Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong gives an in-depth and personal interview to CNN’s Talk Asia. The chat show hosted by Lorraine Hahn will air on 24 January at 8 pm with a repeat on 25 January at 9 am and 5 pm, on 26 January at 9 am and on 27 January at 6 pm.

In discussing the biggest challenge for Singapore and its citizens, Goh says, “The biggest challenge on the economic side is how we reckon with the new world. The moral that we used to develop Singapore is also the moral being used by many other countries with of course modifications. So how do we carve for ourselves, a niche in the world to sustain our high standard of living? That is the biggest challenge for Singapore.”

In addition, he states that the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) in Singapore was the hardest part of his job. “It was something new, something strange, something very dangerous. Sars was spreading through the community. So that was a big worry."