Back in 2016, Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong stunned the internet when a photo of him executing a deep Asian squat while taking pictures of a crowd went viral.
Now, a full decade later, SM Lee has done it again.
In a video posted on PM Lee’s Instagram today (May 20), the 74-year-old Senior Minister shared that he managed to “squeeze in some #jalanjalan over the past two days in Nanning”.
SM Lee is currently on a five-day business trip to Nanning in Guangxi, China, with the aim of “building on the momentum of high-level exchanges between Singapore and China and deepening Singapore’s ties with China at the regional level,” according to an official statement from the PMO.
“Took in some fresh morning air at Qingxiu Mountain yesterday, the ‘green lung’ of Nanning. Enjoyed the lush greenery, beautiful landscaping, and picturesque city views,” SM Lee wrote in his caption.
During the trip, SM Lee also learnt more about cycads — an ancient group of plants dating back to the age of dinosaurs — strolled through the historic and cultural district of Sanjie Liangxiang, sampled local street food, and even tried his hand at weaving brocade before heading to Shanghai next.
But what really caught netizens’ attention was just how fit SM Lee is.
In the clip, SM Lee was seen photographing a pavilion at Qingxiu Mountain, effortlessly squatting down to get the perfect angle for the shot.
What impressed viewers even more was how he kept lowering himself between shots without needing to stand up for a break, eventually pulling off what netizens later described as the “perfect” Asian squat.
In fact, last year, SM Lee was also spotted doing the same thing to snap photos of a kid at the Kampong Glam Bazaar.
“Wah, that hinge and squat! Absolute respect,” one netizen commented, while another said they “couldn’t help but admire SM Lee’s fitness with that squat.”
A netizen also applauded SM Lee’s “strong legs”, and another commended him for his “solid core, hip flexors and quads!”
Earlier this week, the SM Lee also drew praise for flying to Nanning on a budget Scoot flight.
“If Scoot is good enough for him, Scoot is good enough for me,” one netizen remarked.