Lawrence Wong
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai (Chinese: 黄循财; pinyin: Huáng Xúncái; born 18 December 1972)[1] is a Singaporean politician, economist and former civil servant who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, and Deputy Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2022. In addition, he is the Prime Minister–designate since April 2024, and is expected to take office on 15 May 2024. He is also Minister for Finance since 2021, and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore since 2023. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Limbang division of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC since 2015, and previously the Boon Lay division of West Coast GRC between 2011 and 2015.
For the actor, see Lawrence Wong (actor).
Lawrence Wong
Vacant
TBD
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Chan Chun Sing (Acting Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports)
Constituency established
Loo Tze Lui
Prior to entering politics, Wong worked at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH). He was Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong between 2005 and 2008. He also served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Energy Market Authority (EMA) between 2009 and 2011.[1] Wong made his political debut in the 2011 general election where he contested in West Coast GRC as part of a five-member PAP team and won. Wong subsequently contested in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC in the 2015 general election, and retained his parliamentary seat in the 2020 general election. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Finance, Wong served as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth between 2012 and 2015, Second Minister of Communications and Information between 2014 and 2015, Minister for National Development between 2015 and 2020,[2] Second Minister of Finance between 2016 and 2021, and Minister for Education between 2020 and 2021.
Wong was also co-chair of a multi-ministerial committee set up by the government in January 2020 to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.[3] As Minister for Finance, he has overseen the gradual increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) which Lee's government has advocated for – 8% in 2023 and 9% in 2024, up from 7% which had been set since 2007. In April 2022, he was chosen as the leader of the PAP's fourth generation team, placing him in line as Lee's apparent successor.[4] Wong assumed the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore on 13 June 2022, serving alongside Heng Swee Keat.[5] On 26 November 2022, Wong was appointed to the newly created position of Deputy Secretary-General of the PAP.[6]
On 3 July 2023, it was announced that Wong will be appointed Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 8 July 2023. Wong had served as Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 2021 and 2023. He was also appointed Chairman of the Investment Strategies Committee of GIC, and Chairman of the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB) on 7 July 2023 and 8 July 2023 respectively. Wong was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of GIC's Board of Directors on 1 October 2023.
Early life and education[edit]
Wong was born on 18 December 1972 in the eastern part of Singapore. He is of ethnic Hainanese descent, with his father having being born on Hainan,[7] and was raised in the Methodist denomination of Christianity.[8] Growing up, Wong and his family lived in a public Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Marine Parade.[8] Wong's father worked as a sales executive while his mother was a teacher at his primary school.[8]
Wong attended Haig Boys' Primary School (now Tanjong Katong Primary School), Tanjong Katong Technical School (now Tanjong Katong Secondary School), and Victoria Junior College before going to college.[9][10]
Wong received a Bachelor of Science with a major in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994 under the Public Service Commission scholarship.[11][12] He received a Master of Arts in applied economics from the University of Michigan in 1995 and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University in 2004.[13][14]
Civil service career[edit]
Wong began his career as an economist working in the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in August 1997.[15] It was the beginning of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and his first assignment involved preparing a report on regional economies and their effects on Singapore; he described the experience as "nothing that I learned in school prepared me for such an assignment" and recounted having to learn on the job.[16]
He was posted to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in January 2002 and then the Ministry of Health (MOH) in July 2004, where he served as Director of Healthcare Finance until May 2005. Wong served as the principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong between May 2005 and August 2008.[15]
In September 2008, Wong became deputy chief executive officer of the Energy Market Authority, rising to chief executive officer on 1 January 2009. He relinquished the role on 1 April 2011.[15]
Premiership[edit]
As the 4G leader, Wong subsequently emerged as Lee's apparent successor to the position of prime minister; the latter's initial plans to step down at the age of 70 had been thwarted by Heng's withdrawal.[69] On 15 April 2024, the Prime Minister's Office issued a press statement announcing that Lawrence Wong will officially take over as the Prime Minister of Singapore from Lee Hsien Loong on 15 May.[70] With this leadership handover, Lawrence Wong will be Singapore's fourth Prime Minister, as well as the first to be born after the country's independence in 1965.[71][72]
Personal life[edit]
Wong married at the age of 28 but divorced his first wife after three years due to "incompatibility".[73][74] He has since married Loo Tze Lui, a former banker currently working in wealth management, and who was on the YMCA Singapore board of directors until 2023.[75][76][77] His elder brother is an aerospace engineer at DSO National Laboratories.[78] His hobbies include playing the guitar and riding motorcycles.[79][80]
Media related to Lawrence Wong at Wikimedia Commons