DPM Lawrence Wong to take over from PM Lee
After he is sworn in, DPM Lawrence Wong (right) will be Singapore’s fourth prime minister, succeeding PM Lee Hsien Loong. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Singapore will have a new prime minister on May 15, with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set to take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on that day.
The date for the handover was announced in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on April 15, a key detail in Singapore’s long-planned leadership transition from the third-generation to the fourth-generation (4G) political team.
After he is sworn in at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, DPM Wong, who entered politics 13 years ago, will be Singapore’s fourth prime minister.
related:
‘I am stepping down as PM but I am not stopping work!’: PM Lee
Noting that several people had wished him a happy retirement, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (centre) clarified in a Facebook post on May 7 that he is not retiring. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that while he is stepping down from his role soon, he will continue to remain in the Government and serve as an MP.
Singapore will have a new prime minister from May 15, when Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong takes over the role.
Noting that several people had wished him a happy retirement, PM Lee clarified in a Facebook post on May 7 that he is not retiring. He wrote: “I am stepping down as PM but I am not stopping work! I will remain in Government and continue serving as MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC. “I will do whatever I can to help PM Lawrence and his team succeed.”
PM Lee to stay on as Senior Minister; any major Cabinet changes will come after GE
Bigger changes to the Cabinet will likely happen only after the General Election, which must be held by November 2025, said Mr Wong
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will stay in the Cabinet as Senior Minister after stepping down as leader of the government, but there won't be many changes to the rest of the lineup for now, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Apr 16).
Details of a Cabinet reshuffle will be announced a few days before the swearing-in ceremony on May 15, Mr Wong, Singapore's next Prime Minister, told reporters a day after the leadership handover date was announced. "Our system works on the basis of continuity and progressive change. It has never been the case that when there is a leadership transition, all the older ministers step down at the same time," he said. "Instead, they continue to contribute in different ways, while making room for the younger ones to step up. So I will adopt the same approach when I take over."
Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said he is glad Mr Lee has agreed to stay in the Cabinet as Senior Minister. Former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong also served as Senior Ministers after stepping down.
Singapore’s new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take office on May 15
Singapore’s new prime minister Lawrence Wong will be sworn in on May 15, 2024. The current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on April 15 that he will be stepping down and handing the leadership reins to Wong. Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down on May 15 and hand over the power to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Monday.
Wong will be sworn in at 8 p.m. local time that day to become Singapore’s fourth prime minister since its independence in 1965.
Lee announced in November that Wong will take the reins from him as leader of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) before the next general election due November 2025. Lee has served as prime minister since 2004. Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP members of parliament, the PMO statement said.
Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong will hand over power to deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong. Lee will step down next month and his deputy Wong will take over. Photo: AFP
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over power on May 15 to his deputy Lawrence Wong in only the country’s third leadership transition since independence in 1965 after an unusually winding road to the succession.
Wong, 51, who became deputy prime minister in 2022 after he was chosen by his peers to lead them, has not had the same length of apprenticeship as Lee or the latter’s predecessor, Goh Chok Tong.
Wong is the youngest among three front runners in the city state’s fourth-generation leaders initially tipped for the top post. A dark-horse candidate, the current finance minister made his mark as co-leader of the government’s Covid task force.
Lee Hsien Loong 1 hr ago
Last November, I announced my intention to step down as Prime Minister this year.
I will relinquish my role as Prime Minister on 15 May 2024 and DPM Lawrence Wong will be sworn in as the next Prime Minister on the same day.
For any country, a leadership transition is a significant moment. Lawrence and the 4G team have worked hard to gain the people’s trust, notably during the pandemic. Through the Forward Singapore exercise, they have worked with many Singaporeans to refresh our social compact and develop the national agenda for a new generation.
The 4G team are committed to keeping Singapore working well and moving ahead. These will always be top priorities for the government.
I ask all Singaporeans to give Lawrence and his team your full support, and work with them to create a brighter future for Singapore. – LHL
Statement on the Handover Date (Apr 2024)
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will relinquish his office on 15 May 2024.
He will formally advise the President to appoint Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong to succeed him. DPM Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP MPs.
The new Prime Minister will be sworn in at 8.00 pm on 15 May 2024 at the Istana.
What we know about Singapore's fourth Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (centre), with his wife Ms Loo Tze Lui on his right, meets Malaysian Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz and his spouse Johanna Raja Arshad (first from left) on Sep 4, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the son of a sales manager father and school teacher mother, will take over the leadership reins from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 15 when he becomes Singapore's fourth Prime Minister.
On the personal front, Mr Wong grew up in what he described as an “ordinary family” in the Marine Parade HDB estate. His late father was born in China’s Hainan Island, went to Malaysia as a young boy before moving to Singapore to work in a sales job. His mother was a teacher. Describing her as a disciplinarian both in school and at home, Mr Wong has spoken highly of his mother in several interviews and public speeches for managing to teach while caring for him and his brother.
Outside of work, Mr Wong is married to Ms Loo Tze Lui. The couple do not have children. He is known to be an avid music lover and skilled guitar player. His love for the guitar goes back to when his father gave him his first guitar at the age of eight. He spent his weekends borrowing guitar books from the old Marine Parade library and when he got a government scholarship to study in the United States, he made sure to bring his guitar along. Mr Wong has said that playing the guitar helps him to destress and unwind. The incoming Prime Minister has posted several videos of him strumming his six string, including an acoustic rendition of American pop star Taylor Swift’s hit song Love Story as a tribute to educators on Teachers’ Day last year.
PM Lee says he will hand over leadership to DPM Wong
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will lead the People’s Action Party in the next general election, taking over the reins from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ahead of the polls.
PM Lee said on Sunday: “Lawrence has told me that he is ready ... I have full confidence in Lawrence and his team, there is no reason to delay the political transition.” He was speaking at the party’s biennial convention held at the Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre, addressing more than 1,000 party members.
He said that while he did not manage to pass on the baton before his 70th birthday as hoped, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, “if all goes well, I will hand over by PAP’s 70th birthday next year”. The party was set up on Nov 21, 1954. The next GE has to be held by November 2025.
PM Lee to hand over leadership to DPM Lawrence Wong by November 2024, before next General Election
Singapore Prime Minister and People's Action Party secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong shakes hands with Deputy Prime Minister and PAP deputy secretary-general Lawrence Wong on Nov 5, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday (Nov 5) that he will hand over leadership to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before the next General Election, which has to be called by November 2025. Shedding more light on the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) transition plans, Mr Lee – who is the party's secretary-general – added that “if all goes well”, he will do so by the PAP’s 70th birthday on Nov 21 next year.
Mr Lee was addressing more than 1,000 party members at the annual PAP awards and convention held at the Singapore Expo, following speeches by Mr Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and several new PAP faces. Mr Wong was endorsed as the leader of the party’s fourth-generation, or 4G, team last year after the 62-year-old Mr Heng stepped aside so that a younger leader with a “longer runway” could take over.
Mr Lee previously said he hoped to step down before his 70th birthday, which was in February 2022. However, the plan was disrupted by the pandemic. During this year’s National Day Rally, he said his succession plans are back on track with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that recent controversies involving ministers and Members of Parliament will not delay the timetable for political renewal. He did not give a timeline then. On Sunday, Mr Lee reiterated to PAP members that the next GE will coincide with the party’s leadership transition to the 4G team.
PM Lee to hand over leadership to DPM Lawrence Wong before next GE
PAP was founded on 21 Nov 1954 and its 70th birthday will be on 21 Nov 2024
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Nov. 5, 2023, at the People's Action Party (PAP) Awards and Convention 2023, that he will hand over the reins to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before the next General Elections (GE). The next GE is due to take place no later than Nov. 23, 2025.
"Lawrence has told me that he is ready," said PM Lee. "I have full confidence in Lawrence and his team and there is no reason to delay the political transition." PM Lee stated that "if all goes well", he would hand over the leadership to Wong by the PAP's 70th birthday next year.
The PAP was founded on Nov. 21, 1954, and its 70th birthday will be on Nov. 21, 2024. This means that PM Lee would hand over the leadership to Wong in about a year’s time “if all goes well”. After handing over, PM Lee stated that he would be at the new Prime Minster's "disposal".
People's Action Party
People's Action Party headquarters in New Upper Changi Road
The PAP was officially registered as a political party on 21 November 1954. Convenors of the party include a group of trade unionists, lawyers and journalists such as Lee Kuan Yew, Abdul Samad Ismail, Toh Chin Chye, Devan Nair, S. Rajaratnam, Chan Chiaw Thor, Fong Swee Suan, Tann Wee Keng and Tann Wee Tiong. The political party was led by Lee Kuan Yew as its secretary-general, with Toh Chin Chye as its founding chairman. Other party officers include Tann Wee Tiong, Lee Gek Seng, Ong Eng Guan and Tann Wee Keng.
The PAP first contested the 1955 general election in which 25 of 32 seats in the legislature were up for election. In this election, the PAP's four candidates gained much support from the trade union members and student groups such as the University Socialist Club, who canvassed for them. The party won three seats, one by its leader Lee Kuan Yew for the Tanjong Pagar division and one by PAP co-founder Lim Chin Siong for the Bukit Timah division. Then 22 years old unionist Lim Chin Siong was and remained the youngest Assemblyman ever to be elected to office. The election was won by the Labour Front headed by David Marshall.
The PAP eventually won the 1959 general election under Lee Kuan Yew's leadership. The election was also the first one to produce a fully elected parliament and a cabinet wielding powers of full internal self-government. The party has won a majority of seats in every general election since then. Lee, who became the first Prime Minister, requested for the release of the PAP left-wing members to form the new cabinet
Prime Ministers of Singapore
Lee Kuan Yew (Appointed) Term of Office: 5 Jun 1959 - 28 Nov 1990
Goh Chok Tong (Appointed) Term of Office: 28 Nov 1990 - 12 Aug 2004
Lee Hsien Loong (Appointed) Term of Office: 12 Aug 2004 - 15 May 2024
Lawrence Wong (Appointed) Term of Office: 15 May 2024
The Prime Minister of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The president appoints the prime minister, a Member of Parliament (MP) who in their opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of the majority of MPs. The incumbent prime minister is Lee Hsien Loong, who took office on 12 August 2004. Singapore is modelled after the Westminster system. The prime minister only governs with the confidence of the majority in Parliament; as such, the prime minister typically sits as a Member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. In practice, the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament.
The office of Prime Minister succeeded the office of Chief Minister in 1959 after Singapore had attained self-governance from the United Kingdom, as the State of Singapore, with Lee Kuan Yew being sworn in as the first prime minister on 5 June 1959. With respect to Singapore's autonomous status in the Malaysia Agreement, the title of prime minister remained unchanged after Singapore's merger with Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963, despite the existence of the prime minister of Malaysia for the entire federation of which Singapore was briefly a part of.
Following the independence of Singapore in 1965, the office of Prime Minister was retained, with the president of Singapore becoming a ceremonial head of state. In 1991, amendments to the Constitution of Singapore vested executive powers in the presidency, along with discretionary veto powers over the government. The Constitution also vests "general direction and control of the government" in the Cabinet, with the president almost always bound to act on the advice of the Cabinet or any minister acting under the Cabinet authority. Thus, in practice, most of the actual work of governing is done by the prime minister and Cabinet. Under Article 26(4)(a) of the Constitution of Singapore, the prime minister may appoint a Cabinet minister, subject to presidential approval, as acting prime minister if the prime minister is on medical leave, away from Singapore or is granted a leave of absence under Article 32 of the Constitution. The deputy prime minister or senior minister will usually become the acting prime minister, but any Cabinet minister may be appointed to the role.
From Lee Kuan Yew to Lawrence Wong: The changing leadership styles of Singapore’s Prime Ministers
From left to right, Singapore's Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew (1959-1990), Goh Chok Tong (1990-2004) and Lee Hsien Loong (since 2004); and the PM-in-waiting Lawrence Wong. (Photos: AFP/Roslan Rahman, Julien de Rosa)
Even before Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong takes office as Singapore’s fourth PM on May 15, he has already provided a glimpse of what could be his approach to governance. With the Forward Singapore exercise led by him and the rest of the country’s fourth-generation or 4G leadership, there appears to be a willingness to listen to the people more and possibly shake up the social compact, political observers told CNA.
If that is a response to the challenges of today, then it is in step with how the leadership styles of Singapore's different Prime Ministers have evolved over the years to reflect their respective domestic and global circumstances, the observers added. “That said, the common thread throughout was the focus on economic pragmatism, which is expected to continue,” said Ms Nydia Ngiow, managing director of BowerGroupAsia in Singapore:
- FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL - The impending leadership transition will be the third for Singapore, which gained independence in 1965. Its first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, was sworn in in 1959, and the late Mr Lee had to deal with a well-documented list of existential issues from colonialism to separation from Malaysia.
- A GENTLER GOVERNMENT - When Mr Goh Chok Tong took over as Prime Minister in 1990, it heralded a period when Singapore thrived economically and Singaporeans enjoyed wealth, safety and security, experts noted.
- FOCUS ON THE SOCIAL - Being the son of the first prime minister, incumbent PM Lee was likely exposed to affairs of state from a young age and has had “a super long runway in politics”, said Assoc Prof Singh. With this heightened political sense, PM Lee has been clear in communicating his policies to the people, both on domestic and foreign policy issues, Assoc Prof Singh added.
- THE FOURTH GENERATION - Mr Wong will take the reins against this backdrop – and early signs show an intention to focus on the "common ground" and on "hearing a diverse range of perspectives and views and staying open to different ideas”, in his own words.
