Will hand over leadership to deputy PM by next general election: Singapore’s PM Lee

Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday that he will hand over the city-state's leadership to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong before the next general elections, expected in November 2025, according to a media report.

Talking about the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) transition plans while addressing party members at the annual PAP awards and convention, 71-year-old Lee, who is the party's secretary-general, also said that “if all goes well”, he will do so by the PAP’s 70th birthday on November 21 next year, Channel News Asia reported.

The PAP, set up by founding Prime Minister, the Late Lee Kuan Yew on November 21, 1954, has been ruling the economically prosperous city-state.

During the award and convention ceremony, Lee addressed more than 1,000 party members, following speeches by Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and several new PAP faces.

Wong was endorsed as the leader of the party’s fourth-generation or 4G, team last year after the 62-year-old Heng stepped aside so that a younger leader with a “longer runway” could take over.

Lee previously said he hoped to step down before his 70th birthday, which was in February 2022. However, the plan was disrupted by the pandemic.

During this year’s National Day Rally, he said his succession plans are back on track with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that recent controversies involving ministers and Members of Parliament will not delay the timetable for political renewal.

He did not give a timeline then, according to a Channel News Asia report on Sunday.

Lee reiterated to PAP members that the next GE will coincide with the party’s leadership transition to the 4G team.

He noted that with Wong's endorsement as leader of the 4G team, there remains only one major decision to make: Should the handover take place before or after the next GE?

"Either I can continue to lead the party in the next GE, which would be my fifth as PM, and then hand over soon afterwards to Lawrence; or I can hand over to Lawrence before the GE, then he leads the party into the campaign, wins his own mandate, and takes the country forward with the full backing of the nation," Lee was quoted as saying.

He stressed that leadership transition for any country “is always tricky” and “many things can go awry”, with Singaporeans and people outside Singapore watching this development closely.

“Everything depends on the success of this third transition in our history. I have thought this over carefully, discussed it thoroughly with Lawrence and the ministers, both 3G and 4G," Lee said.

“Lawrence and the 4G team have been serving for many years now. They have taken on greater responsibilities, and they are preparing well to take the helm. They earned their spurs during covid-19 and increasingly, they are setting the national agenda,” he said.

Lee also spoke about the importance of preparing well to fight and win elections, aside from governing well and keeping the party clean.

He noted that while PAP’s policies may be working, conviction, support and votes are harder to win, party members have to engage Singaporeans widely and help them understand how they and their families benefit from these policies.

“We have to show them what is at stake, and inspire them to fight hard for us, together with us for a better future,” he added.

While concluding his speech, Lee grew visibly emotional as he told party members that it had been his “great fortune and honour” to serve the country throughout his adult life.