PM Wong becomes PAP sec-gen, Chan Chun Sing & Desmond Lee are assistant sec-gens

The 38th Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has elected its office holders.

Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong is taking over as secretary-general from Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong.

The former prime minister will be stepping down after holding office as sec-gen since 2004.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and National Development Minister Desmond Lee are continuing their roles as assistant secretary-generals.

In a press release on Dec. 4, 2024, the PAP announced that its CEC had met on the same day for the biennial internal election.

Here's the complete CEC list:

Four additional members were also co-opted:

• Desmond Choo
• Lam Pin Min
• Ng Chee Meng
• Sim Ann

PM Wong becomes sec-gen

This marks the first time in 20 years that the PAP's secretary-general has changed.

SM Lee had announced in a party conference speech on Nov. 24 that he would be stepping down as secretary-general, after 2 decades of stewarding the PAP.

No changes to top roles except secretary-general

There were no changes in the top nine leadership positions except for the role of secretary-general.

There was also no deputy secretary-general elected — then-DPM Wong was promoted into the newly-created role after the PAP party conference in 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat remains as the party's chairman.

The PAP's two Organising Secretaries — also staying on in their roles — are Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong, and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

CEC members

Former sec-gen SM Lee will continue to be part of the CEC as an ordinary member. He had previously said he intended to continue in a supporting and advisory role, in a Nov. 24 speech at the PAP party conference.

Ng Chee Meng has been co-opted as one of the CEC members. He was previously co-opted as a member in the 37th CEC.

Lam Pin Min has also been co-opted as a CEC member. This move has additional political significance as Lam is the Sengkang West branch chairman and is likely to be the leader of the PAP Sengkang GRC team in the upcoming election.

Other appointments

PAP said its CEC also made the following appointments:

Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat, who was co-opted to join the CEC on Nov. 24, will be the chair of the PAP Policy Forum Council (PPF). In the 37th CEC, Josephine Teo held the role of advisor of the PAP Policy Forum.

Chan has been promoted as the HQ Executive Committee Chair, after assisting Wong as the Vice Chair in the 37th CEC. He was previously the HQ Executive Committee Chairman in the 36th CEC.

Low Yen Ling is now one of the assistant organising sec-gens, increasing the number of assistant organising sec-gens from three to four.

There are also two new appointments: Janil Puthucheary was appointed as the chair of the new PAP Mental Health Group, while Koh Poh Koon was appointed the chair of the new PAP Climate Action Group.

Top photo from Lawrence Wong, Chan Chun Sing & Desmond Lee/Facebook