25 April 2021
- RSIS
- Publication
- External Publications
- Search for New Singapore Prime Minister: Start with a Rethink
Search for New Singapore Prime Minister: Start with a Rethink
By some observers’ reckoning, Mr Lawrence Wong’s appointment as the new Finance Minister might have propelled him into the position of front runner to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Han Fook Kwang, senior fellow at RSIS, writes in this commentary that unpredictability in who might be the country’s fourth prime minister is very un-Singapore-like. The fundamental problem isn’t one of not knowing who the next PM might be with as much certainty as in the past. This isn’t a new issue, but it is now working its way up to the highest level of the leadership, perhaps sooner than anyone had anticipated. When the recruitment pipeline slows down, it will eventually affect the choices available for the premiership. That’s what has happened today.
By some observers’ reckoning, Mr Lawrence Wong’s appointment as the new Finance Minister might have propelled him into the position of front runner to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Han Fook Kwang, senior fellow at RSIS, writes in this commentary that unpredictability in who might be the country’s fourth prime minister is very un-Singapore-like. The fundamental problem isn’t one of not knowing who the next PM might be with as much certainty as in the past. This isn’t a new issue, but it is now working its way up to the highest level of the leadership, perhaps sooner than anyone had anticipated. When the recruitment pipeline slows down, it will eventually affect the choices available for the premiership. That’s what has happened today.
