Mr Lee is now set handy over to Mr Wong, a former economist and civil servant who at one level served as his principal non-public secretary.
It’s uncharted waters not just for Mr Wong but additionally Singapore, which has had a Lee chief for 45 of its 59 years of nationhood. “He’s the primary PM with out a Lee in ready, and this enables Singapore to be a extra regular democracy,” stated Mr Low.
“The Lees have all the time had such an outsized affect on Singapore, and the truth that we’re turning the nook is nice for our broader sociopolitical transition,” added Mr Vadaketh.
Usually for the PAP, the selection of Mr Wong because the successor was telegraphed two years in the past when he was made deputy PM.
However the 51-year-old was not the apparent alternative from the beginning. Greater than a decade in the past when his political cohort – often known as the “4G” or fourth-generation PAP management – made their debut, he was seen as a darkish horse.
One other minister, Heng Swee Keat, was slated to take over as PM earlier than he bowed out citing his age and well being.
When the pandemic hit Singapore, it turned clear Mr Wong can be chief of the pack. As co-chair of a authorities taskforce, he turned a well-recognized face to Singaporeans, showing in weekly press conferences calmly explaining convoluted anti-Covid measures.
His crew and native media have touted his picture as an everyman. Like most Singaporeans he grew up in a public housing property, and he’s the primary PM who studied in non-elite native colleges.
Preaching a message of unity, he has promised to construct a extra inclusive Singapore with extra help for an ageing inhabitants and the needy, following a nationwide session train which he launched. In a latest interview with The Economist, he pledged that residents would “in no way” turn into a minority in Singapore and that immigration would proceed to be managed.
He additionally signalled no deviation in his strategy to one of many greatest international coverage points for Singapore, the US-China relationship, by insisting the federal government sides with neither superpower – somewhat, he stated, they’re “pro-Singapore”.
Mr Low described him as an “open-minded conservative” who can be amenable to creating modifications however would doubtless introduce them “incrementally, marginally, somewhat than in a ‘massive bang’.”
For this reason analysts see him as a secure alternative made by the PAP designed to stress continuity – a top quality that he’s eager to sign as nicely.
“Continuity and stability are key issues, particularly as we’re approaching the top of this time period of presidency,” Mr Wong stated on Monday when he unveiled his cupboard line-up.
He was referring to the truth that the federal government should name for an election by November subsequent yr. It is going to be Mr Wong’s greatest political take a look at, going to a public vote for the primary time as PM, as Singaporeans determine on their future in a post-Lee period.
