Lawrence Wong elected PAP deputy secretary-general in newly created role

SINGAPORE — Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong was on Saturday (Nov 26) elected deputy secretary-general of the People’s Action Party (PAP), following a meeting of the party’s top decision-making body.

In a news release, the party said: "The CEC (Central Executive Committee) has made a new deputy secretary-general appointment, in addition to two assistant secretary-general appointments, in line with plans for the party leadership transition.”

The two assistant secretary-generals are Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee. 

In the previous CEC line-up, Mr Chan was second assistant secretary-general with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat first assistant secretary-general.

This numerical order has been removed from the PAP's newest list of CEC office-holders. 

When Mr Heng first assumed the role of first assistant secretary-general in 2018, it was seen as an indication that he was the frontrunner to be Singapore's next prime minister.

After he took himself out of contention last year, Mr Wong was named in April as leader of the PAP's fourth-generation or 4G team, paving the way for him to succeed Mr Lee Hsien Loong instead.

"The deputy secretary-general will exercise the roles and responsibilities of PAP secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong in his absence," said the party in its release on Saturday.

Its 37th CEC named Mr Heng as chairman, replacing Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong who announced at the party's conference earlier this month that he was stepping down.

Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli has been re-elected as vice-chairman.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong is now organising secretary, alongside Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Four more members have also been co-opted into the PAP’s CEC.

They are Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, Member of Parliament for East Coast Cheryl Chan and Mr Alex Yeo, who is a non-elected PAP representative in Aljunied GRC.  

The full list of CEC members and their designations is as follows:

• Chairman - Heng Swee Keat
• Vice Chairman - Masagos Zulkifli
• Secretary-General - Lee Hsien Loong
• Deputy Secretary-General - Lawrence Wong
• Assistant Secretary-Generals - Chan Chun Sing, Desmond Lee
• Treasurer - K Shanmugam
• Assistant Treasurer - Ong Ye Kung
• Organising Secretaries - Grace Fu, Edwin Tong*
• Members - Alex Yeo^, Cheryl Chan^, Indranee Thurai Rajah, Josephine Teo*, Ng Chee Meng^, Tan Chuan-Jin, Tan See Leng^, Vivian Balakrishnan

*Co-opted on Nov 6
^Co-opted on Nov 26

In other appointments, Mr Wong was named as the PAP's headquarters executive committee chairman, replacing Mr Chan who becomes vice-chairman.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Desmond Tan and Senior Minister of State for National Development and Communications and Information Tan Kiat How have been newly appointed as assistant organising secretaries. 

Manpower Minister Dr Tan will chair the PAP's seniors group, taking over from Mr Desmond Lee.

Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann has replaced Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo as chair of the PAP's women's wing.

Mrs Teo is now adviser to the PAP's policy forum — a role previously held by Mr Wong.

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.