Singapore's Lawrence Wong was sworn in on Wednesday (May 15) as its first new premier in 20 years and only its fourth leader since independence.
51-year-old Wong will retain his current position as finance minister and takes charge of a country led for two decades by Lee Hsien Loong, the 72-year-old son of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore who stayed in politics until his death in 2015.
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51-year-old Wong will retain his current position as finance minister and takes charge of a country led for two decades by Lee Hsien Loong, the 72-year-old son of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore who stayed in politics until his death in 2015.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Lawrence Wong was sworn in as Singapore's fourth Prime Minister at the Istana on Wednesday
00:10 night. 51-year-old Wong succeeds 72-year-old Lee Hsien Loong, who led the nation for nearly
00:16 20 years. The ceremony, broadcast live on television and streamed on social media platforms,
00:23 began with the national anthem Majulah Singapura, followed by a speech from President Tharman
00:29 Shanmugaratnam. Wong will retain his current position as Finance Minister.
00:34 I, Lawrence Wong, having been appointed to the office of Prime Minister, do solemnly
00:40 swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Republic of Singapore and that I will
00:46 preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the Republic of Singapore. So help me God.
00:54 Wong comes from among a crop of so-called 4G leaders, a new generation of politicians
01:00 that were hand-picked by the long-ruling People's Action Party. He is the first Singaporean
01:06 leader born after its independence in 1965.
01:11 I am deeply honoured to be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Singapore. I am the first
01:18 Prime Minister of Singapore to be born after independence. Almost all my colleagues in
01:24 the 4G team were also born after 1965. My generation's story is the story of independent
01:32 Singapore. Our lives are testimony to the values that forged our nation. Then we can
01:39 build a Singapore where everyone succeeds in being the best possible version of themselves.
01:46 Let us unite with common purpose and shared resolve.
01:51 Fourteen Ministers, nine Senior Ministers of State and five Ministers of State were
01:56 also sworn in.
01:57 [Applause]
01:59 [Music]
02:01 [Music]
02:03 [Music]
02:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]