SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stepped down on Wednesday, marking the end of an era after nearly two decades in office.

Lee is the son of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore who stayed in politics until his death in 2015.

His resignation ended a family dynasty, as he formally handed over the reins to his deputy, Lawrence Wong.

As Singapore’s third premier, Lee oversaw his country’s economic growth into an international financial hub and top tourist destination. The island’s gross domestic product per capita more than doubled during his tenure, with the government also credited for competently steering the country through several recessions and successfully fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee’s succession has been planned for years, but the transition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 72-year-old will remain in Wong’s cabinet as senior minister, as former Singapore premiers have done.

In his final major speech on May 1, Lee urged Singaporeans to rally behind Wong and said that the country’s stable politics had made long-term planning possible.

“As I prepare to hand over Singapore in good order to my successor, I feel a sense of satisfaction and completeness. I have done my duty, and I am very happy I chose this path of public service all those many years ago,” he said.

“But leading a country is never a one-man job. It is always the effort of a national team. Your unwavering support enabled us to get here, with the country in good shape and heading in the right direction.”

Anand Gopalan, who runs a financial and strategy advisory firm, said Singapore managed to keep up with the times under Lee’s leadership.

“With Lee Hsien Loong, … there’s a lot more focus on technology and innovation,” he said.

Singapore also saw growth in entrepreneurship and start-ups, as well as financial technology and artificial intelligence-focused platforms, giving citizens a vast range of career options, he added.

Though the city-state flourished into one of the world’s wealthiest nations, it also became one of the most expensive cities to live in.

“The big problems now are the diminishing jobs, both middle-class and working-class jobs, increased taxes and cost of living,” Gopalan said.

For 63-year-old Alice Rani, Singapore’s transformation throughout the years was commendable.

“I was born in 1961. There have been a lot of changes that sometimes I would say to myself: ‘Wow, it’s amazing what the government did for Singapore’,” Rani told Arab News.

“I like the way our government works, and everything is going (well). There is a lot of improvement, but it is a bit expensive to live here. We can still manage, and the government has been providing a lot of (subsidies and assistance).”

Singaporeans have enjoyed good infrastructure over the years, especially its transportation and pedestrian-friendly streets that are some of the best in Southeast Asia.

“I think for Singaporeans, they benefited a lot. Roads are better, flats are better, and the hawker centers are very convenient for people,” artist Margaret Pereira said.

“With the local infrastructure, there are more trains and train lines being built … There are a lot of differences in the past 20 years.”

COLOMBO: At least 16 Sri Lankan mercenaries have been killed fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine, the island’s deputy defense minister said Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began more than two years ago, and Moscow has been on a global quest for more troops.
Soldiers from Sri Lanka’s regional neighbors India and Nepal have also signed up to fight since last year, with several confirmed deaths in combat from citizens of both countries.
Sri Lanka opened an inquiry last week into the recruitment of its citizens for the conflict that has since identified the participation of 288 retired soldiers from the island nation, deputy defense minister Pramitha Tennakoon said.
“We have confirmed information about 16 who have been killed,” he told reporters in Colombo.
Tennakoon did not say which side of the conflict the soldiers had been fighting on.
But ruling party lawmaker Gamini Waleboda told parliament on Monday that most had been recruited to fight alongside the Russian army.
Those who joined had been duped with promises of high salaries and falsely told they would be given non-combat roles, Waleboda said.
Tennakoon said the recruitment of Sri Lankans was being treated as a human trafficking enterprise and urged military officers not to fall prey to the recruitment drive.
The Sri Lankan government was also in talks with both the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministries to track down Sri Lankans in the two countries and bring them back safely.
“This is a delicate issue,” Tennakoon said. “We are friends with Russia, we are friends with Ukraine. Both are important for us so we are talking to the foreign ministries to get our people back safely.”
Complaints began pouring in from relatives after the defense ministry established its probe last week to collect information on those who had traveled to both countries to join the war effort.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly warned its citizens against traveling to Russia or Ukraine to join the fighting.
But there are no restrictions on Sri Lankans traveling abroad and large numbers have left in the wake of an unprecedented economic crisis in mid-2022.
Police arrested two retired army officers, including a major general, last week for illegally acting as recruiting agents for Russian mercenary firms.
India and Nepal have also confirmed that numerous citizens of those countries had been recruited to fight alongside the Russian army over the past year.
At least 19 Nepalis had been killed in combat, according to figures from the Himalayan republic published in March.
Russia’s army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year and it has since made gains as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages.