Lawrence Wong sworn-in as Singapore's new premier

51-year-old succeeds Lee Hsien Loong as Southeast Asian nation's 4th prime minister

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lawrence Wong on Wednesday was sworn-in as the new prime minister of Singapore, a first leadership change in 20 years.

He was administered the oath office by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Wong, 51, succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who is now a senior minister. He has retained the Cabinet and held onto his finance portfolio.

"All the ministers already have a full plate of work to see through, and some have also just rolled out new programs in their ministries. So to avoid any disruptions, I have decided to keep them in their present roles until the end of the term. And that means I too, will retain my portfolio in finance even after becoming prime minister," he told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

The civil servant turned politician is the fourth prime minister of the nation that gained independence in 1965. He is supported by two deputy prime ministers, Heng Swee Keat and Gan Kim Yong.

Kaynak:

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