PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Cabinet congratulates Lawrence Wong on his appointment as the new Prime Minister of Singapore, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
“The Cabinet congratulates him (Wong) on his appointment, and he will be sworn in tonight. This will be followed by a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later,“ said Fahmi, who is also the spokesperson for the Unity Government, at a post-Cabinet meeting press conference here.
Singapore will witness a historic event on Wednesday evening as the republic appoints a new prime minister after nearly two decades.
In a smooth leadership transition, Wong, 51, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the republic, will replace Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who has served as prime minister since 2004.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 8pm tonight at the Istana.
Wong, a civil servant before entering the political arena in 2011, was seen as a prime ministerial candidate after being named as the leader of the fourth generation (4G) team of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in April 2022, after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stepped down from the role.
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The leadership transition was confirmed following a statement on April 15 when Lee announced that he would resign on May 15.