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Same old Singapore
As both Wong and Prabowo have committed themselves to continuing the policies of their predecessors, there will be no meaningful hurdles in the relationship between the two neighbors.
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Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) received visiting Singaporean Finance Minister Lawrence Wong at the Defense Ministry in Jakarta on May 17, 2023. (Courtesy of/Indonesian Defense Ministry)
W
hen he officially takes the helm of Singapore on May 15, Lawrence Wong will owe a debt to his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong, the outgoing prime minister, and the country’s two previous leaders, who have all played a part in transforming Singapore into one of the world's most advanced nations.
About five months later, president-elect Prabowo Subianto will likely join Wong as a new leader of an ASEAN member state when he takes over from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Along with other regional leaders, Wong and Prabowo will navigate ASEAN through regional and global turbulence.
Lee announced his resignation on Monday afternoon. The 72-year-old prime minister has held the post for 20 years, since 2004, after serving as deputy prime minister under Singapore’s second prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, for 14 years. Lee is the eldest son of Singapore’s first prime minister and founding father Lee Kuan Yew.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) declared Prabowo, 72, and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka the winners of the Feb. 14 presidential election, but their rivals are now challenging the outcome at the Constitutional Court. The final and binding decision will be issued on Monday.
Despite their big age gap, Prabowo and Wong have already built a good personal relationship. In May of last year, Wong met with Prabowo, as well as other presidential aspirants Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, during a visit to Jakarta.
During his campaign, Prabowo expressed an intention to play a more global role while sticking with ASEAN as his foreign policy base.
At the bilateral level, both Indonesia and Singapore have maintained good neighborhood relations. As both Wong and Prabowo have committed themselves to continuing the policies of their predecessors, there will be no meaningful hurdles in the relationship between the two neighbors. As ASEAN leaders, the two are also expected to work closely with other regional leaders in addressing the global uncertainties and tensions affecting the regional grouping.
ASEAN, like other regions, is feeling the pinch of global economic and military turbulence, including soaring oil and commodities prices resulting from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
The escalating tension between China and the United States, along with its allies in the Indo-Pacific, notably on the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, has also put ASEAN in a challenging position. China is the most important trading and economic partner for all members of ASEAN, while the US is needed to counterbalance China's domination.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, putting it in territorial disputes with ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines has decided to move closer to the US as China is becoming more assertive in its claim over the resource-rich South China Sea.
While the Singapore-Indonesia relationship will remain largely the same after the change of guard, hopes are high that Wong will help make a difference in the way ASEAN tackles both internal challenges and external threats.
One pending issue facing ASEAN is the Myanmar crisis. ASEAN has gradually isolated the Myanmar military junta by preventing it from representing the country at official ASEAN gatherings in response to its refusal to comply with the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus, a road map to bring democracy back to the country.
Armed conflict between pro-democracy groups and the military junta shows no sign of ending, at the expense of the people of Myanmar. The country looks likely to remain a headache for the region in the future.
At 51, Wong is expected to have a more persuasive approach than other ASEAN leaders, most of whom are older than him, and to be more willing to explore mutually beneficial relationships with the neighbors.
Amid the current and future challenges, ASEAN will be looking forward to Wong’s contribution.
