Singapore’s political succession plans are back on track after the pandemic and recent scandals won’t derail it, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.
“One crucial task is leadership renewal,” Lee, 71, said in his annual state of the nation address also known as the National Day Rally on Sunday evening. “Let me assure you — these incidents will not delay my timetable.”
Lee has said the power transition to his deputy Lawrence Wong, 50, will coincide with a general election due by 2025. His plan to leave the post by 2022 was scuttled by the pandemic and his then-designated successor Heng Swee Keat also stepped aside, citing his age.
A recent spate of controversies had ensnared a handful of Lee’s team in the ruling People’s Action Party. The scandals which included a corruption probe and an extramarital affair have shaken the party’s carefully cultivated image of clean governance.
The incidents also raised concerns of distractions for Lee and his administration as the city-state grapples with stubborn inflation and angst over housing affordability.
Lee expressed confidence in Wong and his team — known as 4G for the fourth generation of leaders — and said they are increasingly setting the pace.
“More and more, my task is to support the 4G team and their agenda,” Lee said. “I want to get them off to the best start possible.”
