SM Lee Receives Australia's Highest Civilian Honour for Advancing Ties

Award recognises significant contributions made throughout his 40-year political career

- Annabelle Liang

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has received Australia's highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia, for his contributions towards growing its bilateral relationship with Singapore.

Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who is on a state visit to Singapore, conferred on SM Lee the award of Honorary Companion in the General Division of The Order of Australia at an investiture ceremony on Aug 5.

A citation from the Prime Minister's Office, Australia, said that "throughout his 40-year political career, and particularly as Prime Minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, Mr Lee has made significant contributions to advancing Australia-Singapore relations".

"He has been a strong and influential advocate for closer ties between our two countries and has consistently driven agreements and initiatives which encourage stronger and mutually beneficial relationships," the citation added.

The economic relationship between Australia and Singapore has grown enormously during SM Lee's term as prime minister, the citation said, with Singapore becoming Australia's largest trading partner and investor in South-east Asia.

The citation noted how SM Lee oversaw and drove six revisions of the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) — Canberra's first bilateral FTA with an Asian country — to keep it up to date and "anticipate change through new technologies and supply chain vulnerabilities".