Lee Hsien Loong

Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician who is currently serving as the Senior Minister of Singapore. He had served as the Prime Minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024. He is a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Teck Ghee division of Ang Mio Kio Group Member Constituency. He is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP), and he is serving as the Secretary-General of it.

The Honourable Lee Hsien Loong MP SPMJ DK
李显龙
Lee in 2023
Senior Minister of Singapore
Incumbent
Assumed office 15 May 2024 Serving with Teo Chee Hean
Prime Minister	Lawrence Wong
Preceded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam
3rd Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 12 August 2004 – 15 May 2024
President	S. R. Nathan Tony Tan Halimah Yacob Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Deputy	List Tony Tan S. Jayakumar Wong Kan Seng Teo Chee Hean Tharman S. Heng Swee Keat Lawrence Wong
Preceded by	Goh Chok Tong
Succeeded by	Lawrence Wong
Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 August 1991
Preceded by	Constituency established
Secretary-General of the People's Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 December 2004
Preceded by	Goh Chok Tong
Past offices Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore In office 28 November 1990 – 12 August 2004 Serving with Tony Tan Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong Preceded by Goh Chok Tong Succeeded by S. Jayakumar Minister for Finance In office 10 November 2001 – 1 December 2007 Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong Himself Preceded by Richard Hu Succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam Minister for Trade and Industry In office 1 January 1987 – 6 December 1992 Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong Preceded by Tony Tan Succeeded by S. Dhanabalan Member of Parliament for Teck Ghee SMC In office 22 December 1984 – 14 August 1991
Personal details
Born	(1952-02-10) 10 February 1952 (age 72) Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party (PAP)
Spouse(s)	Wong Ming Yang ​ ​ (m. 1978; died 1982)​ Ho Ching ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	Daughter - Li Xiuqi Son - Li Yipeng Son - Li Hongyi Son - Li Haoyi
Parents	Father - Lee Kuan Yew Mother - Kwa Geok Choo
Relatives	Brother - Lee Hsien Yang Sister - Lee Wei Ling
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge (BA, Dipl.) Harvard University (MPA) United States Army Command and General Staff College (MMAS)
Signature
Website	Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
Military service
Branch/service	Singapore Army
Years of service	1971–1984
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands	Director of the Joint Operations and Plans Directorate Chief of Staff of the General Staff

Lee was born in 1952 at Kandang Kerbau Hospital (presently known as KK Women's and Children's Hospital).^[1][2] He is the first child of Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. Lee Kuan Yew, was the first Prime Minister of Singapore.

Lee studied mathematics and computer science at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1974 and a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1980.

Lee joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1971 and left in 1984. He had the role of brigadier-general.

After leaving the SAF in 1984, he entered politics during the 1984 general elections. In 1987, he became a full member of the Cabinet as Minister for Trade and Industry and Second Minister for Defence. In 1990, Lee Hsien Loong was made a deputy prime minister.

In August 2004, Goh Chok Tong stepped down as Prime Minister, and Lee Hsien Loong took over the position. He then became the General Secretary of People's Action Party (PAP).

Background and education

On his grandmother (father's side), Chua Jim Neo is a Hokkien Nyonya. His mother's ancestors are from Tong'an District, Xiamen, Fujian, China. He studied at Nanyang Primary School, Catholic High School and National Junior College.

In 1971, Lee joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Lee was promoted to very high rank quickly in the Singapore Army. In July 1983, he became the youngest Brigadier General in Singapore. He left SAF in 1984.^[3]

Early political life

In the 1980s, Lee Kuan Yew said he will step down as Prime Minister in 1984. Lee Hsien Loong was considered in the list of new leaders in PAP.

In 1984, at 32, He was elected an MP. His father immediately assigned him as a Minister of State for some ministries.

In 1987, he joined in the Cabinet as the Minister for Trade and Industry and Second Minister for Defence.

Salary

From 2008 to 2012, Lee's salary was S$3.87 million every year.^[4] He had a salary increase of 25%, it was originally S$3,091,200.^[5]

In January 2012, his salary was reduced to S$2.2 million due to the public having complained then about his unfair salary. ^[6][7][8] But, he is still the prime minister with the highest salary in the world.^[9]

Personal life

• Wong Ming Yang, Lee's first wife is a Malaysian-born doctor who was married in 1978. He has two children - Li Xiuqi and Li Yipeng. Three weeks after giving birth to Lee's first son, Li Yipeng, an albino, she died of heart attack on 28 October 1982, at 31 years old.^[10]
• While married to Ho Ching once again, a civil servant who went on to become CEO of Temasek Holdings in 1985, Lee Hsien Loong has another two more sons - Li Hongyi and Li Haoyi.
• Ho Ching's first son, Li Hongyi, won the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Math & Science in 2006. Also in 2006, he became an officer of SAF.
• Lee Hsien Loong has been diagnosed with lymphoma in 1992, and subsequently prostate cancer in February 2018.

Notes

1. "15 ever-so-slightly interesting factoids about PM Lee Hsien Loong, since it's his 15th year as our PM". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
2. "Pa was always there for us and taught us lessons in life: PM Lee Hsien Loong at private farewell". The Straits Times. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2020. ... the day I was born, when he [Lee Kuan Yew] visited Mama and the new baby in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, he told her how he was going to represent the postmen's union ...
3. coapprover (23 October 2018). "PMO - The Cabinet". Prime Minister's Office Singapore.
4. Lee, Lynn. "Ministers, top civil servants to get 4% to 21% pay rise in Jan". Archived from the original on 2008-02-14.
5. Seth, Mydans (9 April 2007). "Singapore announces 60 percent pay raise for ministers". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
6. "Salaries Cut, Singapore Leaders Are Still Well-Paid". The Wall Street Journal. 18 January 2012.
7. Mydans, Seth (23 January 2012). "Singapore Slashes Officials' Salaries". The New York Times.
8. "AFP: Singapore PM says Obama earns less but has perks". Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
9. "Singapore faces growing pains as setbacks pile up". Reuters. 6 February 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
10. Bertha Henson (1993-05-09). "It was a bolt from the blue". The Sunday Times / Asiaone. Archived from the original on 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2008-08-19.