Lawrence Wong is the new Prime Minister of Singapore, having been sworn in last night.
Wong becomes only the fourth leader of the city state since it became independent in 1965. All have been from the People’s Action Party (PAP).
Wong succeeds Lee Hsien Loong, who had been Prime Minister since 2004. He was the son of Singapore’s founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew. Someone from the Lee family has been Prime Minister for 45 of the 59 years since it won independence.
Although Lee has stood down as Prime Minister, he will remain in the Cabinet as a ‘senior minister’.
The 51-year-old Wong is a former economist and civil servant. He served as Lee’s deputy for two years before making it to the top job. He first entered politics in 2011, when he became a Member of Parliament.
Analysts have said he will be a safe pair of hands and will not deviate from the country’s current policy trajectory.
He faces his first electoral test this year, as Singapore must go to the polls no later than November 2024. The PAP currently holds a comfortable majority in the Singaporean parliament.