MM Lee off to another official visit to India
December 15, 2009
Singapore’s octogenarian leader MM Lee Kuan Yew had flown
overseas again for an official visit to India.
According to records from the website of the Prime Minister’s
Office, this is probably MM Lee’s fifth overseas trip this
year.
MM Lee had just returned from the United States in October where
he met up with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House.
It is not known if he is paying for these trips or are they paid
for by taxpayers’ monies.
At 86 years of age, MM Lee still toiled tirelessly in the
service of the nation. Already the oldest MP in the world, MM Lee
looks to set another world record should he decide to participate
in the next general election due by 2011.
MM Lee had been appearing in the news lately once every two to
three days, more so than his son, the Prime Minister.
As Minister Mentor, Mr Lee was paid more than SGD$2 million
annually or about SGD$166,600 monthly. The median monthly salary of
an average Singapore is only $2,600.
Before his departure, MM Lee found time to make a visit to his
Tanjong Pagar constituency where he presented the house key to a
buyer of [email protected], the tallest HDB flats built in
Singapore.
In a brief speech, MM Lee recalled that he had unveiled the
first rental flats at the same plot of land 45 years ago in
1964.
He reassured Singaporeans that HDB flats will remain
“affordable” even as its prices continue to rise.
A few days earlier, MM Lee had lectured the Japanese on the need
to rejuvenate their aging leadership and to bring in young leaders
like he did.
“We also have a rule, I’m the exception to the rule, I’m
86….But I’m not doing the work; I’m just forecasting… The work is
being done by younger people in their late 40s and 50s. So there’s
an energy and a drive, and an understanding of the contemporary
world. And they are also linked up with the younger generation of
voters,” he quipped.
MM Lee had been doing a lot of “forecasting” for Singapore since
he assumed his position in 2003.
He once remarked famously that Singapore is entering a “golden
period”. A year later, Singapore became the first Asian country to
enter a recession.