Lee Hsien Loong to step down as Singapore Prime Minister on 15 May, Lawrence Wong to take over

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be stepping down on 15 May, his office announced in a statement on Monday (15 April). Lee will formally advise President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to appoint Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to succeed him.

"DPM Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP MPs (People's Action Party members of Parliament)," the statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

The new Prime Minister will be sworn in at 8pm on 15 May at the Istana. Wong, 51, will be the republic's fourth Prime Minister since independence.

Lee, 72, had announced his intention to step aside last year before the PAP's 70th anniversary in November 2024.

"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," Lee wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

"The 4G team are committed to keeping Singapore working well and moving ahead. These will always be top priorities for the government," Lee added

The 4G transition plans that had to be changed

Wong, who is also the current Finance minister, was not the party's original choice for the handover.

Heng Swee Keat, also Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, was originally earmarked for the job, but chose to step aside, citing his age and the disruption from the COVID pandemic among the reasons.

Wong was made DPM during a cabinet reshuffle in 2022, after co-chairing the COVID multi-ministry taskforce during the pandemic years.

"I am honoured to be asked to undertake this new responsibility as the Prime Minister of Singapore," Wong wrote on his Facebook page on Monday after the announcement.

"I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give you my all in this undertaking," he added.

Goh Chok Tong had assumed office as the second Prime Minister of Singapore on 28 November 1990, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister who had held the position since June 1959.

Following this, Lee Kuan Yew's eldest son Lee Hsien Loong was officially sworn in as the third Prime Minister of Singapore on 12 August 2004, succeeding Goh in the role.

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