SINGAPORE – Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will remain in the new cabinet as a senior minister, local media reported, quoting Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong today.
The Straits Times reported that Wong, who is set to assume the role of prime minister from Lee on May 15, will announce details of his new cabinet in a press conference a few days before the swearing-in ceremony.
“It has never been the case that when there is a leadership transition, all the older ministers stepped down at the same time. Instead, they continued to contribute in different ways, while making room for the younger ones to step up.
“I will adopt the same approach when I take over,” the daily reported him as saying to journalists when doorstepped at an event today.
The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement yesterday announced that Lee would relinquish his office on May 15, paving the way for Wong to succeed him.
Former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong also served as senior ministers after they stepped down.
Wong, who is also finance minister, said the new cabinet would not have major changes and existing ministers were expected to largely remain in their current portfolios.
However, Wong said bigger changes were likely to take place after the next general election and he was already on the lookout for new candidates. – April 16, 2024