Rallying the nation with hope, not fear

“PERSONABLE” and “personal” are swiftly becoming go-to descriptors of newly minted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s style. Both attributes were on display in his first National Day Rally (NDR) on Sunday (Aug 18), from his friendly manner to the photographs he shared, depicting him at various points from childhood through to his public service career.

Early in his speech, PM Wong all but summed up his public persona: “I may be prime minister, but I am also a fellow citizen and a friend, sharing the same experiences and concerns as all of you.”

Beyond stylistic concerns such as demeanour, tone or multimedia use, however, PM Wong’s personal approach showed up in his presentation of policy, too.