Financial Times speculates that Heng Swee Keat is PM Lee’s likely successor

Heng Swee Keat, our Finance Minister, is tipped by the reputable Financial Times (FT) as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s likely successor.

This came after one of the most important international business and economic news publications reported on the Lee family feud regarding the commemoration of Lee Kuan Yew’s one-year death anniversary.

In the article, “Singapore’s first family plays out public feud on Facebook”, on April 11, it noted that the feud was a “rare display of acrimony among the city-state’s elite”.

FT then dismissed Lee Wei Ling’s accusation of PM Lee using the event to establish a dynasty with the following line:

“Observers of Singapore’s politics see little evidence that Mr Lee (PM Lee) is attempting to establish a dynasty. None of his children has expressed an interest in politics. Heng Swee Keat, the finance minister, is tipped as the prime minister’s likely successor.”

This is not the first time Heng was seen as PM Lee’s potential successor.

In a Sunday Times commentary last October, long-time political observer and Straits Times editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang predicted Heng as the front-runner to be the next PM.

“So who’s in front of this pack (fourth-generation leaders)? Going by what’s happened in the past, it looks like Mr Heng is in pole position”.  Han, The Sunday Times (Oct 4)

Han noted that the PM of Singapore “should ideally have helmed an economics ministry, given how important the economy is to the country’s future”.

Han then cited former PM Goh Chok Tong and PM Lee, who were former Trade and Industry Minister and Finance Minister respectively.

Anyway, Heng has just delivered his maiden Budget statement as a Finance Minister three weeks ago (March 24).

In his Budget Debate Round-Up speech last week (April 6), Heng noted that Budget 2016 is Singapore’s first step in her journey towards SG100.

He urged Singaporeans to keep their eyes on the horizon with the following advice:

a. Our firms need to look outward and look forward – to find new markets, grow capabilities, transform. Look ahead, see opportunities where others see only problems.

b. The Committee on the Future Economy will continue that looking towards the horizon, to plot out what we can of the road ahead, so we can take the right steps for a vibrant, strong future economy that creates good opportunities for our people.

c. Each of us too must continually learn; get the skills the world needs. And we must have the resilience to overcome personal setbacks and adapt to change.

d. For this reason, we will keep investing in SkillsFuture. I hope Singaporeans will make full use of SkillsFuture, and that all employers do their part to re-design jobs, facilitate learning, and build a better future, not just for their companies, but for the people who help their companies to run. Budget Round-Up Speech April 6

Heng concluded that he was “honoured, and excited, to partner fellow Singaporeans on this journey” and urge Singaporeans to “(l)et’s get to work together”.

Our take? It sounds like the speech could also well be Heng’s first step in his journey towards a potential National Day Rally address.

 

Related article:

ST’s Editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang predicts Heng Swee Keat as front-runner for Prime Minister

 

Top photo from Heng Swee Keat Facebook page.

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- Martino Tan