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SINGAPORE – The Minister of Education, Lawrence Wong, and the Minister of National Development, Desmond Lee, were elected for the first time to the highest decision-making body of the Popular Action Party, reflecting the recognition of the party’s cadres to its prominence on the national stage.
Both men, who are seen as key members of the PAP’s fourth-generation leadership team, were inducted into the central executive committee (CCA) at the party’s last biennial conference in 2018.
Wong has earned accolades for handling the Republic’s response to the pandemic, as co-chair of the multi-ministerial working group on Covid-19. Lee is co-chairing an independent task force to help Singapore’s economy emerge stronger from the crisis.
More than 3,000 party cadres voted Sunday (Nov. 8) at the PAP’s biennial party conference, and the top 12 candidates elected to the CEC for a two-year term.
The other members of the CEC, in no particular order of votes they received, are Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Mr. K. Shanmugam, Mr. Ong Ye Kung, Mr. Tan Chuan-Jin, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Ms. Grace Fu, Mr. Masagos Zulkifli and Mr. Gan Kim Yong.
The 12 members of the CEC were chosen by secret ballot from a list of 19 nominees.
Prime Minister’s Office Minister Indranee Rajah, who was in the top 12 in 2018, and Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo were inducted into the CEC by getting the 13th and 14th highest votes.
The PAP did not disclose the number of votes each received.
The Straits Times understands that the other names on the ballot were union chief Ng Chee Meng, newly promoted ministers Maliki Osman and Edwin Tong, Chief Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, and Northwest District Mayor Alex Yam.
Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, who was elected in 2018, was removed from the list of nominees this time, indicating that 3G leadership is giving way to younger leaders.
Ng Chee Meng, who lost the race for Sengkang GRC in the July general election, had been chosen in the top 12 in 2018.
The exact roles of the new CCA will be determined when they hold their first meeting soon.
The committee is also likely to co-opt up to four more members later.
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