A recent gesture by Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is going viral on the Internet. The 51-year-old lawmaker is also receiving plaudits for it.
It concerns the Singapore PM’s choice of travel, who flew economy class from Vientiane, Laos, to Singapore. As the video of PM Wong boarding the flight went viral, an Indian businessman showed lavish praise of the city-state’s leader.
In the video, passengers can be seen clapping and cheering as Wong boards the aircraft. He also acknowledges the adulation and smiles at his co-passengers.
Sharing the video on social media, Indian industrialist Harsh Goenka wrote, “The PM of Singapore travels on official duty aboard a low-cost airline—on a normal scheduled flight, no frills, no national or private jet, and without a large entourage at the taxpayers’ expense. This is how respect is earned.”
The PM of Singapore travels on official duty aboard a low-cost airline—on a normal scheduled flight, no frills, no national or private jet, and without a large entourage at the taxpayers’ expense. This is how respect is earned. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/JHTdQnJcXi
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) October 14, 2024
As per reports, PM Wong boarded a flight on Scoot airline.
The Prime Minister also took to Instagram to share a post about his flight. “Back from Laos. Felt like home, once I got on the plane! Thanks everyone for the warm reception! ✈️🇸🇬,” he captioned it.
Meanwhile, the video shared by Goenka has also been viewed over 9.5 million times.
“This is not abt leader but a national culture. In India most leaders expect & demand VIP treatment, be it flight , long cavalcades, excessive show of back cats , etc !! They are not embarrassed to make u wait whilst their cavalcade passes. Looks so colonial & uneducated,” an user commented.
Another said: “In India, a sarpanch sometimes behaves as though he holds the same power as the President.”
A third user said: “That’s true leadership! Setting an example by prioritizing humility and efficiency over extravagance.”
PM Wong was flying back to the city-state on October 12 after attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, which took place in Vientiane, Laos, from October 6 to October 11, 2024.
