As 2023 came to an end, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong released a New Year Message to the nation.
In it, he gave Singaporeans a preview of what’s to come — including the leadership transition that will happen sooner than you might think.
In fact, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lawrence Wong will be taking over the premiership in 2024, he said.
Source: Ministry of Communications and Information via Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
He thus urged Singaporeans to give DPM Wong their full support.
In his New Year Message released on Sunday (31 Dec), PM Lee said DPM Wong will take over from him as PM in 2024.
He had previously said in November that the leadership transition would take place before the next General Election (GE), which must be held no later than November 2025.
Source: People’s Action Party on Facebook
He also indicated that this would happen earlier, during the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 70th anniversary in November 2024, “if all goes well”.
PM Lee cautioned that leadership transitions are “always delicate”, and will lead to Singapore coming under close scrutiny.
People across the world would want to observe whether Singaporeans and the new leadership will “bond”. They would also be interested in whether we can remain “successful and exceptional”.
Thus, the PM urged Singaporeans to give their full support to DPM Wong and the 4G leaders.
Source: Ministry of Communications and Information via Prime Minister’s Office
He hopes we can work with the new leaders to “build a nation that is vibrant and inclusive, fair and competitive, and resilient and united”.
Looking back on 2023, PM Lee described it as a “challenging year” due to the troubled international environment.
This includes the existing United States-China tensions, Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas conflict.
He advised Singaporeans to approach potentially divisive issues with tolerance and respect towards one another’s views.
Closer to home, PM Lee noted that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rises to 9% from 1 Jan.
This extra revenue is needed to help pay for growing healthcare expenses as our population ages, he said.
However, he acknowledged that households are still feeling pressured by the higher cost of living.
The Government is thus helping Singaporeans cushion the impact of rising costs via assistance schemes and will continue doing so.
Source: Lee Hsien Loong via Prime Minister’s Office
They will also keep uplifting lower-income families and vulnerable groups and continue to build affordable and accessible public housing for Singaporeans, he promised.
Happily, inflation is gradually coming down and will hopefully drop further in 2024, PM Lee said.
Also, our gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.2% in 2023 — avoiding a recession — and is projected to grow by 1% to 3% in 2024, he added.
However, much will depend on the external environment, which may be “less favourable to our security and prosperity”, he warned.
This is due to factors including:
Ultimately, PM Lee struck a positive note, saying there’s “reason for hope and confidence”.
As long as we stand together as one united people, we can face 2024 invigorated and confident as our path is clear, he said, adding,
I call on every Singaporean to come together to fulfil our aspirations, and secure a bright future for Singapore.
Check out PM Lee’s full New Year Message here.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Ministry of Communications and Information via Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook.
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