SINGAPORE, May 16 — Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke with leaders in the region over the phone on his first day in office today, including with his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Wong, sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister yesterday evening, also spoke with Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“They called to congratulate me on my new role, and I thanked them for their well wishes. I look forward to working with them to boost bilateral and regional cooperation,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In his maiden speech to the nation, the Prime Minister, among other things, said his government will strengthen partnerships “near and far” and seek to be friends with all while advancing Singapore’s interests.
On his first day in office, Wong also chaired his first Cabinet meeting.
“We have a full agenda ahead. Look forward to working with all of you to take Singapore forward in our next phase,” he said.
Wong and his Cabinet assumed their posts during the swearing-in ceremony presided by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana.
— Bernama
