Singapore’s incoming PM, Lawrence Wong, says current leader Lee Hsien Loong to serve as senior minister

Lee, 72, announced on Monday that he will end his 20-year rule and hand over to his deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15.

Wong, who is also finance minister, credited Lee for Singapore’s strong economic growth and said he was glad that he agreed to stay on as senior minister. Former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong had also served as senior ministers after stepping down.

Wong said the Cabinet will remain largely unchanged, at least until the next general elections, due late next year.

“For this moment, though, there should not be any major changes because our system works on the basis of continuity and progressive change,” he told a news conference.

“The bigger changes to the cabinet line-up will likely happen only after the next general election.”

Wong said he will focus on tackling immediate concerns around jobs, rising cost of living and taking care of vulnerable groups. Another priority is to recruit new candidates for elections as part of progressive change, he said.

“We have many challenges to tackle, but also many opportunities to chart a new way forward for ourselves and our nation. So work with me and my team. Let us write a new chapter for the Singapore story,” Wong said.