Little known things about the future Prime Minister of Singapore

(Dan Tri) – Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will become the head of Singapore’s 4th generation (4G) leadership after the oath-taking ceremony taking place at the Istana Palace on May 15.

Mr. Lawrence Wong (Photo: Strait Times).

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the transfer of power to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in May. With this position, Mr. Wong will become the head of the second generation leadership apparatus.

As Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong prepares to take over the government leadership from May 15 after the swearing-in ceremony at the Istana Palace, the country’s Straits Times newspaper reviews special things about Singapore’s future Prime Minister.

`Forward Singapore` dialogue leader

The dialogue called `Forward Singapore` kicked off in June 2023, led by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and chaired by other 4G generation People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders.

This is a forum that holds regular dialogues with Singaporeans to listen to their concerns and needs as we build a roadmap for Singapore’s future.

This national engagement dialogue brought together more than 200,000 Singaporeans through face-to-face dialogues and interactions as well as surveys, roadshows and digital platforms.

A report on `Forward Singapore` personally released by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the end of October 2023 compiled people’s wishes for a future society.

The plan includes more help for groups such as middle-income workers and lower-income seniors, through measures such as additional financial support and improved infrastructure.

The report also tells Singaporeans that more needs to be done to ensure their basic needs are met at every stage of life, such as education, housing, healthcare and retirement.

Become the future Prime Minister

In April 2022, Mr. Wong, then Minister of Finance, was `chosen to send gold` to become the leader of the PAP’s 4G group, paving the way for him to become the next prime minister of Singapore.

This comes after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was previously chosen to lead the 4G group, announced he would make way for someone younger in 2021. 4G ministers then asked for more time to

Finally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tasked former Minister Khaw Boon Wan to lead a consultation process, which saw him meet each 4G minister individually after the Budget debate in March 2022.

Since then, Deputy Prime Minister Wong has attempted to cover all bases.

More recently, Mr. Wong visited Germany and France on his first trip to Europe in his current capacity, and met with senior government and industry leaders from both countries.

At the PAP congress in November 2023, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that he would hand over leadership to Mr. Wong in November 2024, before the 70th anniversary of the party’s founding and now earlier than expected.

According to the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will leave office on May 15 and proposed that the President of this country appoint Deputy Prime Minister Wong, 51 years old, as his successor.

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Mr. Wong holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and also holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School (USA).

Before joining politics, he spent 14 years working at Singapore’s state agencies including the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Health.

As a civil servant, he is famous for his solid policy work and economic understanding.

Early in his career, he turned down offers to work in the private sector because he felt that public service allowed him to undertake different projects and form viable plans.

In 2005, he became Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s principal private secretary, a role that certainly helped lay a solid foundation for him to later take over the country’s administration.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, Mr. Wong was chosen as Co-Chair of the Covid-19 Response Committee and received widespread trust from the people.

Colleagues in the public service describe him as always open to discussion and different perspectives, and willing and determined enough to make decisions.

Music lover

Mr. Lawrence Wong was born on December 18, 1972, in a family with a father who was a general worker and a mother who was a teacher.

Many sources said that Mr. Wong has a brother who is 2 years older.

And one thing that few people know is that Deputy Prime Minister Wong is a music lover and his favorite musical instrument is the guitar.

People are amazed when they see clips of him belting out timeless tunes across the rock, blues and soul genres – such as a clip from December 2022 showcasing his performance.

At the age of eight, his father gave him a guitar and from then on music remained an integral part of his life.

Be open and always listen

Analysts say that Mr. Wong is one of the typical figures of the 4G generation.

`I want to earn the trust and support of the people of Singapore. Together, we will write the next chapter for Singapore. Together, we will build a democratic society based on justice and equality

However, experts say that, with the new mission, Deputy Prime Minister Wong will face many big challenges.

The first is the task of reforming the leadership apparatus, thereby building a team of capable ministers, ensuring the effective implementation of the country’s policies, and at the same time finding and nurturing new generations of leaders.

The second is how to get the PAP party and the Singapore government through the general election in November 2025 when support for the PAP in recent elections shows signs of decline.

The third is to enhance Singapore’s position in the context of a very volatile world as well as solve the country’s economic and livelihood problems, such as creating good jobs and controlling inflation.

And finally, develop an agenda and social policies that are effective in responding to the challenges that Singapore faces, such as an aging population and falling birth rates.