Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s New Yew Day message took headlines again with many speculating that his cancerous-looking bump on his right arm may be evidence that karma has again struck the two-time cancer survivor. In 1992, Lee Hsien Loong was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer but he survived the cancer after chemotherapy treatment. Thirteen years later in 2015, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer but unfortunately the dictator survived again.
The bump first appeared in August 2017, during his National Day message. Many Singaporeans, then, cheered that they are seeing positive signs that the dictator will finally retire and, soon enough in less than a week, in a Facebook post by Goh Chok Tong, the former PM revealed that Lee Hsien Loong will be retiring by 2022. Due to Lee Hsien Loong’s catastrophic leadership, both critics and supporters of the ruling party are hoping he resign as soon as possible and hand over leadership.
In his New Year Day message, Lee Hsien Loong made baseless claims about the economy becoming better and other rosy-tinted motherhood statements about a “better-than-expected” growth:
“Singapore benefited from the global economic upswing. But more fundamentally, the better-than-expected growth was because Singapore’s productivity – long a challenge for the country – has grown. Singaporeans are upgrading and learning new skills, while businesses are innovating and adopting new technology. That is how we will stay competitive and ready for the future. Singapore is finishing the year stronger than it started, and we are ushering in 2018 with confidence and strength.”
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also announced that he will be having an undisclosed budget to “celebrate” 200th anniversary of British colonisation of Singapore in 1819:
“We should commemorate this bicentennial appropriately, just as we marked the 150th anniversary in 1969. It is an important milestone for Singapore; an occasion for us to reflect on how our nation came into being, how we have come this far since, and how we can go forward together.”
Lee Hsien Loong however did not say he will appoint a PAP successor for his premiership, much to the disappointment of his supporters who are at lost who to rally their support behind. The Prime Minister also claimed that diplomacy relations with China and US “remains positive”, even when ties have significantly deteriorated. China refuse to admit Singapore as a member of the One Belt One Road initiative, while US are withdrawing their multi-national companies from Singapore.