Asia Times Online, 24 May 2011For the first time since Singapore achieved independence, national founder, former prime minister and until now mentor minister Lee Kuan Yew is not among its cabinet line-up. His surprise resignation this month and the composition of the new cabinet announced over the weekend are the result of the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) worst electoral showing since 1966.
Both Lee, 87, and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, 71, announced their decision to step down from their ministerial posts on May 14. Announcing their move in a joint e-mail, they said, "The time has come for a younger generation to carry Singapore forward in a more difficult and complex situation." Their resignations are believed to signal a realization by Lee and the ruling PAP that a disconnect has grown between Lee's strong style of government. Full story
