High standards for politicians must be upheld, says President Tharman

He expresses full confidence in new PM’s ability to lead Singapore in next chapter

- Wong Pei Ting

Politicians in Singapore are held to high standards of integrity, incorruptibility and conduct, and such standards must never be allowed to slide, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Upholding and reinforcing these standards defined the most important part of Mr Lee Hsien Loong's legacy, President Tharman said in a speech minutes before Mr Lee officially passed the baton of leadership to Mr Lawrence Wong.

Noting that Mr Wong has played a key role so far in shaping the Republic's economic, fiscal and social policies, he expressed full confidence in the new prime minister's ability to rally Singaporeans to create the next chapter of the Singapore story.

At the swearing-in ceremony at the Istana on May 15, Mr Tharman said Mr Lee had delivered on his promise at his own swearing-in in 2004 to be a prime minister for all Singaporeans - having transformed the economy and built a more inclusive society. He had also kept the country together through crises like the Covid-19 pandemic.

"But it is above all, the norms and standards that Mr Lee upheld and reinforced the intangibles of political leadership that define his most important legacy," he said.