DPM Lawrence Wong to succeed PM Lee on 15 May, PMO confirms

SINGAPORE:  Singapore is poised to welcome a new prime minister on 15 May, as Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong prepares to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on that significant day.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a press statement on Monday (15 April) confirming the transition:

“Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will relinquish his office on 15 May 2024. ”

“He will formally advise the President to appoint Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong to succeed him.”

“DPM Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP MPs.”

“The new Prime Minister will be sworn in at 8.00 pm on 15 May 2024 at the Istana.”

Mr Wong, 51, will assume the role of Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister, following in the footsteps of Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who assumed office in 2004 at the age of 52; Mr Goh Chok Tong (1990), and Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1959).

Mr Wong is expected to guide the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) into the upcoming elections slated for November 2025.

This comes against a backdrop of heightened political contestation and a mounting call for increased checks and balances within the city-state.

The announcement also indicated that 72-year-old PM Lee will step down on 15 May, after nearly 20 years of heading Singapore’s government.

PM Lee expresses confidence in DPM Wong’s 4G team

In a Facebook post, Mr Lee said 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.”

Mr Lee expressed confidence in the 4G team’s dedication to ensuring Singapore’s continued progress and prosperity, emphasizing these as paramount objectives for the government.

“I ask all Singaporeans to give Lawrence and his team your full support, and work with them to create a brighter future for Singapore,” said Mr Lee.

In November 2023, PM Lee indicated intent to hand over leadership to DPM Lawrence Wong before next GE

In November 2023, Speaking at the PAP’s convention, PM Lee signalled a leadership transition, indicating his intention to pass the baton to DPM Wong before the upcoming General Election.

PM Lee stated that the next GE will coincide with the party’s leadership transition to the 4G team, setting a tentative timeline for this to occur by the PAP’s 70th birthday on 21 November 2024.

“Lawrence has told me that he is ready, and this morning you have heard him telling you that he is ready for his next assignment. I have full confidence in Lawrence and his team and there is no reason to delay the political transition.

“Therefore, I intend to hand over to DPM Lawrence before the next GE,” said Mr Lee at the time.

Previously expressing his wish “to step down before his 70th birthday in February 2022,” the unexpected COVID-19 challenges of the pandemic disrupted Lee’s plans.

The succession plan has been in the public eye since DPM Heng Swee Keat stepped aside, allowing a younger leader with a ‘longer runway’ to lead the party, with DPM Wong subsequently being endorsed as the leader of the 4G team.

PM Lee reflected on this decision, noting the importance of continuity and long-term planning. “Lawrence and the 4G team have earned their spurs during the COVID-19 crisis, setting the national agenda with vigour and vision,” he said.

He expressed confidence in DPM Wong and the 4G team, stating, “Lawrence has told me that he is ready, and this morning you have heard him telling you that he is ready for his next assignment. I have full confidence in Lawrence and his team, and there is no reason to delay the political transition.”

In 2018, the public was informed that Mr Heng, a former top civil servant, had been chosen by his PAP peers as “first among equals” and was set to become Singapore’s fourth prime minister upon PM Lee’s retirement.

PM Lee, who was 66 at the time and had succeeded Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister in 2004, had intended to hand over the reins of power by February 2022, his 70th birthday.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic seemed to shift the succession timeline.

In July 2020, amidst Singapore’s GE, PM Lee expressed his commitment to see Singapore through the crisis and hand over the country “intact and in working order” to his successor.

By April 2021, after the PAP’s victory in the 2020 general election, Heng conveyed his intentions to stand aside.

Reflecting on the severity of the pandemic, Heng commented, “I believe it’s better for someone younger, with a longer runway, to take on this role.”

Subsequently, a year later, in April 2022,DPM Wong was announced as the leader of the ruling PAP fourth-generation team.

Based on the recent announcement, it is reasonable to anticipate that the General Election will be held before the party’s anniversary in November.

In a recent interview, Inderjit Singh, an ex-PAP MP, predicted the possibility of the General Election occurring by the end of this year, while former Nominated MP Mr Viswa Sadasivan suggested timing around October.

In response to the PAP’s dominant 2/3 majority in Parliament, Singapore’s political landscape has witnessed increased manoeuvring,  intensifying grassroots outreach efforts, and witnessing alternative parties forming political alliances — both formal and informal — to contest in the upcoming GE.