Today-Apr 15
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over the premiership to his deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Monday (April 15).
The announcement came two years after Cabinet ministers picked Mr Wong to be the leader of the fourth-generation (4G) team of political leaders from the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP), and seven months ahead of the party’s 70th anniversary coming up in November. “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will relinquish his office on 15 May 2024,” the PMO statement said on Monday, adding that Mr Lee will formally advise President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to appoint Mr Wong as prime minister.
“DPM Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP Members of Parliament.” Mr Wong will be sworn in as prime minister at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, the PMO added.
Mr Lee, who led the country for about 20 years, said last November that he would pass the leadership role to Mr Wong before the PAP’s 70th birthday “if all goes well”. The upcoming handover will mark the third time a Singapore prime minister hands over the reins of the country’s leadership. Mr Lee first took office in August 2004 at age 52 from his predecessor Goh Chok Tong, who handed him the baton after leading the nation for around 14 years. Mr Goh took over at age 49 from founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1990. The late Mr Lee led Singapore for 31 years as prime minister, and was 67 when Mr Goh took office. Writing on his Facebook page on Monday, Mr Lee said that a leadership transition is a “significant” moment for any country and urged all Singaporeans to give Mr Wong and the 4G team their “full support”. Read more at:
