SINGAPORE, June 6 (PTI): Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday appointed Finance Minister Lawrence Wong as the Deputy Prime Minister from June 13, paving the way for the next generation leader from his party to lead the country.
The announcement comes two months after Lawrence, 49, was endorsed by his peers as the leader of the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) fourth-generation team to succeed the 70-year-old Lee.
The Cabinet reshuffle positions him as a next-generation leader and a Prime Ministerial candidate to lead the city-state, focused on global businesses.
Related Posts:
“I look forward to walking this journey with all of you, and working with everyone – to steer Singapore through the many challenges we are facing today, and to chart our new way forward together for a better tomorrow,” Lawrence said in a tweet.
“I will do my best and give every ounce of my strength to serve Singapore and Singaporeans. In turn, I seek your support, as I take on my latest appointment as DPM, and take another step forward in embracing my new responsibilities. (Ministry of Communications and Information),” he said.
Lawrence will continue as the Minister for Finance, and assume responsibility for the Strategy Group within the Prime Minister’s Office, taking over this role from the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat who had stepped aside as leader of the 4G team last April, citing his age as the reason.
The Strategy Group oversees key priorities and issues facing Singapore over the medium to long terms, such as population and climate change.
Lawrence will be the Acting Prime Minister in the absence of Premier Lee.
Heng, 61, will remain as the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, overseeing the Future Economy Council as well as assisting Prime Minister Lee in overseeing the National Research Foundation and Productivity Fund Administration Board.
“The next generation leadership is taking shape. I ask everyone to give your full support to this important transition, to steer Singapore safely out of the pandemic and into a brighter future,” Lee said in a Facebook post on Monday.
“We took another important step towards leadership renewal today, with the appointment of Lawrence Wong as DPM. Lawrence has our fullest support. I will give my all to help him succeed while serving alongside him as DPM and as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies,” Heng wrote in a Facebook post.
The Cabinet reshuffle moves Singapore’s leadership transition process further along after it hit a snag when Heng stepped aside as the leader of the 4G team in April last year.
The Cabinet has traditionally had two Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) since the 1980s, with the exception of a short period in the 1990s when Prime Minister Lee was the only DPM on board, and since May 2019, when Heng was the only person holding the post.
Besides Lawrence’s promotion, eight officeholders will be promoted or given new portfolios and responsibilities, reported The Straits Times newspaper.
The latest reshuffle comes a year after seven fourth-generation ministers were given new roles in a major rejig in May 2021. At that time, Lawrence was given the key finance portfolio.
In April this year, Premier Lee announced that Lawrence had been selected as leader of the 4G team by his peers and that Cabinet ministers had affirmed the choice. The decision was then endorsed by all PAP MPs in a party caucus.
