Singapore's new PM takes office pledging to lead in his own way

Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) shakes hands with the former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong during the swearing-in ceremony as President Tharman Shanmugaratnam looks on at the Istana in Singapore on May 15, 2024. - AFP

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Lawrence Wong was sworn in on Wednesday (May 15) as its fourth premier since independence, promising to lead the wealthy city state his own way after completing a carefully calibrated power transfer aimed at ensuring continuity.

Wong, 51, comes from among a crop of so-called "4G" leaders, a new generation of politicians that were hand-picked by the long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to take over the reins of the key Asian trade and financial centre.