Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his toast speech at the White House State Dinner that Singapore has named an orchid hybrid in honour of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

And at the same time, he managed to squeeze in a joke while keeping a straight face.

The orchid hybrid, known as Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama, is "a hybrid of breeds native to Singapore and Hawaii, where the President was born... most of us believe”, he said as the audience burst into laughter.

The claim that Obama's place of birth was not in the United States was previously repeatedly trumpeted by some quarters. This led to the US president releasing his long-form birth certificate to the public.

PM Lee also said during his toast: “It is a fitting tribute to America’s first Pacific President, and a beautiful symbol of the flourishing ties between our countries.”

On Tuesday evening, Aug. 2, PM Lee and his wife were hosted to a state dinner by the Obamas at the White House as part of his official visit to the United States to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

PM Lee's prepared full toast speech, available below, showed that his "most of us believe" comment was ad-libbed.

Below is the full text of the toast speech by PM Lee Hsien Loong:

Mr President, thank you for your kind words. Ho Ching and I are delighted to be here. We are touched by your warm welcome and gracious hospitality. We especially appreciate Mrs Obama’s personal efforts to make this visit a successful one and for personally overseeing the splendid arrangements for the state dinner.

Mr President, when you addressed the United Nations in 2014, you said that “when nations find common ground, not simply based on power, but on principle, then we can make enormous progress”. I am glad to say tonight, on the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, that our two countries share much common ground and have made great progress together based on shared principles, convergent interests and mutual respect.

I remember my first meeting with you at the Senate. It was May 2007. You were in the midst of a hard fought presidential campaign, and not yet the front runner for the Democratic nomination. But I was struck by your focus, your informed interest in Asia, and your desire to cement America’s role in it.

Your years growing up in Indonesia gave you direct experience of Southeast Asia’s cultures and challenges. As President, your personal leadership and decision to rebalance to Asia, has won America new friends and strengthened old partnerships, including with Singapore.

Over half a century, working together on multiple issues, Singaporeans and Americans have made many enduring personal friendships. So I am happy to see many of Singapore’s old friends here tonight, such as Dr Henry Kissinger, Ambassador Jon Huntsman, and Ambassador Steve Green.

Singapore admires America’s dynamism, vibrancy and capacity for self-renewal. These qualities attract the best and brightest from around the world. Thousands of Singaporeans study in the US, attracted not just by the excellent academic education, but also the unique dynamism of your campuses, and the ethos of your society. This is something that Singapore hopes to emulate as we seek to tap into this spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. The National University of Singapore has set up Overseas Colleges in Silicon Valley and New York, so that our students can intern with high-tech start-ups. We are also launching a US-Singapore 50th anniversary scholarship to promote greater exchanges and understanding between our young people.

America excels not just through sheer individual talent, but by working together with others. At this year’s International Math Olympiad the US team came in top, and beat Singapore! You did so in an open and collaborative manner – inviting students from other competing countries to the US to train with you, including two Singaporeans who benefited from the exposure.

In sport too, some of Singapore’s Olympic hopefuls have come to train with America’s best athletes. One of our swimmers, Joseph Schooling, is a member of the University of Texas swim team and was the 2016 NCAA champion in the 100m and 200m butterfly. And we hope he will do well in Rio.

Our armed forces personnel have taken part together in international operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East. They also train alongside each other on professional courses and joint exercises. I myself, as a soldier attending US courses, have personally experienced the dedication, competence and warmth of my hosts. I made good friends, and we still keep in touch. They include Frank and Mary McGurk, who were my military sponsors at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth nearly 40 years ago.

America is a great nation not just because of your power and wealth, but because of your high ideals, openness, and generosity of spirit. You seek to build a world where countries can prosper together. You make common cause with others to fight the problems which plague mankind, be it extremist terrorism, poverty, Ebola, or climate change.

This is why 70 years after the Second World War, America is still a welcome power in Asia. We hope these strengths and qualities will enable you to remain engaged in our region for many more years.

To mark the 50th anniversary of our relations, Singapore has named an orchid hybrid in honour of President and Mrs Obama. This is a hybrid of breeds native to Singapore and Hawaii, where the President was born. It is a fitting tribute to America’s first Pacific President, and a beautiful symbol of the flourishing ties between our countries.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to the health and success of the President of the United States.

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Top photo via Getty

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