Lawrence Wong sworn in as Singapore’s new prime minister

Lawrence Wong has been sworn in as Singapore’s first new prime minister.

On Wednesday, Wong took the oath of office in a televised ceremony at the national palace.

He is the first Singaporean leader born after its independence in 1965.

Wong, 51, comes from a crop of so-called “4G” leaders, a new generation of politicians handpicked by the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to take over the reins of the key Asian trade and financial centre.

Wong will retain his current position as finance minister and takes charge of a country led for 20 years 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.