Singapore (CNN) -- Singapore's first two prime ministers on Saturday resigned from the Cabinet in a suprise announcement, saying the time had come for a "younger generation to carry Singapore forward."
Lee Kuan Yew, 87, was the country's first prime minister and "founding father" of the country. He was serving the current government in the custom-made position of "minister mentor."
Also resigning was Goh Chok Tong, who succeeded Lee as prime minister and recently served as a senior minister.
Their resignations follow this month's general elections, the most contentious since independence in 1965.
While the ruling People's Action Party -- founded by Lee -- retained power, their share of the vote was 60%, the lowest to date. The opposition Workers' Party won six of the 87 parliament seats up for grabs, the most opposition seats since independence.
"After a watershed general election, we have decided to leave the Cabinet and have a completely younger team of ministers to connect to and engage with this young generation in shaping the future of our Singapore," the former leaders said in a joint statement.
While the city-state has been a model of economic success for development and business, many Singaporeans are stressed under rising prices for daily goods and housing. The opposition in the recent election also gained traction on the issue of foreign workers in Singapore who perform jobs for lower pay than Singaporeans.
Lee's son, Lee Hsien Loong, is the current prime minister and has acknowledged that the government must take into account the concerns of the people.This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
