SINGAPORE: Singapore’s finance minister Lawrence Wong has been selected to lead his generation of politicians, putting the 49-year-old first in line to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Lee announced the decision in a post on his Facebook page this evening. Wong, he said, was endorsed as leader of the “4G” or fourth-generation team by government lawmakers, during a meeting of members of the ruling People’s Action Party.
An “overwhelming majority” of those consulted supported Wong as leader, Lee wrote, adding, “I have every confidence that Lawrence and his team will continue to give their best for Singapore and Singaporeans.”
Wong responded with a Facebook post of his own, saying it was his “privilege to be called upon to lead this team.” He vowed to “uphold this responsibility” and to “strive to earn the trust and support of each and every one of our fellow citizens.”
Lee turned 70 this year, the age at which he had suggested he hoped to cede the reins of power he has held since 2004. The succession planning was upended last year when former heir apparent Heng Swee Keat – the previous 4G leader – withdrew himself from consideration.
Heng, who turned 60 last year, cited the prolonged Covid-19 crisis and argued the nation would be better served by someone younger. Today’s development has put an end to speculation over who will lead Singapore when Lee eventually steps aside.
“The right to lead is not inherited,” Lee wrote. “It has to be earned afresh by each generation of leaders. Singapore will always need a strong team in charge, with a leader who can bring others together, and draw out the best of each team member.”
Wong echoed Lee’s point about inheritance and promised, “Together with the rest of the 4G team, I will continue to serve Singaporeans wholeheartedly.”
Wong’s peers, health minister Ong Ye Kung and education minister Chan Chun Sing, had also been tipped as contenders for the top post. The three men all belong to the so-called 4G team within the PAP, which has run Singapore since its independence in 1965.
In the days leading up to the announcement, Wong and Ong had been busy building their profiles on social media, using Chinese tech giant Bytedance’s video sharing platform TikTok to connect with the public.
After the naming of the new 4G leader, Lee said that he will adjust his cabinet lineup, with an announcement to come “in due course.”
“This decision is a crucial one for Singapore,” he wrote. “It will ensure the continuity and stability of leadership that are the hallmarks of our system.”
Wong is a former head of Singapore’s Energy Market Authority, and was elected to parliament for the first time in 2011. He has also served as Prime Minister Lee’s principal private secretary.
Last year, he became finance minister, filling the role played by Heng – an appointment some observers saw as a signal that he was destined to fill Lee’s shoes.
As finance minister, Wong took responsibility for unveiling the annual budget – one of two major platforms by which the government addresses Singaporeans on policy matters.
The prime minister handles the other – the National Day Rally around the time Singapore marks its independence in August.
Wong’s role in Singapore’s response to Covid-19 is widely seen as another factor that worked in his favour. He has been co-chairing a multiministry task force set up to tackle the pandemic, along with his colleague, health minister Ong. His media briefings have made him a visible figure in an effort that led to Singapore easing its coronavirus measures at the start of this month, moving closer to “living with Covid-19.”
Wong is the youngest among the three hitherto front-runners. Yet he has had a longer career as an elected parliamentarian than Ong. And unlike Ong, he has never lost an election race. - FMT
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