Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, announced on Sunday that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will assume the role of leader within the ruling People’s Action Party before the forthcoming general election, scheduled by November 2025. Given the widespread anticipation of the PAP’s continued electoral dominance, Wong is poised to become Singapore’s next prime minister. If he does, he would be the fourth individual to lead the Asian financial center since its independence in 1965.
Lee, who has held the position of prime minister since 2004, is the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Additionally, he serves as the secretary-general of the PAP, the party that has governed the island nation since 1965. In the previous year, Lee publicly declared Finance Minister Wong, aged 50, as his designated successor and subsequently elevated him to the role of deputy.
“I have complete trust in Lawrence and his team, and there’s no justification for postponing their political transition. Hence, I plan to pass the baton to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence before the upcoming general election,” stated the 71-year-old Lee during the PAP’s annual conference. Lee commended Wong and his team for their adept management of the COVID-19 crisis, noting that they were playing an expanding role in shaping the national agenda.
Wong rose to prominence as the co-leader of the government’s COVID-19 task force during the peak of the pandemic. His management of the virus response has largely received acclaim. Under his guidance, Singapore implemented rigorous lockdowns, stringent border controls, and effective contact-tracing measures, which succeeded in keeping both deaths and infections at a minimum, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic.
However, despite achieving one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, concerns emerged over the gradual pace at which the city-state eased its restrictions.