At the tail end of the interview, Mr Zakaria asked Mr Lee if this crisis would make him postpone his decision to leave politics, adding that “there are a lot of people in Singapore, who tell me that they wish that you would stay on”.
Mr Lee had previously indicated that he would step down after the next General Election, which is due by April next year.
The prime minister replied: “I think this crisis keeps my hands full. Let us just focus on that for now.”