PM Lee Hsien Loong celebrates National Day with Singaporeans in Washington

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee celebrated an early National Day with more than 500 Singaporeans at the Singapore embassy in Washington, DC on Sunday (July 31) evening (Monday morning Singapore time).

Speaking to the crowd at the start of the evening, Mr Lee said: "We have much to celebrate because we have spent 50 years together and are now embarking on the next 50 years, the second half century of our nation building journey."

The Prime Minister is in the United States for an official visit and will be hosted to a state dinner by US President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday (Wednesday morning Singapore time).

Also at the National Day celebration were Members of Parliament and Cabinet ministers including Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing and Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung.

While National Day songs played in the background, many tucked into Singaporean favourites such as chicken rice, satay and mee siam. For those with a sweet tooth, there was also Milo and local kueh.

Said Mrs Salwa Salim-Perry, 32, a Singaporean business owner who had just moved to the US two months ago: "It feels so good to be here, to hear people speaking Singlish around me. I feel like I'm connected to home again."

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This article was first published on Aug 1, 2016.
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