Outgoing Singapore PM Lee to stay on as senior minister in next Cabinet

Outgoing Singapore PM Lee to stay on as senior minister in next Cabinet

Lawrence Wong, the prime minister-designate, plans to unveil his new Cabinet shortly before he takes power on May 15.

Singapore’s incumbent leader Lee Hsien Loong is set to step down on May 15. (AP pic)
SINGAPORE:
Singapore’s prime minister-designate, Lawrence Wong, said today that the city-state’s incumbent leader Lee Hsien Loong would serve as a senior minister in his Cabinet after he takes power on May 15.

Wong, the current finance minister, said he would announce a new Cabinet line-up a few days before he is sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister, the Straits Times reported. But he said any major changes would likely take place only after a general election.

“For this moment, though, there should not be any major changes because our system works on the basis of continuity and progressive change,” the newspaper quoted him as telling reporters.

He added his agenda included tackling concerns over high cost of living and jobs.

Wong, 51, was tipped in 2022 to be the Asian financial hub’s next leader, after being catapulted into the spotlight as co-head of the government’s Covid-19 task force. He won praise for keeping the death rate low by imposing restrictions on movement, border curbs, and contact tracing.

The next general election must be held by November 2025.

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