Southeast Asia. These essays afford readers a timely examination of Lee Hsien Loong’s contributions.

Contents:

• Economic and Finance Policy:
  • Navigating Trends in the Global Economy: From the Global Financial Crisis to Deglobalisation (Vikram Khanna)
  • Dynamism with Prudence: Reforming the Financial Sector amid Crisis (Ravi Menon)
  • Weathering Economic Crises: Singapore’s Strategic Resources (Hoon Hian Teck)
  • Economic Restructuring in Singapore: Reviewing Innovations in Policy-Planning and Implementation (Tan Kong Yam)
  • Population, Labour Policy and Tripartism (Terence Ho)
  • A Review of Lee Hsien Loong’s Economic Performance as Prime Minister (Manu Bhaskaran)
• Foreign Policy:
  • Redefining Singapore’s National Interests in the Shifting Geopolitical Landscape from 2004 to 2024 (Tommy Koh)
  • The Great Powers: Between the United States and China (Chan Heng Chee)
  • Lee Hsien Loong’s Legacy in Singapore’s Relations with the Major Western Powers (A Selverajah)
  • Singapore and South Asia: Expanding Relations Amid an Evolving Global Order (Tan Tai Yong and Iqbal Singh Sevea)
  • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Japan, South Korea and North Korea: Forging and Sustaining Significant Ties (Lam Peng Er)
  • ASEAN and Singapore: Shoring Up Coherence and Relevance in a Changing World (Joseph Chinyong Liow)
  • Lee Hsien Loong and Singapore’s Relations with Its Closest Neighbours (Ashok Kumar Mirpuri and Gillian Koh)
  • Lee Hsien Loong and Singapore’s Core Foreign Policy Challenge (Bilahari Kausikan)
• Social Policy:
  • Social Policy — From a Minimalist to a “Protective” Welfare State (Chua Mui Hoong)
  • Lee Hsien Loong’s Legacy in Healthcare (Jeremy Lim, Li Zongbin and Lim Wei Xiang)
  • Education in Singapore, 2004 to 2024 (Jason Tan)
  • Two Decades of Urban Development under Lee Hsien Loong: Inscribing the Nation’s Legacy onto the Cityscape (Lily Kong)
  • Tackling Singapore’s Demographic Challenges (Paulin Tay Straughan)
• Politics and Society:
  • Designing Good Governance and Strong and Competent Leadership: Political Innovations in Singapore under Lee Hsien Loong (Eugene K B Tan)
  • Opening up Political Space in Singapore: Slowly, Slowly (Han Fook Kwang)
  • Finding Balance in the Regulation of Online Media (Carol Soon)
  • Tightening Media Regulation in an Era of Pluralisation (Cherian George)