PM Wong succeeds SM Lee as PAP leader

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.

- Ng Wei Kai

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