Singapore — Amid the rise in Covid cases, the Multi-Ministry Task Force has taken centre stage with communicating the government’s strategies in managing the pandemic, especially Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.
But lawyer and opposition leader Lim Tean seems to be wondering where Singapore highest official, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is.
In a Monday morning Facebook post (Sept 27), Mr Lim called PM Lee, “The Prime Minister Who Has Disappeared!”
The Prime Minister, now 69, had said in years past that he hoped to retire by his 70th birthday on Feb 10, 2022. In July of last year, however, after the General Election was held, he said that he would delay his plans of stepping down.
“I had expressed a hope that I would be able to hand over by the time I celebrate my 70th birthday, but I do not determine the path of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lot will depend on how events unfold, and all I can say is I will see this through and I will handover in good shape as soon as possible to the next team.”
And now, People’s Voice Secretary-General Lim Tean is wondering what has come of those words.
“Well, nearly 15 months after uttering those words, the Covid situation has become much worse, and we are about to hit the 2000 mark very shortly.
He has a lot of explaining to do to Singaporeans on why his continued stay is justified?
Maybe, on the momentous occasion of hitting the 2000 mark, he would like to give Singaporeans an explanation on live television.”
Mr Lim added that he considers it a “sad truth” that “we have a Prime Minister who has not led from the front at all in this greatest crisis of our times.”
Furthermore, he compared this with New Zealand and the UK, where leaders Ms Jacinda Ardern and Mr Boris Johnson, respectively, address the public regularly concerning the pandemic.
“But for Lee Hsien Loong, do you see him at the frontline of Covid?” Mr Lim wrote, adding further said that “Being paid an obscene salary and having formerly been Lee Hsien Loong’s PPS (Principal Private Secretary), in the cases of Lawrence Wong and Ong Ye Kung, does not mean you are competent!”
Mr Lim went as far as to say that perhaps new elections are needful.
“If Lee Hsien Loong can’t find anyone from the PAP who he thinks is competent to succeed him, may I suggest he calls snap elections and allow the Singapore people to decide on how they want our Nation to move forward!”
PM Lee’s last public address was on Aug 29, at the National Day Rally. His address sounded a triumphant note as Singapore had just passed an 80 per cent vaccination rate when he made his speech.
Since the NDR, with restrictions being loosened before they were imposed again last Friday, the number of new Covid infections has gone up to over 1,000 daily although the death rate remains one of the lowest in the world.
On Friday, the MTF announced that tighter measures would be implemented for a month in order to slow the rise of cases so that healthcare resources do not get overwhelmed. /TISG
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