By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be sworn in on Wednesday amid a generational shift in the island's politics.
Current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who has led the country for 20 years, will step down on the same day to hand over power to 51-year-old Wong, who is presently serving as the deputy prime minister.
Wong will be Singapore's fourth prime minister since its independence in 1965, capping the country's long-planned leadership transition.
He had been touted as the next prime minister since April 2022, when he was picked as the leader of the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) fourth-generation team.
“I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give my all in this undertaking,” Wong said on April 15, minutes after the Prime Minister’s Office announced the date for the handover.
The party's original choice for the top job, Heng Swee Keat, a former central bank chief and education minister, stepped aside suddenly in 2021 to pave the way for a younger person to lead the country.
- Troubled time
The incoming premier, who entered politics 13 years ago, is taking the helm at time when the country is facing a slew of domestic challenges, particularly a cost-of-living crisis and immigration, while the ruling party has also been rocked by a rare corruption scandal.
Also, it happens at a more troubled time for the world, with raging wars in Europe and the Middle East and uncertainty in the global economy.
However, political analysts say he is no novice to administrative and foreign affairs and has been making the rounds to build ties with partners.
Most recently, in April, Wong, who is also the finance minister, visited Germany and France. In 2023, he made a trip to the US and also met with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The COVID-19 pandemic also helped Wong come into prominence.
He gained plaudits for leading the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic as co-chair of the task force on COVID-19 along with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong.
- New team will be 'probed'
Sandwiched between Malaysia and Indonesia, the tiny island nation plays an oversized role in international affairs as a key ally both to the US and China.
According to outgoing Premier Lee, who is now 72, people will check his successor's domestic standing and support as well as his ability to engage and hold his own.
“I think that the new team will be probed, certainly. Tested, well, maybe gently, maybe issues will come, and people might push a little bit harder, or maybe not,” he said in an interview with the local New Straits Times newspaper when asked if Singapore might be tested amid the upcoming leadership transition.