When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was invited by Democrat President Barack Obama for the White House State Dinner in August this year, it must have been tempting for PM Lee to turn partisan and support Democrat Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

And we are glad that he didn't do so.

During the joint press conference with President Obama on Aug. 2, PM Lee was asked the following question:

Question: "Prime Minister Lee...You’ve mentioned the strong bipartisan links that Singapore has had with nine different U.S. Presidents from both sides of the political divide, a very strong record there. How would we address a U.S. leader which adopts the stance that it's more closed off, more anti-globalization, for example, if we see that in November? "

And this was PM Lee's reply:

As for what we do over bipartisan links, if there's a U.S. leader who is more closed off and wants to turn inward, I don't think this is the right forum or indeed there is any right forum for me to talk about U.S. politics in public at this moment.

We will work with whoever is the U.S. administration, whichever party. We've worked with five Republican and four Democratic administrations. And our experience of American elections, presidential elections, has been that many pressures build up during the election campaign.

And after the elections, in a calmer, cooler atmosphere, positions are re-thought, strategies are nuanced, and a certain balance is kept in the direction of the ship of state. It doesn't turn completely upside down.

The Americans take pride in having a system with checks and balances so that it is not so easy to do things, but it is not so easy to completely mess things up. And we admire that and sometimes we depend upon that.

The remarks, given three months ago, have made PM Lee's FB post congratulating Donald Trump a lot more authentic.

This is what he wrote, in case you can't see it:

Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump! His candidacy took many by surprise. At each stage he defied expectations, and his journey has ultimately taken him to the White House.

I guess Singaporeans have to be optimistic like PM Lee, and hope that "certain balance is kept in the direction of the ship of state" and that it is difficult for any powerful American to "completely mess things up".

In the meantime, Singaporeans will have to respect the Americans' decision for electing a President whom they feel best represents them.

 

Top photo via Lee Hsien Loong Facebook

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