Singapore taps finance chief Wong as heir apparent to PM Lee

Singapore Cabinet ministers have affirmed their choice of Finance Minister Lawrence Wong as the leader of the PAP's 4G team. - The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE, April 15 (Bloomberg): Singapore Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has been chosen as the new leader of the so-called fourth generation team, paving the way for him to become the country’s next prime minister.

In an unusual step, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 70, conveyed the decision in a Facebook post Thursday night and detailed the consultation process that found "overwhelming support” for Wong among the younger cabinet ministers. Wong would be Singapore’s fourth prime minister since independence in 1965.