PM Lawrence Wong takes PAP reins from SM Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has succeeded Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong as the leader of the People’s Action Party (PAP), completing the ruling party’s leadership transition from 3G, or the third generation, to 4G.

SM Lee will remain on the party’s highest decision-making body as a member.

He had earlier announced that he would step down as secretary-general after 20 years at the helm.

This means PM Wong now holds the party’s reins and will lead it into the next general election, which must be held by November 2025.

In a media release by the PAP announcing its central executive committee’s (CEC) new line-up and appointments on Dec 4, the new CEC expressed its appreciation for SM Lee’s many years of leadership and service to the party and Singapore.

The party also said it has co-opted four additional members into the CEC, bringing the number of members in it to 18.

The four are labour chief Ng Chee Meng, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo and Dr Lam Pin Min.

The party’s 38th CEC also elected the following office-holders at its first meeting:

• Chairman: Mr Heng Swee Keat
• Vice-chairman: Mr Masagos Zulkifli
• Secretary-general: Mr Lawrence Wong
• Assistant secretaries-general: Mr Chan Chun Sing and Mr Desmond Lee
• Treasurer: Mr K. Shanmugam
• Assistant treasurer: Mr Ong Ye Kung
• Organising secretaries: Ms Grace Fu and Mr Edwin Tong
• Members: Mr Chee Hong Tat, Mr Desmond Choo, Ms Indranee Rajah, Dr Lam Pin Min, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Ng Chee Meng, Ms Sim Ann, Dr Tan See Leng and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan

The CEC appointments followed the Nov 24 election of the first 12 members of the PAP’s top decision-making body at its biennial PAP Awards and Conference.

They were elected by the party’s cadres, who form its inner circle.

In speeches then, PM Wong and SM Lee announced that they would be completing the leadership transition, with SM Lee adding that he intended to propose that the new CEC elect PM Wong as secretary-general at its first meeting.

The next two highest vote-getters are customarily co-opted into the CEC on the same day. This time, they were Mr Chee Hong Tat and Dr Tan See Leng.

The PAP also announced party appointments, separate from its CEC ones, leading with Mr Chan Chun Sing as chairman of its headquarters executive committee, succeeding PM Wong.

This is a promotion for Mr Chan, who was vice-chairman of the headquarters executive committee in the 37th CEC.

The party retained Mr Alex Yam, Mr Desmond Tan and Mr Tan Kiat How as its assistant organising secretaries, and added Ms Low Yen Ling to the post.

Mr Chee, who is new to the CEC, was appointed as chairman of the PAP’s Policy Forum Council.

Dr Tan was reappointed as chairman of PAP Seniors Group.

The party also reappointed the same leaders for two new groups it had created in June to better tackle issues that cut across traditional demographic lines.

Dr Koh Poh Koon will continue to lead PAP’s Climate Action Group, and Dr Janil Puthucheary its Mental Health Group.

The CEC appointments can be read as a reflection of PM Wong’s choice of leadership and an indication of who he would like to test out as he leads the PAP into the next general election, said Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh.

Some were expected, observers said.

They agreed that Mr Ng was likely to be co-opted into the CEC, given the traditional symbiotic relationship between the labour movement and the PAP.

Mr Ng, who is the National Trades Union Congress’ secretary-general, was similarly co-opted into the 37th CEC.

Also of note was Mr Chan and Mr Desmond Lee retaining their positions of assistant secretaries-general from the last CEC. PM Wong’s previous position of deputy secretary-general was left vacant.

Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said going by precedent, the two assistant secretaries-general will be seen as the front runners to be appointed deputy prime ministers after the general election, although he noted that this is not guaranteed.

Dr Koh said these are high positions in the party, and the pair would likely have a large say in policies related to the PAP, and how to lead it into the next campaign.

Dr Lam, a former senior minister of state for health and transport, leads the PAP team in opposition-held Sengkang GRC. He was on the team that lost the GRC to the Workers’ Party (WP) in GE 2020.

His inclusion may be to signal that residents there have a seat at the table, Associate Professor Tan said.

Dr Koh noted that there has always been room made for unsuccessful candidates of the previous election, citing Mr Alex Yeo in the 37th CEC and Mr Victor Lye in the 36th CEC.

Both were members of the PAP team in Aljunied GRC – which is also held by the WP.

Dr Lam’s inclusion in the new CEC may signal a continued interest in wresting Sengkang GRC back from the WP, she said.