Lee Hsien Loong

Lee Hsien Loong is the current Prime Minister of Singapore; he is in the office since August 12, 2004. Born as the eldest son of the first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, he became interested in politics from an early age. As a child, he would often follow his father to the rally grounds. Intellectually brilliant, he learned the Jawi script at the age of five. Later, he studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge and became a Senior Wrangler. After finishing his post-graduate studies at Harvard University, he served the Singapore Armed forces for a brief period and reached the rank of the Brigadier General within three years. Soon, he left the army and became a Member of Parliament from Teck Ghee's constituency. From the very start, he was given responsible roles in the government, and soon he became one of the key figures in the country's political transition. However, such quick rise both in the army and politics has brought in allegation of nepotism, a charge that he and his family strongly deny.