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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be on local leave from Dec. 16 to Dec. 31.

In a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 15), his office said that no acting prime minister will be appointed as PM Lee will remain contactable throughout his leave period.

Previous leaves

The last time PM Lee went on local leave was from June 7 to June 11 to "catch up with reading at home, experiment with photo apps, and try home delivery meals".

Similarly, no acting PM was appointed then.

Prior to that, PM Lee was on leave from Dec. 17 to 31, 2020, again with no acting PM.

As travelling was still restricted back then, PM Lee spent his time exploring Singapore and catching up on his reading.

SM Teo as acting PM

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stepped aside as leader of the People's Action Party's (PAP's) fourth generation (4G) team in April 2021.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean was appointed the acting PM instead when PM Lee was absent.

PM Lee explained in April 2021 that appointing SM Teo is "the interim arrangement until such time as the 4G chooses a new leader from among themselves".

On Nov. 28, PM Lee said that the 4G leaders needed a "little longer" to choose Singapore's next prime minister.

However, he added that the succession will take place "well before" Singapore's next election.

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Top image from PM Lee's Facebook.