Wong will be sworn in as Singapore’s prime minister, as Lee Hsien Loong bows out after 20 years

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore’s deputy leader Lawrence Wong is set to be sworn in Wednesday as the nation’s fourth prime minister in a carefully planned political succession designed to ensure continuity and stability in the Asian financial hub.

A U.S.-trained economist, Wong, 51, succeeds Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who stepped down after two decades at the helm. Lee’s resignation marked the end of a family dynasty led by his father Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s charismatic first leader who built the colonial trading outpost into a business-friendly, affluent country during 31 years in office.

Wong, a civil servant turned politician, came to prominence while coordinating Singapore’s successful fight against COVID-19. But he wasn’t the first choice for the top job.

Heng Swee Keat, a former central bank chief and education minister, was the anointed successor but he withdrew his nomination in 2021. Wong was then picked by the ruling People’s Action Party in 2022 to fill the vacuum and quickly promoted to deputy prime minister.

“I will certainly strive to be a leader who is strong, kind and decisive. And I will do my best to build a Singapore where everyone can realize their full potential,” Wong said on social media earlier this month.

Wong’s ascension to the top has been meticulously crafted by the PAP — one of the world’s longest-serving political parties and known for its clean and effective governance — and will not change the dynamics in the tiny nation of some 6 million people.

Wong has retained the Cabinet and held onto his finance portfolio as he prepares for his first big test in general elections due by 2025 but widely expected to be called this year. Before taking office, he promoted Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong as