SM Lee to step down as PAP secretary-general

SM Lee has been at the helm since 2004.

Ruth Chai

November 24, 2024, 12:13 AM

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong is set to step down from his post as the People's Action Party (PAP) secretary-general, and expected to pass the baton to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Tributes have poured in on Nov. 23, 2024 during the PAP's 70th anniversary celebrations, where about 3,000 cadres, activists and guests were in attendance, The Straits Times and CNA reported.

SM Lee has been at the helm since 2004, and has been in the party since 1984.

PM Wong is currently the PAP's deputy secretary-general.

Two-day biennial conference

A segment of the programme was dedicated to SM Lee during this year's PAP awards and conference, which will be held over two days.

In a speech, Deputy Prime Minister and PAP chairman Heng Swee Keat thanked SM Lee for his leadership and his four decades of "guidance, wisdom and foresight".

SM Lee steered the country through global crises such as the 2008 global financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“He led our development into a smart nation and a global city that connects Asia with the rest of the world,” said DPM Heng.

He also urged party members to rally the people's support and to back PM Wong for the upcoming general elections in 2025.

"Let us rally support, win trust and earn a strong mandate in the coming general election," he said, adding that a strong mandate can bring Singaporeans together and take the country forward.

A tribute video to SM Lee was also played after the speech, which included several PAP members and MPs sharing their memories of the former prime minister.

"Tremendous honour and privilege": SM Lee

In his speech, SM Lee expressed his gratitude towards the party.

"Whatever I have done as secretary-general and as PM, I have done with your help and support and could not have been done without it. I'm grateful to you."

He added that it was a "tremendous honour and privilege" for him to serve the party, and wished everyone all the best for the upcoming year.

"I think we all have to work hard. There's a general election coming next year," he concluded.

38th Central Executive Committee

The party will come together and elect their 38th Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Nov. 24.

The CEC is re-elected every two years at the conference, after which positions such as the secretary-general, chairman and treasurer will be announced in the weeks ahead.