SINGAPORE – Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong thanked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on April 16 for his selfless service and contributions to the nation.

This comes a day after the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that DPM Wong will be sworn in at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, as Singapore’s fourth prime minister.

Speaking to the media on April 16, DPM Wong started by thanking his Cabinet colleagues and fellow MPs for placing their confidence in him and choosing him to lead the team.

DPM Wong, who entered politics 13 years ago, said: “I stand on the shoulders of giants and one in particular stands out and that’s Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

“He has done so much for Singapore, especially in the last 20 years of leading our country.”

He added that during PM Lee’s tenure, Singapore’s economy has grown tremendously, and Singaporeans have enjoyed steady improvements in their incomes and standard of living.

“We have weathered through many crises and emerged stronger each time,” he said.

DPM Wong said Singapore’s international standing has also strengthened considerably, and the Singapore brand is admired and respected worldwide.

“On behalf of all Singaporeans, I thank Mr Lee Hsien Loong for his selfless service to our country and lasting contributions to Singapore.”

He added that he had asked PM Lee, who has served as prime minister since 2004, to continue serving in the Cabinet as a senior minister after the handover, which PM Lee has agreed to.

DPM Wong, who is 51, had been the presumptive next prime minister since April 2022, when his peers picked him as the leader of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 4G team.

At the biennial PAP convention held at Singapore Expo in November 2023, PM Lee made his intention clear that he wanted to hand over to DPM Wong by PAP’s 70th anniversary in November 2024.