Singapore Political Old Guards Step Aside in Next Elections

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Singapore’s coming elections will not see familiar faces who are considered old guards of both the incumbent and opposition parties.

Goh Chok Tong, who for nearly 14 years until 2004 served as Singapore’s second prime minister, has informed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that he is retiring, according to his letter posted on the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday. Goh, 79, is ending a political career with the ruling People’s Action Party that spans more than four decades.

”Chok Tong has had an extraordinary political journey,” Lee posted on Facebook on Thursday. “I am forever personally indebted to Chok Tong, who brought me into politics. Ours was a fruitful comradeship that spanned the entirety of my years in politics and most of his — a close friendship between two prime ministers that would be the envy of many countries.”

Meanwhile, Low Thia Khiang, a stalwart of the opposition Workers’ Party, is also stepping down. During a press conference by the party to introduce its candidates, party chief Pritam Singh announced the retirement of Low, according to the Straits Times. Low, who was recently in intensive care after a fall, has been a member of parliament since 1991 and led the party for more than 15 years.

Singapore will hold an election on July 10 as Lee seeks a renewed mandate to govern amid the coronavirus pandemic that has pummeled the country’s economy.

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