Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong SPMJ DK (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as the third Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Teck Ghee division of Ang Mo Kio GRC since 1991, and previously Teck Ghee SMC between 1984 and 1991.
The Honourable Lee Hsien Loong SPMJ DK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
李显龙 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lee in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outgoing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 12 August 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | S. R. Nathan Tony Tan Halimah Yacob Tharman Shanmugaratnam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Tony Tan S. Jayakumar Wong Kan Seng Teo Chee Hean Tharman Shanmugaratnam Heng Swee Keat Lawrence Wong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Goh Chok Tong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lawrence Wong (designate) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary-General of the People's Action Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 7 November 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Tony Tan Lim Boon Heng Khaw Boon Wan Gan Kim Yong Heng Swee Keat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Goh Chok Tong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC (Teck Ghee) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 21 August 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Lee Hsien Loong 10 February 1952 Colony of Singapore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | People's Action Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Lee Kuan Yew (father) Kwa Geok Choo (mother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Lee Hsien Yang (brother) Lee Wei Ling (sister) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (BA, Dipl.) Harvard University (MPA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Military general | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Singapore Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1971–1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Brigadier-General | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commands | Director of the Joint Operations and Planning Directorate Chief of Staff – General Staff Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations) Commanding Officer, 23rd Battalion Singapore Artillery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lee Hsien Loong | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lee's name in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 李显龙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 李顯龍 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born in Singapore during British colonial rule, Lee is the eldest son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics with first class honours and a Diploma in Computer Science with distinction (equivalent to a first-class masters in computer science). He served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) between 1971 and 1984, and attained the rank Brigadier-General, completing a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School in 1980. Lee resigned from the SAF in 1984 to enter politics and was elected the MP for Teck Ghee SMC. Since its dissolution in 1991, he has represented the Teck Ghee ward of Ang Mo Kio GRC.
Lee has served as deputy prime minister, Minister for Finance, Minister for Trade and Industry, and Second Minister for Defence under Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong before assuming the office of prime minister in 2004. In his first two years, his government enacted a five-day work week and extended maternity leave days. His proposal to build two Integrated Resorts in Singapore to increase tourism revenue led to the development of the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Following the Great Recession, he oversaw the country's economic recovery within two years. Further political reforms in 2010 saw increased online activism as well as the number of Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) in Parliament.
Since the 2020s, he oversaw the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent recession and recovery. In 2022, he responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by being the only Southeast Asian country to impose sanctions on Russia. That same year, his government repealed the then already unenforced colonial-era Section 377A, de jure and de facto legalising same-sex sexual activity between men. Lee is frequently noted by the international media as the world's highest paid state leader. His libel suits against journalists and political opponents have been frequently covered by international news outlets.