Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong pledged to give his all as the Prime Minister of Singapore and “will serve with humility and a deep sense of duty”.
Following the Prime Minister’s Office’s announcement that DPM Wong will take over as Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 15, DPM Wong said in a video that he is honoured to be asked to undertake the new responsibility as the Prime Minister and promised to give his all in this undertaking.
He added that when he was invited to enter politics in 2011, he agreed because he wanted to contribute to the Singapore story. He did not expect then to be asked to serve as the next Prime Minister of Singapore.
“I accept this responsibility with humility, and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give my all in this undertaking,” he said. “Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people. Your dreams will inspire my actions. Your concerns will guide my decisions,” he added.
He then called on Singaporeans to work with him and his team, share their ideas, passions and dreams, and join him in this journey to “build a future that shines brightly for all Singaporeans”.
He urged them to move forward as one team Singapore and write the next chapter of our Singapore Story together.
“I seek your trust, your support, and your continued faith in our shared vision as one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion. We will build a democratic society based on justice and equality.”
The 51-year-old leader grew up in the Marine Parade Housing Board estate. He attended Haig Boys’ Primary School, Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical School, and Victoria Junior College before pursuing tertiary education in the United States.
He was a government scholar and obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor respectively, and a Master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
DPM Wong loves to play the guitar after he was given one when he was eight. As a student in the US, he went busking with his American roommate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After returning to Singapore, he had a career in public service that spanned over 14 years, with stints in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health.
As a public servant, he was well-known for strong policy work and grasp of economics.
In 2005, he became Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He was later also appointed Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority.
Mr Wong entered politics in the 2011 General Election where he contested and won in West Coast GRC as part of a five-member PAP team. Wong subsequently contested in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC in the 2015 general election, and retained his Parliamentary seat in the 2020 General Election.
Prior to his appointment as Minister of Finance, Wong served as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth between 2012 and 2015, Second Minister of Communications and Information between 2014 and 2015, Minister for National Development between 2015 and 2020, Second Minister of Finance between 2016 and 2021, and Minister for Education between 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, he co-chaired a multi-ministerial committee with then Health Minister Gan Kim Yong to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. The two co-chairs were later joined by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who came on board in April 2021. The MTF stood down in February 2023.
Since taking on the role of Finance Minister in May 2021, DPM Wong has delivered three Budgets, each memorable in its own way.
He also led the Forward Singapore exercise launched in June 2022, where the 4G leaders held frequent dialogues with Singaporeans to chart a pathway to make Singapore more vibrant and inclusive, fair and thriving, as well as resilient and united.
