Minister Ong Ye Kung is the first among the three potential successors to break the ice.

So far, he is the only one who has commented on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's remarks about leadership succession, which were made on Jan. 26, 2018.

Artificial deadline

On Sunday, the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and the Second Minister for Defence, told Channel NewsAsia and Today that he thought it was good not to be constrained by the "artificial deadline" of six or nine months to choose the next PM.

Ong was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an annual event by the North West Community Development Council, where Ong met low-income families at Sembawang GRC, as he is the MP there.

Fellow PM contender 4G Minister Chan Chun Sing was away overseas in Switzerland to represent Singapore at the World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, Chan had an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, where he spoke to the editor-in-chief about leaders and leadership.

ST reported Chan's comments on how leaders must deliver results to build trust, but there was no mention of Chan's first reactions to Singapore's leadership succession.

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"We still need time to work together, know each other well"

This was what Ong told CNA:

"PM has said that it will need a while longer. I think it's useful. As our younger-generation ministers have said, we would select somebody to be the leader among us in good time... So I think it's good not to be constrained by six or nine months. We still need time to work together, know each other well and, among us, I'm sure a leader will emerge."

Like PM Lee, Ong also urged patience:

"I think the PM has made it quite clear. Don’t get constrained by an artificial deadline. We will work amongst ourselves and someone will emerge in good time."

Ong already had a candidate in mind

Previously, in an interview with The Straits Times on Jan. 4, Ong revealed that he already has someone in mind and said it is not him.

"I am shaping up in my mind someone who can be the leader amongst us. I am sure my colleagues are thinking of the same issue too."

Six to nine months was the time frame for leadership succession that was suggested by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in his Facebook post on New Year's eve.

Guess Ong now has more than nine months to reconsider the decision.

All the related articles about 4G leadership transition:

Top photo by Lim Weixiang