Singaporean PM falls ill during live TV speech

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was taken ill while delivering a long speech on Sunday, shocking a live television audience, but he resumed speaking after resting.

The 64-year-old leader, the son of late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, suddenly stopped speaking and was helped off the rostrum while delivering an annual National Day policy speech at a technical college.

He received loud cheers and a standing ovation after returning to the stage about an hour and 20 minutes after leaving it.

"Thank you for waiting for me. I gave everybody a scare," Lee said, smiling.

"I've not had so many doctors look at me all at once. They think I'm all right but anyway I'm going to have a full check up after this."

Lee, who had been on his feet for more than two hours, stunned the audience when he slouched over the lectern before cameras cut away.

An official statement said Lee was affected by prolonged standing, heat and dehydration.

"His heart is fine and he did not have a stroke," the statement added.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on national television that Lee "has been having a very tough schedule recently, he's been standing a long time, so he was just feeling a little faint".

Lee underwent surgery for prostate cancer last year and has received the all-clear from doctors. He survived a bout of lymphoma, a form of cancer, in 1992.

Lee has been in power since 2004.