Survey Shows PM Lee is S’poreans’ Second Most Admired Man

Underneath the jibes, jokes, and memes online, there’s clearly a deep admiration for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The son of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, PM Lee took over as leader of the country in 2004, succeeding Goh Chok Tong, and has held the reins ever since.

And it appears that PM Lee is the only Singaporean politician we truly admire.

Survey Shows PM Lee is S’poreans’ Second Most Admired Man

PM Lee is the second public figure most admired by Singaporeans, according to a survey by YouGov.

YouGov, a British international market research and data analytics firm, released yesterday (15 Dec) the findings of its latest survey of the most admired men and women around the world.

If asked to guess who topped the list for the man Singaporeans admire the most, you’d probably say Ooi Boon Ewe or Sherwin Eu, right?

Well, the top spot went to former US president Barack Obama instead.

Coming in second is PM Lee, who climbed up two spots from last year’s list, followed by Keanu Reeves.

Reader: Wait… the dude who played Neo in the Matrix?

Yes, that guy. He came in seventh the previous year. Netizens seem to like the fact that Reeves has stayed humble despite his fame, and laud his philanthropy.

Here’s the full list:

1. Barack Obama
2. Lee Hsien Loong
3. Keanu Reeves
4. Warren Buffet
5. Bill Gates
6. Jackie Chan
7. Jack Ma
8. Elon Musk
9. Cristiano Ronaldo
10. Andy Lau

As for Singapore’s most admired women, no Singaporeans were featured on the list. The first spot went to Michelle Obama, followed by Queen Elizabeth II, and Aung San Suu Kyi.

A few Hollywood actresses also made it to the top 10, including Angelina Jolie and Emma Watson.

Here’s the full list:

1. Michelle Obama
2. Queen Elizabeth II
3. Aung San Suu Kyi
4. Jacinda Ardern
5. Angelina Jolie
6. Oprah Winfrey
7. Angela Merkel
8. Emma Watson
9. Taylor Swift
10. Malala Yousafzai

The Obamas also claimed the top spot for the men and women most admired around the world:

42,000 People From 38 Countries Surveyed

YouGov said it surveyed more than 42,000 people in 38 countries and territories to compile the list, first asking the simple question: “Thinking about people alive in the world today, which [man or woman] do you most admire?”

“These nominations were then used to compile a list of the 20 men and 20 women who received the most nominations and were nominated in at least four countries. An additional 5-10 popular local figures were added to the lists for individual countries,” it explained.

YouGov then conducted fieldwork, using the lists to poll each of the 38 areas asking two questions:

1. Who do you truly admire? – where respondents could make multiple selections
2. Who do you MOST admire? – where they could only pick one

These two numbers were combined into a percentage share of admiration.

YouGov noted that Pakistani human rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra have risen farthest in the ranks this year, climbing five places to 9th and 10th respectively.

While in the men’s list, footballing great Lionel Messi has seen the greatest increase.

New additions to the top twenties this year include US president Joe Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris, Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Blackpink’s Lisa (of Blackpink fame), and New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

Read Also:

• Everything About Pritam Singh’s New Oral Evidence to the COP Due What Sylvia Lim Had Said Earlier
• Raybe Oh, GF of Tanjong Pagar Crash Victim, Has Started a Small Business Selling Abalone Gift Bundles

Featured Image: Asatur Yesayants / Shutterstock.com