"I pledge to give my all in this undertaking," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, who will be sworn in as Singapore's next prime minister on May 15, 2024.
Wong was addressing Singaporeans in a video uploaded to his Facebook page on Apr. 15.
Wong's message to Singaporeans
In his video, Wong said that he "did not expect" to be asked to serve as the next Prime Minister of Singapore when he was invited to enter politics in 2011.
He said he will accept the responsibility "with humility and a deep sense of duty" and asked Singaporeans to join him on this journey, adding:
"Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people. Your dreams will inspire my actions. Your concerns will guide my decisions.
Share your ideas, share your passions and dreams. Work with me and my team. Together, we can build a future that shines brightly for all Singaporeans."
Wong also sought Singaporeans' trust, support, and continued faith in Singapore's "shared vision":
"As one united people, regardless of race, language, or religion, we will build a democratic society based on justice and equality."
"Let us move forward as one Team Singapore and write the next chapter of our Singapore Story together," added Wong.
Background
Previously, PM Lee said that he hoped to hand over the prime minister position to his successor by the time he turned 70, which would have been in 2022.
However, this timeline was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which PM Lee pledged to see through with his deputies before handing over.
At the PAP Awards and Convention 2023 last November, PM Lee announced that he would hand over leadership to Wong before the next general election, which is due to take place no later than Nov. 23, 2025.
Top images via Lawrence Wong/Facebook