(Bloomberg) -- Chan Chun Sing, touted by the Singapore media as one of several front-runners to be the fourth prime minister, said the country's bigger task ahead is to attract "committed people" to take over from his batch of leaders as the city-state prospers.
The bigger challenge "is really what's beyond the fourth generation," Chan, 48, said at a Foreign Correspondents Association event in Singapore on Monday. "The more successful you are, the more difficult it is to find people who are prepared to put aside their personal aspirations to come forth to serve."
Chan said Singapore's key policies are formed by the leadership team, and apart from the personality and style of the next premier, the direction won't change dramatically to cause disruption or discontinuity. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that his successor must be ready to take over after the next election, which is due by early 2021.
"All of us have to be prepared to do the job when called upon," he said in response to a question on whether he would put his hand up for the role. "In Singapore, leadership is a responsibility to be borne, not a position to be sought."
To contact the reporter on this story: Keith Zhai in Singapore at qzhai4@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua
©2017 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
