The legacy of Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong as he steps down as PM after 20 years

For Singapore politics, Wednesday is the end of an era.

Lee Hsien Loong, the third prime minister of Singapore, is stepping down after two decades atop the city state.

Though Lee is handing over the prime minister’s chair to Lawrence Wong, he will not entirely be out of the picture.

Lee will remain senior minister – a path taken by all former premiers.

“We started off with the founding ideal to be one people, regardless of race, language or religion. And actually, we have gone very far in that direction by policies, by government indoctrination even, by the way we have built our society to be one people,” Lee told CNA earlier this week.

But what is Lee’s legacy?

Let’s take a closer look:

By the numbers

Lee in August 2004 took over as Singapore’s third prime minister in the long ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

Lee was following in the footsteps of his predecessor Goh Chok Tong and his father Lee Kuan Yew – the country’s first leader who turned it into an economic powerhouse.

According to CNA, Lee has repeatedly said he wants to leave Singapore ‘in good order.’

Lee has done far more than that – in fact, he’s leaving with the country in far better shape than when he took over.

The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased more than two-fold – from $168 billion to $392 billion, as per CNA.

The average income of a Singapore resident has risen from $1,723 to $3,850.

The country also managed to lower its inequality.

The Gini coefficient, which measures the gap between the richest and poorest in a country, dropped from .42 to .37.

The scale slides from 0 (equality) to 1 (inequality).

Yearly passenger arrivals also doubled to 29.5 million from 14.3 million.

The country now has 27 free trade agreements as compared to five in 2004.

The number of infant care and childcare centres also climbed from 722 in 2004 to 2,470, as per CNA.

Handling crises, home to start-up firms

According to SCMP, Lee guided Singapore through some of its toughest times including the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

A post in Medium noted how deftly Singapore handled the COVID-19 crisis under Lee’s leadership.

“Through transparent communication and decisive action, Lee Hsien Loong rallied the nation, instilling confidence and unity in the face of uncertainty. Singapore emerged as a global exemplar in pandemic management, a testament to the efficacy of his leadership,” the piece stated.

The city state also changed from a trading and manufacturing port into an innovation and entrepreneurship hub, as per SCMP.

It is now a home to tech companies and start-up firms.

Lee also made social progress in 2022 by revoking a law that forbade gay sex.

Expanded welfare state, global statesman

He also made improvements to Singapore’s education system and expanded the welfare state.

CNA noted how Lee’s government improved the lot of low wage workers through the Progressive Wage Model and Workfare scheme.

SCMP quoted Nydia Ngiow, managing director of BowerGroupAsia in Singapore, as saying, “Compared to his predecessors, Lee placed even greater emphasis on social policies and inclusivity as he took on the task of fostering an open and inclusive society,” Ngiow told

Ngiow told CNA that cash handouts, vouchers and rebates helped the common man deal with the increasing cost of living.

She noted how this was a departure from the policies of previous prime minister including his father.

She recalled how during the 1997 crisis the government of Goh preferred tax rebates to putting cash in the hands of people and businesses.

“Furthermore, the continuity of cash handouts since 2020 despite significant economic recovery also signals a willingness to implement more social welfare measures,” Ngiow added.

“As a young nation, Singapore started out with a ‘minimalist’ approach to welfare given its strong focus on self-reliance, but as Singapore continued its focus on economic growth, the country was able to progress financial packages to support each generation of Singaporeans,” she TOLD SCMP.

A piece in ConnectedtoIndia.com noted the role Lee had played as a global statesman.

KV Rao, president of the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), told the outlet, “What inspires or impresses me about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is there are many heads of state, but [he] is a global statesman, [that is] how the world recognises him. Singapore — this little red dot — usually, more often than not, punches way above its weight. That is the legacy that our prime minister is leaving behind.”

Rao highlighted the challenges leaders face in today’s world.

“There are fewer friends left [in the world] and more are becoming aggressive to each other. In such a world, you look at the role that Singapore plays — it’s a friend of China; it’s a friend of India; it’s a friend of America. So it’s something which is multi-polar and also acceptable,” said Rao.

Ultimately though, experts said Lee would likely be remembered for a few things above all else.

Associate professor Bilveer Singh, deputy head of the Department of Political Sciences at National University of Singapore, told CNA, “If asked what could well be his most lasting legacy, it would likely be a combination of his ensuring national political and economic growth continued throughout the COVID pandemic, and his meticulous preparation for the smooth handover of the reins of government administration to the 4G PAP leaders.”

The negatives

But there have also been some negatives.

While Singapore under Lee’s rule flourished into one of the world’s wealthiest nations, it also became one of the most expensive cities to live in.

The PAP has also been criticised for tight government control and a government-knows-best stance, media censorship and the use of oppressive laws against dissidents.

Issues like increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding caused by immigration and restrictions on free speech are often used as fodder by the Opposition and have loosened the PAP’s grip on power.

“One-party dominance in Singapore is weakening but the challenge for the PAP leadership is to slow down the process,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University.

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia political expert, said Lee “will be remembered for steering Singapore quietly and successfully through turbulent waters from the 2008-2009 financial crisis and COVID-19. He helped to build resilience in Singapore. … (But) Singapore has become a more complex society, with more open demands, making the task of governing (for Wong) more challenging.”

It remains to be seen if and how Wong rises to the challenge.

With inputs from agencies