Primed for top spot as PM: Heng Swee Keat begins ‘massive task’ of fronting 4G leadership

SINGAPORE — The guesswork and anticipation had been building for years since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hinted in 2012 that he would not be heading the Cabinet past the age of 70. Six years later, the answer as to who is slated to succeed him is finally out.

The fourth-generation (4G) political office-holders in Singapore’s ruling party have picked Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat as their man of choice, after a Cabinet reshuffle early in the year served as an added catalyst for them to decide on who they want to lead them.

Speaking at a media conference on Friday (Nov 23) after he was announced as the People’s Action Party (PAP) first assistant secretary-general, Mr Heng, 57, highlighted the need for a strong, collective leadership among the 4G team given that governing the country is a “massive” responsibility.

Mr Heng’s appointment sets the stage for him to take over Mr Lee, 66, as the PAP’s secretary-general, as well as the prime minister after the next General Election, which is due by April 2021.

Describing the third leadership transition in the country’s history as a “significant milestone”, Mr Heng said that Singaporeans “would like to see a strong and united political leadership, working in close partnership with our people” to take the country forward.

“I am deeply conscious of the heavy responsibility I’m taking on. Leading the party and governing Singapore is a massive and complex task,” he told reporters before taking questions during a lively press conference.

“No one person can do it alone.”

Heartened that he has the strong backing of the 4G leadership team, Mr Heng went on to say that his peers possess strengths in different areas and a range of skills to deal with complex internal and external challenges.

“I’ve seen so many examples of what’s happening in other countries, where the energy is not focused on going forward (but) on internal squabbles,” he added.

Talk about who will succeed Mr Lee intensified this past year after Mr Lee disclosed in a media interview that he was ready to step down soon and the next prime minister is “very likely” already in the Cabinet. There were three potential frontrunners: Mr Heng, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, 49, and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, 49.

After the biennial election of PAP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) earlier this month, the race was narrowed down to Mr Heng and Mr Chan.

On Friday, the CEC announced its latest team of office-bearers, with Mr Lee remaining as party secretary-general, Mr Heng as first assistant secretary-general, Mr Chan as second assistant-secretary general, and Mr Ong as assistant treasurer.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong as well as Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli assumed the chairman and vice-chairman positions respectively.

The role of treasurer went to Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, while Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu was appointed organising secretary.

Ms Indranee Rajah and Mr Ng Chee Meng, who are Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan are members.

So are Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, who were co-opted after the CEC election.

Four other people, who were newly co-opted, rounded up the 18-member CEC: Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development, who was also appointed organising secretary, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong and Members of Parliament Christopher de Souza and Sitoh Yih Pin.

WHY HE BECAME THE LEADER

Arriving for the press conference on Friday evening, Mr Heng and Mr Chan were all smiles. Mr Heng chaired the 40-minute meeting with just Mr Chan by his side. For 15 minutes, both made opening statements in English, Malay and Mandarin.

Seated among the front row of the attendees were mostly members of the 4G team, which included Mr Ong, Ms Fu and Mr Wong, dressed in the PAP’s all-white attire.

Dr Balakrishnan, Mr de Souza and Mr Sitoh as well as Mr Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, were also present.

On how the team decided that he will be their leader, Mr Heng gave some details. Deliberations started even before Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong put out a message on Facebook last December saying that he would like Mr Lee’s successor to be decided “in the next six to nine months”.

Neither he nor Mr Chan were involved in any of the discussions the 4G team had about this matter, Mr Heng said. The decision was finally made about a month ago, before the CEC election. Mr Heng was told he was the chosen one.

Ms Indranee later told reporters that the deliberation process “was amicable and friendly”.

Praising Mr Heng, she said that “he listens and consults widely”. She added: “But he also has a very clear vision. He will not act on his vision until he's satisfied that he has heard from others. Then he makes his decision.”

On whether he will be Singapore’s fourth prime minister, Mr Heng did not give a direct response, only reiterating that he has been chosen as leader of the 4G team.

After the team decided he would be their leader and informed him, he then approached Mr Chan to ask if he would be his deputy. “We ended up talking about what we have to do.”

Saying that Mr Chan “complements me very well”, he added that his deputy has many strengths since he has much experience in areas such as the military and the labour unions.

They had also worked together when Mr Heng was formerly Education Minister, while Mr Chan was helming the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

“It is important that we pull together our strengths and mobilise (the people),” Mr Heng said.

A DIFFERENT STYLE OF LEADERSHIP?

When asked what his leadership style will be, Mr Heng — who had spent decades in the public service — said: “I would say that my own sense is that I’m very open.

“I listen to all views and I decide what needs to be done. Where it’s important enough, we will be fast and decisive, like what I did during the global financial crisis, because every minute of delay means far greater risks.”

With talk that there could be a snap election next year, would he be in the driver’s or passenger’s seat?

Deflecting the question, he said that “everyone is involved” in every election.

“The work starts the day you are elected. And that’s what we’ve been doing, and I expect the same.

“It’s a continual process.”

Mr Heng, a Singapore Police Force overseas scholar, started his career as a police constable, reaching the rank of assistant commissioner. From 1997 to 2000, he was principal private secretary to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was then Senior Minister.

In 2001, Mr Heng was appointed permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He later became managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before leaving the post in 2011 to join politics.

When Mr Lee Hsien Loong first introduced his possible successor back in 2011, he had described Mr Heng as the “most valuable member of the new (4G) team”.

That is largely because Mr Heng, then in charge of the central bank, had steered the country through the global economic crisis in 2008.

Mr Lee’s comments echoed that of his father Lee Kuan Yew, who had also described Mr Heng as the “best principal private secretary” he had ever had.

STAYING COHESIVE

During the run-up to Friday’s announcement, the matter of political succession has been coffee-shop talk, and Singaporeans and PAP members were throwing their support behind each of the three frontrunners.

Responding to how he will bring people in the country and within the party together, Mr Heng said that the team “will strengthen the cohesiveness even more”. Both he and Mr Chan will meet the party’s branch secretaries immediately to “rally the ground”.

When the same question was put to Mr Chan, he said that the members of the 4G team come from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, but these should be seen as strengths.

Mr Chan added that the team shares the “same goal”, which is to do the best for the country and its people.

“What we are concerned with is the direction that our country is going, rather than where the individual is going.

“That is a constant reminder for us, of what we learn from the previous generation and current generation of leaders — how we come together and set aside personal considerations, but always put the country in front,” Mr Chan said.

“And if we can keep this within the DNA of the PAP and the Singapore leadership, I think we can grow from strength to strength.”

The leadership style in Singapore separates the nation from other countries, Mr Chan stressed. “If we remain united and cohesive… no problems will defeat us.”