'Heir Apparent' Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat Withdraws from Next Prime Minister Position

Unexpected Announcement... Singapore Prime Minister's Successor Selection Likely to Face Setbacks

Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Following Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was the first in line to succeed as Singapore's next leader, has announced that he will not take on the role of the next prime minister.

On the 8th (local time), Deputy Prime Minister Heng revealed this in a letter sent to Prime Minister Lee, stating, "A younger person should lead Singapore." He added, "Considering the inauguration ages of former prime ministers, my age is relatively high," and "The next prime minister should be someone who can overcome the COVID-19 crisis and rebuild the economy." He is currently 59 years old.

On the same day, Prime Minister Lee said in a briefing, "I respect Deputy Prime Minister Heng's decision," and announced that Heng would step down as finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle scheduled two weeks later. He also added, "The goal will be to find a new successor before the 2025 election."

Earlier, Prime Minister Lee, who is 69 years old this year, had announced plans to step down as prime minister the following year when he turns 70. It was expected that he would hand over the prime ministership to Deputy Prime Minister Heng, who was considered the top successor, but Heng's refusal has led to speculation that the succession process will face setbacks. Typically, Singapore is known to begin searching for a successor several years before the incumbent prime minister retires.

The so-called fourth-generation group of young politicians within the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) issued a statement on the same day, saying, "Deputy Prime Minister Heng's announcement was unexpected," and "The disruption in the leadership succession process may cause concern among the public."

There is an interpretation that Heng's decision to give up the next prime ministership is not unrelated to the ruling party's de facto defeat in last year's general election. Although the ruling party secured more than two-thirds of the seats in last year's election, the opposition Workers' Party (WP) won more than 10 seats for the first time in history, securing the largest number of seats in 55 years. Despite the ruling party's victory being a foregone conclusion in Singapore's de facto one-party system, the opposition's significant increase in seats led to an assessment that the ruling party achieved a hollow victory.

Bridget Welsh, an analyst at the Asia Research Institute, said, "The results of the last general election reflected public opinion that Deputy Prime Minister Heng was not suitable as the next prime minister," and "As a result, the ruling party has been seeking leadership restructuring, and Heng's decision to give up the next prime ministership is part of this process."

Ultimately, with the succession process restarting, there is speculation that significant changes will come to Singapore's political landscape. Eugene Tan, a professor at Singapore Management University, predicted, "(Deputy Prime Minister Heng's decision to give up the next prime ministership) carries very important political significance," and "The next few years will be the most critical period for Singapore in selecting a successor again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.