In a matter of a week, Singapore will have a new prime minister and with it, a new milestone in its history.

Though the ascension of Lee Hsien Loong (photo left) to the country's top post has long been foreclosed; what is interesting is that the son of the charismatic former premier, Lee Kuan Yew, is in an exclusive club that includes the children of former presidents and prime ministers.

He now joins Najib Razak (photo right), the son of former Malaysian premier Tun Razak (Najib is now deputy premier) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the daughter of former Philippine president Macapagal and Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of firebrand leader, Sukarno of Indonesia; as the next generation of leaders heading their respective states.

Not far off from our region is Chandrika Kumaratunga, the daughter of former Sri Lankan president Solomon Bandranaike. And in the United States, we have George Walker Bush, the son of the country's 41st president George Herbet Walker Bush. (Interesting nobody calls the last development as 'dynastic politics')