PAP creates new appointment of Deputy-Secretary-General for Lawrence Wong for leadership transition

SINGAPORE — The 37th Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the People’s Action Party (PAP) elected its office holders on Saturday, with four members co-opted into the CEC and the creation of a new Deputy Secretary-General appointment for Lawrence Wong.

The ruling party earlier elected its CEC in its 2022 party convention on 6 November and met again today to appoint its office holders.

The PAP CEC has re-appointed Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the Prime Minister of Singapore as its Secretary-General and appointed Mr Heng Swee Keat as its Chairman. 

Mr Desmond Lee assumes Mr Heng’s former appointment as Assistant-Secretary-General (ASG) while Mr Chan Chun Sing retains his former appointment as ASG.

PAP has also created a new Deputy Secretary-General appointment, in addition to two Assistant Secretary General appointments.

This appointment is assumed by Mr Wong, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. He has been touted to be Mr Lee’s second-choice successor as the next Prime Minister after Mr Heng relinquished the role last year for having “too short of a runway” due to his age.

The party states that the creation of the new appointment is in line with plans for the party leadership transition. The Deputy Sec-Gen will exercise the roles and responsibilities of the Sec-Gen, in the absence of the Sec-Gen.

At this meeting, the CEC co-opted four additional members:

• Mr Alex Yeo, PAP’s candidate for the Aljunied GRC in the General Election 2022,
• Ms Cheryl Chan, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC,
• Mr Ng Chee Meng, NTUC Secretary-General and
• Mr Tan See Leng, Minister of Manpower, into its CEC.

*Co-opted on 6 Nov 2022
^Co-opted on 26 Nov 2022