SINGAPORE — Preparing for the next General Election (GE) and tackling key issues such as the economy are but some of many challenges set to be front of mind for Mr Lawrence Wong after he takes over as prime minister on May 15, political analysts said.

They were speaking to TODAY shortly after the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday (April 15) announced the timeline for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to hand over the country’s leadership reins to Mr Wong.

Mr Wong has emerged in recent times as leader of the fourth generation (4G) of the People’s Action Party (PAP) political class.

Other issues near the top of the agenda as Mr Wong prepares to lead the nation in “a more challenging era” include social policies, as well as matters beyond the nation's shores such as ensuring that Singapore stays relevant on the global stage.

Here are the top five priorities for the prime minister-in-waiting according to these experts.

1. LEADERSHIP RENEWAL 

Though the 4G handover timeline has only just been firmed up, further leadership renewal will already be among the top priorities for Mr Wong, analysts said.

Shaping the next Cabinet — dubbed by some as the “elections Cabinet” — is one part of this, they added.

Mr Inderjit Singh, who is a former PAP Member of Parliament (MP), said that showing people “the final team leading the country” by making changes to the Cabinet is “critical to give confidence to Singaporeans”.

Law lecturer Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University, a political commentator, said that Singaporeans can expect this reshuffle to be “bold and innovative”.

He said that the moves to watch out for would include:

• Who will be Mr Wong’s future deputy or deputies
• Who among the third-generation ministers will remain in Cabinet
• Which new political office-holders will receive promotions

Beyond the Cabinet line-up, Assoc Prof Tan said that fifth-generation succession is “one of (Mr Wong’s) priorities from the get-go”, because the next generation of leaders “must be ready to take over within the coming decade”.

“If the fifth-generation prime minister is not yet an MP, then the pace of recruitment will have to pick up without compromising on quality and integrity,” he added.

2. GENERAL ELECTION PREPARATIONS

Mr Wong and his team must continue to develop trust and confidence among Singaporeans, the analysts said, as the next GE looms no later than November 2025.

“He will have to demonstrate that his team and him are well-placed to lead Singapore in a more challenging era,” Assoc Prof Tan said.

Mr Singh said that it is important for the new team to show its ability to “win well”.

“Exactly what is ‘well’ is really up to different interpretations, but in my opinion, the 4G team should not do worse than GE2020 and if they can, it will be a mandate win,” he added. 

PAP won 83 out of 93 seats and took 61.24 per cent of the popular vote in 2020, a drop of almost 9.0 percentage points from the result at GE2015 when it scored 69.9 per cent.

Beyond profiling the 4G political office-holders in the public eye, to win trust and get the party “in peak shape for the pivotal” elections, Mr Wong must also craft a “compelling vision” for Singapore and Singaporeans, Assoc Prof Tan said.

“How he brings Singaporeans on board on co-creating this vision will speak to the substance and ethos of his consultative and collaborative leadership.”

3. SINGAPORE’S GLOBAL STANDING

The global geopolitical environment remains “highly volatile” and will require “much attention” from Mr Wong as the new prime minister, Dr Woo Jun Jie said. 

The senior lecturer at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore outlined the challenges facing Mr Wong.

“In order to maintain our diplomatic relations as well as navigate emerging conflicts, Mr Wong will likely need to spend time and diplomatic efforts to strengthen existing ties and foster new ones.” 

Mr Singh noted that Mr Lee Hsien Loong and his predecessor Goh Chok Tong had “a long runway” to establish their mark with world leaders.

Similarly, this would constitute a “big focus” for the incoming prime minister and his team.

“They will want to build their own credibility so that when they deal on global issues, they will be listened to and respected,” Mr Singh said.

4. ECONOMY AND LIVELIHOOD

High up on the list as well is tackling economic and livelihood matters — such as generating good jobs and reining in the cost of living — in light of the challenging global environment.

“These issues are by no means new, but they remain very 'sticky' and may potentially affect workers and their families,” Dr Woo said.

Such issues go a long way in affecting people’s sense of confidence about the present as well as the future, Mr Singh and Assoc Prof Tan said.

Potential measures may also include providing further assistance to “large swathes of households” to help cope with the cost of living, Assoc Prof Tan added.

“In this connection, the broader Forward Singapore (Forward SG) agenda and programme can help in the medium term. We can expect Forward SG to be more prominent in the months ahead.”

5. SOCIAL COMPACT AND POLICIES

Numerous domestic issues will also sit high on Mr Wong’s agenda, the experts said.

Housing is one, Mr Singh said. Much like the cost of living, he argued that Singapore has ridden through these concerns “in the short term” but worries in the long term still persist.

“While it is too late to do much on these longer-term issues in the short term, and not by the coming GE, there must be some hope that the new team will address the issue convincingly,” he added.

Dr Woo pointed to the need to strengthen social compact and build public trust, an objective he said “any new national leader will need to achieve”.

Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, agreed on the importance of ensuring cohesiveness within society.

“(This is) so that there is no spillover from current geopolitical tensions into relations among people of different races, religions and nationalities,” she added.

Just as important are social policy challenges, Dr Woo said.
 
“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability and stability of our population, Mr Wong will need to tackle our declining total fertility rate and address our rapidly ageing population,” he added.

Dr Koh said that many of such challenges on the agenda have already been recognised, even in the Forward SG blueprint, for socio-economic reform.

Before going to the polls, it will serve the current Government better if time is given for voters to see and feel the effects of some of these reforms.

Dr Koh added: "From May 15, Mr Wong would want to assure Singaporeans that under him, the Government is committed to addressing those issues, and convince them that he has practical measures and significant resources to ensure that the best possible outcomes are realised.

"He will also need his Cabinet, MPs and prospective election candidates to do the same.

"This will provide strong footing for him to take his party and the country to a general election; for these efforts to pay a political dividend to him and his 4G leaders."