Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat has officially been appointed the People’s Action Party (PAP) first assistant secretary-general this evening. His new appointment suggests that he has the highest likelihood to become Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister.

Just as anonymous party cadres reporters to the media, fellow PM frontrunner Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing was appointed the second assistant secretary-general and may possibly become a Deputy Prime Minister, in the future.

The third PM frontrunner that was tipped to succeed Prime Lee Hsien Loong, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, was named assistant treasurer.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has been appointed treasurer, as the ruling party announced the new slate of office-holders in its highest decision-making body, in a press conference held at its Bedok headquarters this evening.

While PM Lee remains the party’s secretary-general, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has been appointed party chairman. He takes over from Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan who recently retired from the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).

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Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli has been named vice-chairman, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu and Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee were appointed as organising secretaries.

Desmond Lee is among the four who have been newly co-opted into the CEC. National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin and Christopher de Souza are the remaining three PAP parliamentarians who were called to join the CEC.

The remaining members of the CEC are Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah and Ng Chee Meng and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/thank-god-its-heng-instead-of-chan-singaporeans-express-relief-that-4g-pm-post-may-go-to-heng-swee-keat/