On May 15, Singapore completed the "handover of the baton" of the prime minister.
After nearly 20 years in office, there are no surprises in Lee Hsien Loong's departure.
As early as 2007, Lee Hsien Loong hinted that he would "hand over" at the age of 70, but his plans were disrupted by the impact of the new crown epidemic.
In April 2022, the 70-year-old Lee Hsien Loong announced that Lawrence Wong, then Finance Minister, would become Singapore's "fourth-generation leadership team leader".
In his speech at the party's congress in November 2023 in his capacity as secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party, Lee Hsien Loong said that if all went well, he would "hand over the baton" before the People's Action Party celebrates its 70th anniversary in November 2024.
On April 15 this year, Singapore's Prime Minister's Office announced that 72-year-old Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong would resign on May 15 and officially step down as prime minister.
There are no unexpected "hand-over" procedures
According to CCTV News, on May 13, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong submitted his resignation to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, saying that he would resign on Wednesday (May 15). Singapore's third prime minister has entered the final stage.
On May 13, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong submitted his resignation to President Tharman Shanmugaratone Source: Lee Hsien Loong's personal social media platform
President Tharman Shanmugaratan accepted the resignation of Lee Hsien Loong and the government, and the resignation took effect on Wednesday (15th). The new prime minister will lead the new cabinet and will be sworn in on the same day.
In his resignation, Lee Hsien Loong wrote that he had planned to hand over power to his successor at the age of 70, but the pandemic disrupted that timetable. "After the epidemic, the successor selection process was carried out. On 14 April 2022, PAP MPs convened a meeting to elect Mr Lawrence Wong as their successor. Now, two years later, he is ready to lead Singapore. At the same time, Lee Hsien Loong formally recommended that the president invite Lawrence Wong to form the next government.
In his reply, President Tharman Shandaman thanked Lee Hsien Loong, who had served as Prime Minister since August 2004, for his "selfless service" and agreed to Lee's proposal.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, on May 13, Lawrence Wong held a press conference at the presidential palace to announce the new cabinet list. There have been few changes to the new cabinet, and none of the ministries under the current ministers have been reshuffled. Lawrence Wong, 51, and Ngan Kim Yong, 65, will remain at the helm of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, respectively. Gan Kim Dung was also promoted to deputy prime minister, and the 63-year-old current deputy prime minister, Heng Swee Keat, will continue to serve in his position. Lee Hsien Loong had earlier accepted an invitation from Lawrence Wong to remain in the Cabinet as Senior Minister of State.
At the press conference, Lawrence Wong said that I have known Ngan Jinyong and Heng Swee Keat for many years, and I value their advice and advice, and I am glad that they support me as my deputy. At the same time, "continuity and stability" was mentioned six times during the hour-long meeting. "Continuity and stability are key considerations for this Cabinet, especially as the current Government is coming to an end and all ministers already have a lot to attend to, as well as some new plans that have just been launched. In order to avoid any interference, I have decided to keep their current positions until the end of this administration. ”
Lawrence Wong: A rising political star from the "grassroots".
A month ago, on the afternoon of April 15, the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore announced that Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong would resign on May 15 and officially step down as prime minister. He handed over the baton to Lawrence Wong, who was elected as a leader by his peers in Singapore's fourth-generation leadership team in April 2022. According to the announcement, Lawrence Wong will be sworn in as the fourth prime minister of Singapore at 8 p.m. on May 15 at the Presidential Palace of Singapore. This also means that in Singapore's 2025 parliamentary election, the People's Action Party (PAP) will be led by Lawrence Wong.
According to an announcement on the website of the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore in April, Lawrence Wong was sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of Singapore at 8 p.m. on May 15 at the Presidential Palace of Singapore
Lee Hsien Loong's "handover" on the 15th is the third leadership change in Singapore. "I want to help the next prime minister take over the reins and establish his own prestige and mingle with the Singaporeans." Lee Hsien Loong said in a recent media interview that he would help the new prime minister take over smoothly after leaving office, so that Lawrence Wong can govern the country in his own way with his team.
Lawrence Wong Source: Lawrence Wong's personal social media platform
Born in 1972 to a salesman father and a teacher mother, Lawrence Wong grew up in a government-built HDB flat and attended a neighbourhood school. Later, he studied in the United States and received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Michigan and Harvard University. Upon his return to Singapore, he worked in various government departments as a civil servant and was Lee Hsien Loong's Principal Private Secretary from 2005 to 2008.
Lawrence Wong expresses his love for music on social media Source: Lawrence Wong's personal social media platform
In 2011, Lawrence Wong moved from the civil service to politics and was first elected as a Member of Parliament for the time being, and has since been placed in various ministries including the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Development. During the pandemic, Lawrence Wong served as co-chair of the anti-epidemic inter-departmental task force, and his popularity grew.
In April 2021, Heng Swee Keat and then Deputy Prime Minister, the original leader of Singapore's succession echelon, announced that he would voluntarily renounce his qualification as the prime minister's successor due to age and health. Subsequently, the selection process was restarted, and Wong came out on top.
If you look at Lawrence Wong's social media, you will find that he loves music and is a dog lover. Young Singaporeans have described him on social media as "the grassroots of the elite, the elite of the grassroots".
A few days ago, Lawrence Wong was interviewed by the media Source: Singapore Prime Minister's Office website
According to the "Lianhe Zaobao", Huang Xuncai admitted frankly in an interview with the media a few days ago that the country is facing many internal and external challenges. Huang said that the key to governance is to get people's trust. Someday, if DAP doesn't perform as well as expected, or if other parties can deliver better results, they deserve to be entrusted by the people. "But as long as I am in office, I will do everything I can to ensure that DAP still enjoys the confidence and trust of Singaporeans." At the same time, he pointed out that Singapore must not be caught in the geopolitical whirlpool and must adhere to the national interest and maintain a consistent and principled approach to doing things.
Asked how he would describe his political style, Lawrence Wong said: "I don't have to write about my achievements today. In my time and at the end of my term, I will have people write about what I have left behind and what kind of prime minister I am. But at this moment, when I take over this position and this responsibility, I will only devote all my heart and soul to serving Singapore and Singaporeans. ”
Modern Express/Hyundai+ reporter Wang Xinyue Comprehensive