Activist questions why PM Wong was largely unseen at the Shangri-La dialogue

SINGAPORE: Prominent Singapore activist and writer Kirsten Han has raised questions on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s limited presence at the recently concluded Shangri-La dialogue, which took place in Singapore last weekend (31 May—2 June).

The dialogue is widely recognized as Asia’s premier defence summit. It brings together decision-makers from Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Middle East to address pressing regional security issues. It is known for its debates led by government ministers and significant opportunities for bilateral discussions among delegations.

The face of the 2024 summit was Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, not Mr Wong, who had just been inaugurated as Singapore’s fourth premier just over two weeks before the dialogue.

Pointing out that it would have been good for Mr Wong to have taken a more front-facing role at the summit, Ms Han asked on Facebook yesterday (June 3):

“So, what was our new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s presence like at the most important defence and security summit in the Asia-Pacific, hosted in Singapore this past weekend, less than a month after he became PM? Don’t have? Ok”.

She added: “I know he met many top officials and world leaders outside of the Shangri-La Dialogue, but would have been quite good for the new prime minister to have actually been *at* the Dialogue?

I’m sure there would have been interest in whether Singapore’s new leader would have new or different priorities for his administration.”

In the comments section, human rights group Maruah’s president, Shih-Tung Ngiam, noted that Dr Ng had also been the primary representative at the summit in previous years.

Acknowledging that she understands that the PM conventionally only attends the summit’s opening dinner, Ms Han asserted that the crux of the issue remains that Mr Wong had yet to speak substantively on his administration’s priorities.

She wrote: “… but the issue still is that the PM hasn’t spoken substantively on foreign policy and so many other issues about his administration’s priorities.”

Prime Minister Wong’s ascent to power has largely been seen as a continuation of his predecessor, Lee Hsien Loong’s approach to governance.

Mr Wong has opted not to make significant changes to the Cabinet, preferring to maintain the status quo until after the next general elections. He has yet to articulate his distinct policy views.

The only departure from the norm he has publicly enacted is writing an appeal to enable a migrant worker to remain in Singapore. The authorities, however, said they could not accommodate the worker’s request.