Singapore’s New Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Faces Challenges From Day One
After some twenty years in office, Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has announced his intention to step down, paving the way for Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to be the next prime minister starting on May 15 and to lead the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) into the next general election.
Wong comes into the office with numerous strengths. The PAP has prepped him for two years as the centerpiece of what it calls the “4G” or fourth generation of party leaders, and thus of Singapore. Despite a growing opposition presence in parliament, the PAP will almost surely triumph in the next election. Wong is a more natural politician than some of the other candidates who were in the running to replace Lee Hsien Loong. For example, he showed his leadership skills during COVID-19, as Lee noted in a Facebook post announcing the shift and Wong’s elevation. Wong also has held a diversity of positions and jobs, unlike some PAP members, giving him potentially greater insight into more sectors of Singaporean society and also the many domestic and regional issues the city-state now faces.
While Lee did not exactly take office at a calm time—the war on terror was in full form, and Singapore was both a terrorism target for Southeast Asia-based militants and also enlisted as a partner in the global battle by the United States—Wong takes office with the city-state confronting a broader range of challenges. At home, the PAP, though still the dominant force, now faces a more organized political opposition that can no longer be easily marginalized as a small group unrepresentative of Singaporean society. The opposition may boost its seat count in the next election, giving it more leeway in parliament to monitor and criticize the PAP.
