Singapore’s first prime minister in 20 years held an initial cabinet meeting on Thursday after taking office with a pledge to sustain what he called the miracle of the wealthy city-state amid an uncertain global environment.
After being sworn in, attending a party, and receiving congratulations from world leaders, Lawrence Wong posted on Instagram that the government of the Asian Trade and financial centre had “a full agenda ahead”.
Continuity was his focus, he said. Wong, 51, took over as Singapore’s fourth prime minister from Lee Hsien Loong, 72, now a senior minister in Wong’s cabinet, in a protracted and carefully managed transition.
In an editorial on Thursday, the government-funded broadsheet The Straits Times said: “The focus now needs to be on uniting the country in the face of global uncertainties to leave no one behind in the pursuit of progress.”
“PM Wong must inspire Singaporeans to believe that we’ve done it before, and we can do it again, together.”
Wong said during his inauguration that the world was in flux and geopolitical tensions, protectionism and nationalism could stretch for decades. Wong said Singapore sought to be “friends with all, while upholding our rights and interests”.
“My mission is clear: to continue defying the odds and to sustain this miracle called Singapore,” he added.
Singapore’s international standing was high, he said, with a brand that was admired globally, and would strengthen partnerships and continue engaging with the United States and China “even as issues inevitably arise between them”.
