PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over the leadership reins to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before Singapore’s next general election (GE).

“There is no reason to delay the political transition,” said PM Lee at the PAP awards and convention on Sunday (Nov 5). “I have full confidence in Lawrence and his team.”

PM Lee did not give an exact date as to when the transition would take place, but said: “If all goes well, I will hand over by the PAP’s (People’s Action Party) 70th birthday next year”. The PAP was founded on Nov 21, 1954.

Singapore Management University associate professor of law Eugene Tan said the firmer handover timeline sets the stage for a “pivotal general election (which must be held by November 2025)... where the ruling party will seek a strong mandate from Singaporeans for the generational change of leadership”.

National University of Singapore associate professor of political science Chong Ja Ian said having Wong lead the party into the next election is a “reasonable move”, as it will strengthen his mandate to lead the country.

“If the current PM leads the PAP into elections and wins, then people will ask – and I think quite rightly – what is Lawrence Wong’s mandate?” he said. “Sure, there may be a little bit of uncertainty over the vote share (Wong) can get, but it will be his own mandate.”

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

While Wong has proven himself as an effective implementer, Prof Chong said that as the prime minister, people will watch and see what Wong’s leadership and policies will be like compared with PM Lee’s.

While Wong and the 4G leaders have shown their leadership and policy nous, the “ultimate test” will be if this has inspired trust and confidence in Singaporeans that they are up to the task of taking the nation forward in a precarious time, said Prof Tan.

Leadership renewal

Addressing over 1,000 party members at the Singapore Expo, PM Lee, who is also the PAP’s secretary-general, outlined three priorities for the ruling party: governing competently, keeping clean, and winning elections.

He noted that to do these well, the party would need to ensure that it has high-quality leadership.

“Right now, we have a strong, capable top team... one that is in touch with Singaporeans, that has shown what it can do. Singapore needs an outstanding “first team” of leaders – who, on top of mastering the politics, can also deliver good government for Singapore,” said PM Lee.

He also spoke of how people sometimes argue that since the civil servants are already “so good”, there was no need to have ministers who are so experienced or capable.

“It’s a crazy argument. The civil service didn’t create itself out of thin air. We have a good civil service precisely because we’ve had good political leadership (that) built up a world-class civil service,” he said.

“Civil servants can only deliver good results if they are led by competent ministers, who understand the issues, make good decisions, who command their respect. Only then can ministers guide and complement the civil servants in their work, and deliver on their political promises.”

Singapore cannot afford to have ordinary political leaders or an ordinary public service, or it risks becoming an ordinary country, said PM Lee.

Leadership renewal is thus a “critical process” for both the PAP and Singapore, he said, noting that the transition to the fourth-generation (4G) team has been underway for “quite a while now”.

With the 4G team having already picked Wong to be its next leader, PM Lee said all that was left to decide was on when the handover should take place – before or after the next election.

“I can continue to lead the party in the next GE – which would be my fifth as PM – and then hand over soon afterwards to Lawrence,” said PM Lee of his two choices. “Or I can hand over to Lawrence before the GE, then he leads the party in the campaign, wins his own mandate, and takes the country forward with the full backing of the nation.”

Leadership transitions for any country are always tricky and can go awry. Therefore, PM Lee said the decision was thought over carefully, and discussed thoroughly with Wong and both the third generation and the 4G leaders.

“Both Singaporeans and people outside Singapore – near and far – are watching very closely,” said PM Lee. “Everything depends on the success of this third transition in our history.”

“Lawrence has told me that he is ready. And this morning you heard him telling me that he’s ready for his next assignment,” he said, while noting that both Wong and the 4G leaders have been serving for many years and are preparing well to take the helm.

Aside from steering Singapore through the Covid-19 pandemic, the 4G leaders have also recently set the national agenda for the country’s future through the Forward Singapore exercise.

Once the 50-year-old Wong takes over, PM Lee, who turns 71 next year, said he will remain at his successor’s disposal.

“I will go wherever he thinks I can be useful. I will do my best to help him and his team to fight and win the next GE, and to fulfil his responsibilities leading the country,” said the prime minister.

He called on the PAP members to give Wong and the 4G leaders their “fullest support”.

“Help them win a strong mandate in the next GE. Work with them to take Singapore to greater heights,” he said.