Guess who is the latest citizen of London?

The city of London has made Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong one of their own, presenting him with the Honorary Freedom of the City of London award.

It is the highest honour the City can bestow on someone. Past awardees are not just the who's who in the world, but who's who of history.

They include the guys who saved us from losing World War II (Franklin D. Roosevelt,Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower); the founder of modern nursing (Florence Nightingale); and the Nobel peace prize winner who ended apartheid (Nelson Mandela).

Recent awardees are more cool than important as they include the very rich Microsoft guy (Bill Gates); the mother of Prince William (Princess Diana); and the author of Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling).

A perk of the award includes having the police send you home in a taxi if they find you drunk and passed out on the streets instead of throwing you in jail for a night.

Check out the certificate.

 Source: Lee Hsien Loong Facebook

It must be a big deal that our former colonial masters think that PM Lee is cool enough to be one of their exemplary ex-subjects. Here are six possible reasons why they think so:

(Excerpts from PM Lee's "A Tale of Two Cities" speech)

1. He proclaims his love for British bookstores

"I had an enjoyable but sober time attending plays and concerts, exploring museums and art galleries, and spending hours browsing in the greatest bookshop in the world - Foyles."

Source

Foyles was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest bookshop in terms of shelf area and number of titles on display.

2. His father is a Freeman too.

"Britain's victory in the Falklands War in 1982 boosted national pride and restored belief to your people. That year my father Mr Lee Kuan Yew became an Honorary Freeman. In his speech, he spoke of his experiences of London since World War II, and challenged Britain to draw on the spirit of the Falklands War to rejuvenate and transform itself."

3. He cracked a joke only the Brits understand

"Temasek Holdings has decided to site its European office in London, and will be opening it tomorrow. ComfortDelgro is operating buses and cabs in London, so now a Singa­porean company has The Knowledge!"

Source: Amazon

Taxi drivers in London go through a rigorous training to get their badge, passing “The Knowledge”, a test which has been described as having a mental atlas of London in your head.

4. He quoted English poet William Wordsworth

"Today, London is not just a financial hub, but a global city for talent, innovation and culture. Each time I visit – most recently in 2009 – I feel the energy and verve of the city. Were Wordsworth to visit Westminster Bridge today, he would surely sense that all that mighty heart is not lying still, but pulsing powerfully!"

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, 3 September 1802, William Wordsworth. Source

5. He developed a Facebook bromance with the British Foreign Secretary.

PM Lee's post on Foreign Secretary William Hague's Facebook.

Foreign Secretary William Hague's post on PM Lee's Facebook

6. He is cooler than their Prime Minister in more ways than one.

"Our ties are not just about business. In May, Singa­pore will host a stage performance of one of Britain's most important cultural exports - 'Yes, Prime Minister'."

i) More Facebook Fans.

Source

Source

Checked.

ii) Smarter than the British PM.

David Cameron - First class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University.

Lee Hsien Hoong - First Class honours in Mathematics from Cambridge University in two instead of three years.

Source: Lee Hsien Loong Facebook

Checked.

iii) A fashion-forward techie

(From left to right: Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Reynolds, and Kristen Stewart)

How many people above 55 do you know wears the latest cooler-than-cool lifestyle tech gadget - UP bracelet?

Checked.

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Top photo from here.

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