FACTBOX: Singapore's PM-in-waiting takes new step towards leadership

SINGAPORE: Singapore's finance minister, Lawrence Wong, will be promoted to deputy prime minister on June 13, according to an official statement released on Monday, taking a step closer to becoming the leader of the city-state.

Wong will be the fourth prime minister to lead the financial hub since its independence in 1965, though the timing of the handover from current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is as yet undecided.

Following are some key facts about Wong:

PANDEMIC PERFORMANCE

Wong, 49, was catapulted into the political spotlight as co-head of the government's COVID-19 task force.

He has mostly won praise for his handling of the virus. Under his leadership, Singapore imposed strict lockdowns, border curbs and contact-tracing, which kept deaths and infections to a minimum, especially early on in the pandemic. But after achieving one of the world's highest vaccination rates, many questioned the slow pace at which the city eased restrictions.

Singapore dropped nearly all pandemic restrictions in April this year.

Wong broke down in tears during a speech in parliament in 2020 as he thanked healthcare workers and others for their efforts during the pandemic, a rare show of emotion among the city-state's leaders.

CAREER CIVIL SERVANT

As a civil servant, Wong worked in several ministries and served as Prime Minister Lee's principal private secretary from 2005 to 2008.

He previously led the education and national development ministries, and became finance minister last year. He delivered his first budget this year, aimed at steering the country into a post-pandemic era and addressing wealth inequality.

Wong is a member of the board of GIC, the country's sovereign wealth fund, and is also the deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

He studied economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and also attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Wong will only be the country's second prime minister from outside the Lee family. The current prime minister's father Lee Kuan Yew was the country founding father and first leader.

CHALLENGES

Besides the immediate challenge of recovering from a pandemic and facing economic risks from the war in Ukraine, Wong looks set to inherit a number of long-term structural policy issues.

He will have to ensure Singapore retains its attractiveness as a business hub despite global tax reforms and pressures to reverse globalisation. Singapore will also have to navigate shifting geopolitics, including its relationship with China and the United States.

Singapore, an oil refining hub, is also trying to transition towards a greener economy and cope with a rapidly ageing population.

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) secured 83 of 93 parliamentary seats in the 2020 election, but its share of the popular vote dropped near a record low, while the opposition won an unprecedented 10 seats.

"With the ruling party's lackluster performance... Wong and Lee will likely focus on initiatives and policies to secure better social outcomes for Singaporeans and help the PAP gain more public support," said Nydia Ngiow, managing director at Bower Group Asia.

"BOOKWORM, GUITAR PLAYER AND DOG LOVER"

The son of a salesman and a primary school teacher, Wong describes himself as a "bookworm, guitar player and dog lover" in his Instagram profile.

Members of the PAP who have worked with Wong told Reuters the politician "does not beat around the bush", though also described him as thoughtful and kind-hearted.