PM Lee to form new Cabinet over next two weeks

SINGAPORE — Now that the elections are over, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his immediate priority over the next two weeks would be to form the Cabinet, among them the Transport Minister hot seat - a job he described as demanding but was confident of filling with the right person.

Not only will the incoming Transport Minister have to understand and grasp technical knowledge about the trains and buses, and how to keep them running efficiently, he or she will also have to deal with the political aspect. The Minister would need to communicate with people, and get them to understand and accept what needs to be done, such as raising fares from time to time and what is being done if service breaks down, Mr Lee noted.

“And so today we are reaping the fruits of work done by previous transport ministers, like Mr Lui Tuck Yew who has done a good job over the last four years. Some of the results are showing now but some of the results will not show for five, 10 (or) 15 years to come. So it's a very demanding job but I will find somebody,” said Mr Lee, while keeping tight-lipped on who might be potential candidates. 

Mr Lee was speaking to reporters at Teck Ghee Square this evening, the last stop of his three-hour victory parade across the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC), where he and his team pulled in 78.63 per cent of the total votes against the Reform Party yesterday.

Asked how he hopes Singaporeans will work with the Government in the years ahead, Mr Lee noted there are several ways to do this. He cited the “Our Singapore Conversation” series where Singaporeans were engaged to brainstorm for ideas that influenced policies in areas such as housing, medical care or opportunities for young people among others.

“It’s a lot of work, you have to discuss, you have to engage, you have to think what you really mean and then make the effort. You can't just sit back and go on coffeeshop conversations. There's some values in that (but) to take it the next step forward, you have to put a considerable effort in it,” he said.

But with a variety of activists groups, such environmental issues groups, welfare groups or grassroots groups, Singaporeans can also organise themselves to push for issues, said Mr Lee. 

“Young people in particular have very diverse interests - some are interested in animals, pet welfare, some in people, some in education, some in arts. And we encourage them to get involved in all these and the Government will work directly with them,” he added.

Mr Lee also dismissed the notion that his popularity and posters of himself put up across the island had any bearing on the national swing towards the People’s Action Party.

“It's flattering but I think it cannot just be based on a person because it has to be based in substance, on whether people's lives are getting better, and whether they have the trust not just in one person but in the whole team,” he said.

“And I'd like to think on all these other counts, we've made good progress. We've had posters before with my image on them even for previous elections. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” he added.