End of an era: Lee (fifth from left) with other Cabinet members as he chairs his last Cabinet meeting. — Photo taken from Facebook
After 20 years of weekly Cabinet meetings that soldiered on even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has led his last meeting.
Commemorating the moment in a Facebook post on Thursday, Lee thanked his colleagues for their steadfast support during the meetings, which had continued through the pandemic via teleconferencing.
Lee said: “It has been my privilege to lead my Cabinet team for the past 20 years.
“In Cabinet, the prime minister is primus inter pares – not the boss with his subordinates, but the first among equals, all deliberating together to find the best solutions for Singapore.”
In April, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over the mantle from Lee as Singapore’s prime minister on May 15.
“From next week, PM Lawrence Wong will take charge in Cabinet meetings, but I will continue to contribute as senior minister.
“Singapore will be in good hands under the 4G team, and I am ready to support the new team in their work for Singapore’s success,” said Lee.
In a separate Facebook post the same day, Wong expressed gratitude for Lee’s service and leadership.
“As I prepare to take over the baton, I am also grateful for the support of my colleagues.
“I will work closely with them, to harness fully the strengths of the team, and to take Singapore forward. I will share more details about the new Cabinet line-up next week,” said Wong.
Earlier, on May 8, Lee was gifted a personalised cake by the People’s Action Party MPs to mark his final sitting in Parliament as Singapore’s third prime minister.
The cake, designed with pastry chef Herve Potus from Shangri-La Singapore, honoured Lee’s two decades helming Singapore by reflecting an assortment of his favourite items, including a variety of nonya kueh, a bowl of mee siam, a Peranakan table runner, and books on mathematics, coding, technology and politics.
Wong, who entered politics 13 years ago, will be sworn in at 8pm at the Istana as Singapore’s fourth prime minister. — The Straits Times/ANN
