People want Lee to retire: Poll

People want Lee to retire: Poll

SINGAPORE: A majority of Singaporeans want their nation's elderly
founding father, Lee Kwan Yew, to quit politics, according to an
Internet poll held after he said he would not retire while he
could still contribute.

Lee, who turned 80 this week, served as prime minister from
the nation's independence in 1965 to 1990 and has since kept an
influential role in the government as senior minister, a Cabinet
post.

Lee told the Straits Times newspaper in an interview to mark
his birthday that he would remain senior minister as long as he
could contribute, and after that he would keep his parliamentary
seat until he was no longer fit and able.

"You don't have to tell me. I can feel it when I am no longer
making a contribution," Lee said.

But many Singaporeans, who live under a political system that
has allowed the People's Action Party to rule since independence,
want him to retire, according to the poll carried out by Internet
portal Yahoo Singapore.

By 2 p.m. (1 p.m. Jakarta time) on Friday, 43 percent of 5,675
respondents said they wanted Lee to retire from politics
immediately, while another 10 percent said he should retire
"soon".

Forty-four percent said he should continue in politics while
the rest were unsure. -- AFP