Looks like Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s gonna make use of some (well-deserved) me time after all.
In a statement made today, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that PM Lee will be on medical leave on the advice of doctors. For now, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be covering his duties until next Monday (Aug 29), when Lee returns from his break.
“Doctors have confirmed there were no cardiac abnormalities and no stroke,” assured the PMO.
It’ll probably be a good break for the Prime Minister, who — according to DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam — has had a pretty gruelling schedule of late. A combination of prolonged standing, exhaustion and dehydration caused PM Lee to experience a brief fainting spell in the middle of his speech last night during the National Day Rally.
The funny thing is, he inadvertently caused more Singaporeans to tune in to the Rally when usually these people wouldn’t give a damn. Too bad the news of him taking ill on stage eclipsed the actual things he discussed.
In his first personal statement following the little stumble, PM Lee thanked everyone for the concern and good wishes. “I’m glad to report that the doctors think I am ok, but they have advised me to rest, so I will be on MC for this week,” he wrote on Facebook.
