Wong will be sworn in as Singapore’s prime minister, as Lee Hsien Loong bows out after 20 years

By EILEEN NG
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore’s deputy leader Lawrence Wong is set to be sworn in as the nation’s fourth prime minister in a carefully planned political succession to ensure continuity and stability in the Asian financial hub. A U.S.-trained economist, Wong succeeds Lee Hsien Loong who stepped down after two decades at the helm. Lee’s resignation marked the end of a family dynasty led by his father Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first leader who built the colonial trading outpost into one of the world’s richest nations during 31 years in office. Wong, a civil servant turned politician, coordinated Singapore’s successful fight against COVID-19. He has retained his Cabinet as he prepares for general elections due by 2025.