Who is Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s new Prime Minister?

Wong’s ruling People’s Action Party retained its supermajority in the May 3 election, and with nearly 66% of the popular vote, improved on its 2020 performance.

By Stephanie Phang

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong won his mandate on Saturday to lead the trade-dependent city into the tariff chaos wrought by US President Donald Trump. He’ll also need to navigate the shifting demands of voters frustrated by high prices as he embarks on his first elected term as leader.

It won’t be easy.

Wong’s ruling People’s Action Party retained its supermajority in the May 3 election, and with nearly 66 per cent of the popular vote, improved on its 2020 performance. Now Wong will have to quickly address the headwinds facing the city-state of 6 million people, which built itself up over decades from a colonial port into a major financial and trading hub.

What is Lawrence Wong’s background?

Like the majority of Singaporeans, Wong was brought up in public housing estates. His father hailed from China, and traveled as a teenager from the southern island of Hainan to British-controlled Malaya to work as a chef’s assistant on the railways.

During his childhood, Wong was once bound up and held at knife-point when his home was ransacked by thieves — a story he later recounted as education minister. Years later, he obtained Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan, respectively. He also received a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

After getting a government scholarship to join the civil service, Wong soon found himself in the trade and finance ministries. He was first elected as a member of parliament in 2011. But he really rose to prominence, in part, due to his leading role on a committee overseeing the nation’s Covid-19 response.

The 52-year-old leader is married to Loo Tze Lui, a former banker and wealth manager. They don’t have children.

What’s he said about Trump’s tariffs and other priorities?

Wong has been vocal about the uncertainty unleashed by the escalating trade war and the potential impact on Singapore.

“We are in the midst of a messy transition globally” as the US steps back from being a “guarantor of order” in the world, Wong said in a speech last month. “Neither China nor any other country is willing – or able to – fill the vacuum.”

Watch Wong’s interview at the 2022 Bloomberg New Economy Forum here

Heading into this year’s vote, he made his team younger and more diverse, saying that “they will inject fresh energy, new ideas and diverse perspectives to strengthen our team for Singapore.”

Domestically he’ll have to navigate efforts to support a working class grappling with elevated living costs without eroding Singapore’s standing as a global wealth and finance center. In a budget speech this year, Wong, who is also finance minister, avoided raising wealth taxes but took steps to bolster the lower and middle class with supermarket vouchers, utility and tax rebates, and support for large families.

How did Wong start his political career?

Wong started out as an economist, and held various positions as a civil servant. He rose through the ranks until he became a principal private secretary to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. From that perch he had a front-row seat to the 2008 global financial crisis, when the government moved quickly to stabilize Singapore’s reeling economy.

After entering politics, he was eventually identified as a member of the so-called 4G, or fourth generation, of leaders in the ruling party, and was part of a group of men seen as potential contenders to succeed Lee. Along with his counterparts, he was given responsibility for various portfolios, including appointments in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the Ministry of National Development, and the Ministry of Education.

That experience helped Wong as he steered the nation through the pandemic as co-chair of the Covid-19 panel. His matter-of-fact approach allowed him to deliver difficult messages in a way that built trust with the public.

After the pandemic, Lee, the now former premier, designated Wong as his successor.

Is Wong’s rise to power typical for a Singapore PM?

Yes and no. Wong wasn’t one of the early front-runners for the role of prime minister. In fact, there was an earlier heir apparent for Lee: Heng Swee Keat, who bowed out unexpectedly in 2021.

Wong’s rise to the top pick was stunning for a politician from humble origins on Singapore’s East Coast who didn’t attend one of the local elite academies that produce most top officials. He chose to attend university in the U.S. with his government scholarship.

Wong also didn’t immediately make it into the elite administrative service — seen as a proving ground for future leaders — though he was accepted later after working as a civil servant, according to people familiar with the matter.

At the same time, Wong is very much a product of Singapore’s political system, with his ascent to the nation’s leadership playing out as part of a carefully orchestrated transition by the ruling party.

In line with the times, he’s worked to develop an approachable profile on social media, including posting a video of himself strumming a Taylor Swift song on his guitar. He’s also started to burnish his man-of-the-people credentials by traveling on budget airline Scoot for official business. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Wong called for Singaporeans to dream beyond “status or rewards.”