PM Lee to go for full check-up after health scare at NDR
SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made his way to Singapore General Hospital for a full medical check-up after concluding his National Day Rally (NDR) speech on Sunday (Aug 21), following a brief scare when he became unsteady during the English segment of his speech.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Mr Lee's condition, which sparked an 80-minute interruption of the live telecast of the speech from ITE College Central, was due to prolonged standing, heat and dehydration.
"His heart is fine and he did not have a stroke," the PMO added.
Mr Lee became unsteady at about 9.20pm, during the English portion of his speech where he talked about the need to refresh Singapore's Elected Presidency system. He was escorted off stage by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and several others.
The Prime Minister returned to the stage at about 10.40pm to a standing ovation and loud cheers, and said: "Thank you for waiting for me. I gave everyone a scare."
Taking some tension out of the auditorium, Mr Lee quipped: "The last time I did this I was on a parade square at SAFTI and fainted. I’ve never had so many doctors looking at me all at once."
Mr Lee said the doctors think he is "all right", but said he was going to have a full check-up to be sure.
The unexpected episode prompted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to write on Twitter: "Heard that you're not feeling well. I hope you're all right. Get well soon @leehsienloong."
Defence minister Ng Eng Hen said Mr Lee's brief fainting spell was "not serious", adding that it is similar to what soldiers get from standing on the parade square for too long.
Writing in a Facebook post after the NDR, Mr Ng added: "After he recovered, PM insisted on finishing his speech and did it with panache and vigour. True leadership by example.
"Still, I’m glad that PM will go through a full medical check to be doubly sure," Mr Ng wrote.
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat also took to Facebook after Sunday night's NDR and said: "I hope (Mr Lee's) full check-up after the NDR will find that everything is okay, and I hope PM will take some rest."
Added Mr Heng, who will be returning to work: "He has been checking up on me in the last few weeks, advising me to take care after my stroke. My sincerest hope is that he will also be kind to himself when it comes to his health."
When Mr Lee resumed his speech, he took stock of the last 15 years and looked ahead to what Singapore might look like in 2030.
Taking a long view, Mr Lee looked back to how Singapore faced similar economic and security challenges 15 years ago in 2001, and came through by pulling together. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the US, Singapore’s economy fell into a recession and the authorities also discovered the Jemaah Islamiyah group’s plot to attack local targets like the Changi Airport. These challenges did not break Singapore, and in fact drew the country closer.
“Now, we are at the threshold again, looking ahead to the next phase of our nation-building,” said Mr Lee, who pointed out that the building blocks for success in the next 15 years and beyond are in place.
He alluded to swimmer Joseph Schooling’s Olympic gold medal feat as an example of what Singapore and Singaporeans can achieve in the future.
“We are a people building on the work of each generation, looking to the future with confidence. A nation where a young Singapore boy can achieve his dream,” said Mr Lee.
“Joseph will inspire many more, younger and older, to chase their dreams, to make the impossible come true.”
