ny observers working overtime with their analyses. “Why did he do it? What happened? Who will now be the next PM?”. The greater surprise would have been if he had stayed on despite everything. His position had looked untenable.: This was the headline for a column I wrote on July 12, 2020, just after the results.
Then on Jan 26, 2021, I wrote another piece on the press conference held on the post-election Cabinet reshuffle. Under the following headline,“…Little wonder that Saturday’s press conference did not turn out to be the celebratory coming-of-age event that it was meant to be. One where PM Lee would take a back seat as the 4G leaders hogged centre stage and fielded questions about the future direction of party and country.
“In other words, the 4G handing over ceremony has been postponed. PM Lee is not stepping down soon. SM Teo Chee Hean and SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam are still around. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Law Minister K Shanmugam are still carrying the burden as the heavyweight ministers. “And the most significant question posed at the press conference elicited a very telling answer. When asked whether the 4G leaders had reviewed their plans about backing DPM Heng,“The Trade and Industry Minister regained his composure and gave this cryptic reply: ‘We are entirely focused on helping the country in overcoming the economic challenges and saving the jobs at this point of time. We have no plans to do otherwise and we have no plans, no discussions on any change in plan.
Tan Bah Bah, consulting editor of TheIndependent.Sg, is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also managing editor of a local magazine publishing company.
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