Singapore’s PM to resign after 20 years in office

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down next month and his deputy Lawrence Wong will take over, the second non-member of the Lee family to lead the wealthy nation, Report informs referring to AFP.

"I will relinquish my role as Prime Minister on 15 May 2024 and DPM (Deputy Prime Minister) Lawrence Wong will be sworn in as the next Prime Minister on the same day," Lee said on social media on Monday.

"I ask all Singaporeans to give Lawrence and his team your full support, and work with them to create a brighter future for Singapore."

Wong, who is also the finance minister, was chosen as Lee's heir-apparent in 2022 from a new generation of lawmakers from the People’s Action Party (PAP) which has ruled uninterrupted since independence in 1965.

"I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give you my all in this undertaking," Wong said on social media.

The 51-year-old, US-educated economist is widely seen as a social media-savvy stalwart who effectively handled the Covid-19 crisis when he oversaw the government's pandemic taskforce.