The BGA Singapore Team led by Managing Director Nydia Ngiow, wrote an update to clients on the recent appointment of Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong as the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) inaugural deputy secretary-general.

Context

  • Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) announced on November 26 the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong as its inaugural deputy secretary-general in its 37th Central Executive Committee (CEC) – the party’s highest decision-making body.
  • The appointment comes three weeks after the PAP held elections for its CEC during its biennial party conference on November 6. This is among the key events that are watched for indications of evolving political dynamics in the country.

Significance

  • This newly created appointment reaffirms Wong’s position as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s successor-in-waiting. This sends a strong signal that the party’s leadership succession plans are back on track after unexpected delays with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stepping down as Lee’s successor in April 2021 and, subsequently, ushering in Wong’s ascendance up the political ranks. 
  • In this role, Wong will not only be expected to lead the party – alongside Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong – to victory in the next general elections, but he will also exercise the roles and responsibilities of the secretary-general in Lee’s absence. The appointment as deputy secretary-general – rather than as first assistant secretary-general (ASG), following party precedent – underlines the plausibility that party leadership succession might happen sooner than expected.

Implications

  • Companies have long considered Singapore to be the bellwether for stability in the region and this is not expected to change any time soon, especially against a backdrop of elections and potential instability in the region and around the world.
  • One more CEC election will be held in 2024 before the next general elections, which must be held by November 2025. The newly appointed 4G leaders will have to continue convincing the party cadres on their ability to deliver results amid a challenging global environment in the coming months.

BGA will continue to monitor and provide analysis on relevant political developments in Singapore. If you have any questions or comments, please contact BGA Singapore’s Managing Director Nydia Ngiow at nngiow@bowergroupasia.com.

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Managing Director

Ratan is a senior executive and management consulting professional who has a proven track record in government, consulting and industry across India and Southeast Asia, with a wide network across stakeholders. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing growth strategies for both the public and private sector and has led diverse teams to secure new market opportunities. Prior to joining BGA, Ratan was at KPMG India where he helped the integration of the small and medium industry clusters, with the domestic and global aerospace, defense and space supply chains. He also served as an advisor at the Federation of ... Read More