An era ended as stalwarts from both the ruling and opposition parties retired from politics yesterday, but the process of renewal continued with several new faces being introduced ahead of the upcoming general election.
Among those who will not contest the July 10 polls is the country's second prime minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, who informed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of his decision on Wednesday.
Mr Goh, 79, was an MP for 44 straight years and served as prime minister from 1990 to 2004.
On the other side of the political divide, former Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang bowed out of politics yesterday after 29 years in Parliament, the longest by any opposition MP in Singapore.
WP secretary-general Pritam Singh announced that Mr Low, 63, and two-term MPs Chen Show Mao, 59, and Png Eng Huat, 58, would not be standing in the polls.
The departures come as Singapore gears up for a general election in which leadership transition is a key issue, with the People's Action Party (PAP) fourth-generation leadership set to take the helm.
PM Lee lauded Mr Goh for his calm and steady leadership during crises like the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003.
PM Lee said Mr Goh left his biggest imprint in Marine Parade, where he was first elected in 1976 and re-elected in nine general elections and one by-election.
He added in a Facebook post: "I am forever personally indebted to Chok Tong, who brought me into politics. Ours was a fruitful comradeship that spanned the entirety of my years in politics and most of his - a close friendship between two prime ministers that would be the envy of many countries."
In his letter, Mr Goh said many of his activists have urged him to stand for another term. "But I should not. I would not have the same energy when I cross into my 80s," he wrote, adding that smooth and systematic leadership succession is key to Singapore's political stability.
And just as he decided to hand over the reins to PM Lee in 2004, Mr Goh said he prefers to retire now while he is healthy and able, to ease his successor's transition into his Marine Parade ward.
He assured residents that Marine Parade will be in "very capable hands" under Dr Tan See Leng, 55, the former group chief executive and managing director of IHH Healthcare.
Dr Tan was one of 11 new PAP candidates unveiled yesterday, along with former Infocomm Media Development Authority chief executive Tan Kiat How, 43. Both men are said to be potential office-holders.
Meanwhile, the WP introduced four candidates, while the Progress Singapore Party unveiled another five candidates, including two retired Singapore Armed Forces officers.
Mr Low, himself, told the media he was stepping down with no regrets as he felt his work was done. "I have always maintained that a party cannot depend on just an individual or a few individuals," he said.
In a Facebook post yesterday, President Halimah Yacob said that although Mr Goh and Mr Low serve on opposite ends of the political spectrum, their mutual respect for each other is well known.
It is thus an "uncanny coincidence" that they announced their respective decisions to retire from politics on the same day, she wrote.
She added that Mr Goh - who persuaded her to enter politics 20 years ago - has made tremendous contributions to Singapore, while Mr Low has been a voice of reason among the opposition.
"To many Singaporeans, today's announcements mark the end of an era," she said.
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