Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will lead the People’s Action Party in the next general election, taking over the reins from Prime Minister...
PM Lee noted that the ministers had already chosen Mr Wong to be their leader, a choice endorsed by the PAP MPs.
He said that while he did not manage to pass on the baton before his 70th birthday as hoped, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, “if all goes well, I will hand over by PAP’s 70th birthday next year”. The party was set up on Nov 21, 1954.PM Lee noted that the ministers had already chosen DPM Wong to be their leader, a choice endorsed by the PAP MPs.
He acknowledged that DPM Wong and the 4G team have been serving for many years now, and have taken on greater responsibilities. Fighting back tears, PM Lee said: “It has been my great fortune and honour to have served the country, first in the SAF, and then in the party and government, for all of my adult life.”
DPM Wong, in his speech earlier, spoke of how he had been working hard to get ready to receive the baton from PM Lee. “I’ve been in Government long enough to know that I cannot please everyone. But I will do my best to explain my decision, to be upfront about the problems and trade-offs, and win the support of the broad majority of Singaporeans,” added DPM Wong.
At the event, 415 activists also received party awards as recognition for their dedication and service to Singapore. “The civil service didn’t create itself out of thin air. We have a good civil service precisely because we have had good political leadership who built up a world-class civil service.” “In fact, if the players are not impressed with their conductor, they may leave the orchestra to perform under some other maestro’s baton, and we will be left with a mediocre orchestra,” he said.
While the party’s policies may be working and arguments may be logical, Singaporeans must be convinced that the PAP is on their side. “But with each successive election, the PAP’s task has become harder… Singaporeans’ expectations have evolved. They hope to do much better for themselves, they expect much more from the government,” he said.
“Not infrequently, it becomes a political brawl. The opposition tries to score political points, the government does its best to explain its considerations and constraints, and why the opposition’s proposals may not work. And so it goes, in a repeated cycle,” he said. Emphasising his experience in government for almost 40 years, PM Lee said there was no way PAP governments could have planned for the long-term and adopted tough but necessary policies if they had to constantly worry about being around after the next election.
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