Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is very popular on social media.

He is likely one of the most popular Singaporeans online with 1.7 million FB followers, 730k Instagram followers, and nearly 900k X (formerly known as Twitter) followers.

When asked about it during his final interview as prime minister, he laughed and said:

"I am just a micro-influencer. Compared to actual influencers, I am a small fish."

But PM Lee was being humble. Even if not looking at his follower numbers across platforms, the engagement he brings to his posts puts even some "actual influencers" to shame.

1. Hopes his successor will be able to find his fanbase too

During the interview in The Istana on Apr. 26, PM Lee said he probably would stay on social media after his handover.

However, he hopes that his successor, PM-to-be Lawrence Wong, will also build his own fanbase online.

PM Lee has been able to woo Singaporeans to his social media pages with his "#jalanjalan" photography posts — absolutely random photos of scenery and people taken during his limited spare time wandering around Singapore or overseas, often with messages he wants to share with fellow Singaporeans.

"He may not always go out and take photos, but his guitar skills are not bad," PM Lee quipped, adding that he's been observing Wong.

"Because I myself am completely clueless as to how to play the guitar."

Wong has already garnered a notable amount of attention online with his skilful guitar rifts and trendy TikTok formats.

@lawrencewongst 🎸🎶 Taylor Swift's in #Singapore. I've got my guitar ready! #TaylorSwift #FriendshipBracelet #duetwithme #swiftie #lovestory #throwback #teachersday #tribute ♬ original sound - Lawrence Wong

2. Maintain your dignity

PM Lee offered some words of caution to the ministers who have also found their way onto the internet.

"I've told the younger ministers, it's okay if you want to draw attention to yourselves but remember to maintain your dignity. Don't make a fool of yourself," he said.

"Gaining attention is one thing. Gaining respect and confidence is another."

It's great if the public thinks you are funny, he went on, but people also need to know that you can get things done when need be.

3. TikTok is for the younger generation

Although TikTok has fast become synonymous with social media, PM Lee has no intentions of hopping onto the bandwagon.

He noted that a good many ministers are active on TikTok.

In particular, he name-dropped Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.

@ongyekung To keep fit, I decided to try my hands at Wushu, under the tutelage of a young shifu. #HealthierSG ♬ original sound - Will - Tiktoker

"I don't have TikTok. I have Facebook, and I have Instagram. I reckon I'll leave TikTok to the next generation," PM Lee said.

When asked if he'd ever considered getting TikTok, he admitted that he had, but he had decided that he "doesn't need to get into all that".

His next words were spoken with confidence.

"Everyone already knows me. If I were to go on TikTok, what can I possibly say there that I can't say on other platforms? Nothing."

FYI, PM Lee is also active on LinkedIn, Telegram and even has a WhatsApp channel.

4. The joys of jalan jalan

PM Lee really loves his "#jalanjalan" series, he shared in an Instagram post celebrating his decade-long foray into social media.

When "#jalanjalan" is brought up in the interview, he smiled the kind of smile that's lit from within.

And he seized the opportunity to talk about the lesser-known joys of photography.

PM Lee said that back when he studied Chinese Literature, people often wrote poems about what they saw and what they felt.

The statesman found this sense of self-disclosure in a more visual form.

He described photography as "immortalising a fleeting moment in time that requires careful observation and quick reflexes".

But this is especially hard when one is surrounded by bodyguards — not to mention when everyone starts waving whenever they see you, he jested.

"It's easier to write about what you see," PM Lee said.

It's the same when it comes to photography, as he put it:

"You need to spend a bit of time walking, taking in the atmosphere, understand the significance of a particular place. Only then can you find a less conspicuous angle to photograph — one that hasn't been captured a hundred other times."

He lauds the craft of the late billionaire-philanthropist Kwek Leng Joo, the former deputy chairman of City Developments — who was also an avid photographer.

PM Lee said Kwek was "always able to find new angles", new perspectives that made people pause and rethink what they'd previously known to be true.

While PM Lee doesn't think he's quite reached this level yet, it's clear that it's something he aspires to.

To have people look at your work and go:

"I've been here before, I've looked at the things you've looked at, but I've never seen it quite like this."

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Top images via PM Lee's Instagram and Lawrence Wong, Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung's TikTok