Good wishes pour in for PM Lee after prostate cancer diagnosis

SINGAPORE - Good wishes flooded in for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday evening, after the Prime Minister's Office announced that Mr Lee had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would undergo surgery on Monday to remove his prostate gland.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Cabinet ministers, MPs and members of the public took to various online channels to wish Mr Lee a swift recovery.

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Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who will be acting Prime Minister while Mr Lee takes a week's medical leave after his operation, said on Facebook and Twitter that he hoped Mr Lee would have "a smooth operation and speedy recovery".

"Rest well and recover fully before getting back to your hectic schedule," added Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also chimed in with some words of encouragement for his "good friend PM Lee Hsien Loong", wishing him well for the surgery and hope for a quick recovery.

Indian Premier Narendra Modi also tweeted out his support for PM Lee.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say also posted on Facebook their hopes for Mr Lee's successful surgery and quick recovery.

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Former Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, who is now MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, added on Facebook: "Let's all pray for PM and wish him a quick and full recovery. He has been working very hard for Singapore."

Among the other politicians who chimed in with their messages online were Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli and MPs Lam Pin Min (Sengkang West) and Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade GRC).

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Singaporeans also posted good wishes for Mr Lee on Facebook and Twitter and in blogs. Within an hour of the news of Mr Lee's cancer being published online, thousands of readers had sent in comments expressing their concern and encouraging Mr Lee to get better soon.

"Please recover fully soon, the whole of Singapore is behind you," said reader Han Huiyu in a comment on Facebook. "I'm sorry you had to continue with gruelling work travels/schedules and putting on a smiley face for Singaporeans even when you knew about the cancer news last month."

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP), of which Mr Lee is secretary-general, on Sunday asked well-wishers to tag their posts with #GetwellsoonPM.

"Despite knowing of his illness, PM Lee has kept up a punishing schedule locally and internationally, most recently in helping to cement relations with Germany and Spain," the PAP said on its Facebook page.

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