Lawrence Wong will be only the fourth PM in Singapore's history
Apr 18 2024
In the republic's 59-year history, Singapore has had only three leaders. On May 15th it gets its fourth, when the prime minister of 20 years, Lee Hsien Loong—who is 72 and whose father, Lee Kuan Yew, ruled with an iron will for 31 years—will resign. At a ceremony at the presidential palace, Lawrence Wong, the current finance minister, will be sworn in.
Indeed many younger Singaporeans, less respectful of hierarchy, want more fairness in terms of who shares in growth: they think that a country sitting on such gargantuan financial reserves should more generously support welfare. They also want politics to be more participatory rather than heavily directed from the top. At stake for Mr Wong, when he goes to the country, is not his (and the 4g's) formal mandate but rather moral legitimacy.
Mr Wong, then, kicks off with a degree of goodwill. Still, the election will be his key test. The pap will win thanks to formidable organisation, unrelenting attacks on the opposition, a docile press, a record of good governance and a not always subliminal message that its survival and that of Singapore are synonymous. Yet if the opposition gets many more than the ten out of 87 elected seats it currently holds, the change candidate will start off on the back foot.
Singapore's outgoing prime minister will stay on as senior minister, his successor says
April 16, 2024
https://apnews.com/article/singapore-prime-minister-lee-wong-3831e882ea483df2b2add31bd84d7ab6
Wong will be Singapore’s fourth leader since independence in 1965. The transition has been carefully crafted in the wealthy city-state known for its tight government control, media censorship and use of oppressive laws against dissidents.
Incoming Singapore PM says incumbent Lee to serve as senior minister in next cabinet - media
Reuters, April 16, 2024
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/incoming-singapore-pm-says-incumbent-lee-serve-senior-minister-next-cabinet-2024-04-16/
Wong, 51, was tipped in 2022 to be the Asian financial hub's next leader, after being catapulted into the spotlight as co-head of the government's COVID-19 task force. He won praise for keeping the death rate low by imposing restrictions on movement, border curbs and contact-tracing.
