4G Leaders

The first thing that usually pops into our head when we see the word “4G” is the network speed on our phones, but not in this case.

4G leaders are the next generation of ministers that will be at the helm of the state when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong steps down after the upcoming general election.

Who are they? The core members are Chan Chun Sing, Desmond Lee, Grace Fu, Heng Swee Keat, Josephine Teo, Lawrence Wong, Masagos Zulkifli, Ng Chee Meng, Ong Ye Kung, and S. Iswaran. All of them were reassigned ministerial portfolios in the extensive cabinet reshuffle in 2018 when two-thirds of the ministries were handed over to 4G leaders.

It is no surprise that the majority of them are also part of the Wuhan virus task force set up by the government to mitigate the effects of the disease. Their performance in managing the crisis will be an important measure of their ability.

Leading the pack is Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat who is expected to take over as prime minister. He pitched the “Singapore Together” movement in June 2019 which sets the tone for a more consultative style of governance. It aims to get Singaporeans involved in the process of designing policies and putting them into action.