Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced his resignation, with his deputy Lawrence Wong set to take over. This transition marks the second time a non-member of the Lee family will lead the wealthy nation.
In a social media post on Monday, April 15, Lee stated, “I will relinquish my role as prime minister on May 15, 2024, and DPM Lawrence Wong will be sworn in as the next prime minister on the same day.”
He urged all Singaporeans to support Wong and his team in creating a brighter future for Singapore.
Lawrence Wong, who also serves as the finance minister, was chosen as Lee’s heir apparent in 2022. He belongs to a new generation of lawmakers from the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since its independence in 1965.
Wong expressed his humility and sense of duty in accepting the responsibility, stating on social media, “I pledge to give you my all in this undertaking.”
Widely recognized as a social media-savvy stalwart, the 51-year-old economist played a pivotal role in effectively managing the COVID-19 crisis as the head of the government’s pandemic task force.
Singapore swiftly recovered from the pandemic in 2022, becoming one of the first countries in Asia to resume normalcy. The city-state witnessed a resurgence in business and tourism, thanks to the government’s proactive measures.
Mustafa Izzuddin, a political analyst with consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, believes that Wong’s leadership style aligns with the expectations of a different generation.
However, he also emphasizes that Singapore’s core principles will remain intact, as they have proven successful over the years. Izzuddin stated, “I think his style may be slightly different because he comes from a different generation.”
Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong’s father, Lee Kuan Yew, served as Singapore’s first prime minister when the country gained sovereignty after a brief and unsuccessful union with Malaysia.
In 1990, the elder Lee passed the baton to his deputy, former shipping executive Goh Chok Tong, who was initially seen as a “seat-warmer” for his son. However, Goh remained in power for 14 years before Lee Hsien Loong assumed office in 2004.
While a general election is scheduled to take place by November 2025, there is speculation that it might occur earlier. In the previous election held in 2020, the opposition demonstrated its strongest performance since Singapore‘s independence.
However, the People’s Action Party dominated the parliament, winning 83 out of 93 seats. The party’s reputation was recently tarnished by scandals involving the resignation of two lawmakers and a minister facing graft charges.
The Workers’ Party, Singapore’s main opposition party, has also faced its share of scandals, with two members resigning and its leader charged with providing false testimony before a parliamentary committee.
