A new prime minister after two decades, a thriving tourism sector driven by global music icons, and headline-grabbing legal sagas defined Singapore’s landmark year in 2024. The crowning moment was the appointment of Lawrence Wong as Singapore's fourth prime minister, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong after two decades of leadership. This marked the beginning of a new chapter for Singapore under the People's Action Party’s (PAP) fourth-generation leader, with Wong becoming the first post-independence-born prime minister.
Wong was sworn in as prime minister on May 15, shortly after Lee, the eldest son of the country's founding prime minister, formally announced he was relinquishing his post to Wong. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, including his father Lee Kuan Yew and the second prime minister Goh Chok Tong, Lee remains in the Cabinet as Senior Minister, providing continuity and counsel.
Wong's inaugural address reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to ASEAN and its balanced foreign policy, pledging to safeguard the nation's rights as it maintains global friendships. The full transition of power culminated in December, as Wong assumed the leadership of the PAP, positioning the 52-year-old to lead the party toward the next general election, scheduled for November 2025.
Beyond politics, Singapore’s economy flourished, propelled by major international concerts such as Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, which drew thousands of fans and significantly boosted the tourism sector. The economy saw growth of three percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, bolstered by strong performance within the services sector as international visitor arrivals rebounded.
By November, the Ministry of Trade and Industry upgraded its 2024 economic forecast to 3.5 percent, up from the initial two to three percent range, crediting the strong performance during the first three quarters. Nevertheless, projections for 2025 suggested slower growth of between one to three percent due to global uncertainties.
The year also witnessed gripping legal sagas, including the case of former Transport Minister S. Iswaran, who was sentenced to 12 months in jail in October for obtaining valuable items as a public servant and obstructing justice. The 62-year-old, who had been engaged in public service since 1987, became the first political officeholder in Singapore to face trial in nearly five decades, making it one of the most high-profile trials seen in the island republic.
A shocking knife attack during mass at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah on November 9 sent ripples through the nation. The daring attack—a violation of the nation’s reputation as one of the world’s safest countries—prompted national leaders to call for unity and calm. The assailant, 37-year-old Keith Spencer Basnayake, was charged on November 11 with one count of intentionally causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment or up to 15 years' imprisonment, along with other penalties.
Earlier in the year, Singapore narrowly avoided what could have been another terror attack. An October announcement revealed the arrest of a 17-year-old male Singaporean who had planned to attack using either a knife or scissors during the September school holidays. Captured under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the teen had been detained for two years following his plans to launch the attack at the HDB heartlands close to the Tampines West Community Centre.
Separately, two self-radicalized Singaporeans—an adolescent boy and female adult—were also served with restriction orders under the ISA during June and July, respectively. The young male had expressed his eagerness to carry out attacks within Singapore, highlighting continued security challenges amid the nation’s significant political and economic changes.
