Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech has been taken negatively by Singaporeans with many questioning why diabetes is even a top priority over other pressing issues. Ignoring more important topics like public transport, cost of living, income gap and the worsening diplomacy with China and US, PM Lee spoke about “finding solutions to beat diabetes” and telling Singaporeans to “drink plain water”:
“As a first step, we have got the soft drink producers to agree to reduce the sugar in all their drinks sold in Singapore. While this will help, ultimately, what to drink is a personal choice, Singaporeans should drink plain water.”
The Prime Minister then talked about “personal choices” and how he is handling diabetes himself:
“That is why I have to be careful. I do a test for fasting blood sugar twice a year. If the reading is below six, you are okay. If it is not, you have to investigate further. So far I’m okay. I am below six, but not very far below six, so I know I have to be careful. I weigh myself every day, and adjust my food intake. I also exercise daily, takes wholemeal bread instead of white bread and Teh O Kosong, tea without milk and sugar, instead of Teh.”
The dictator Prime Minister then went on to talk about old topics on “Smart Nation” and building more pre-schools. There is zero mention on the rising cost of living resulted from a 30% in water price, and the worsening unemployment figures where unemployment rate is now at a 7-year-high. Other Singaporean concerns that have taken headlines recently, like ministerial salaries, the racist Presidential Election and his abuse of power over his father’s estate 38 Oxley Road, were also not ignored by the dictator PM.
PM Lee Hsien Loong will be retiring only 5 years later when he is 70.