Singapore's Designated Future Leader Steps Aside, Citing Age

Singapore's designated future leader, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, has taken himself out of the running in a surprise decision, saying in a letter released Thursday that a younger person with a "longer runway" should be the next prime minister.

The announcement sets back the country's succession plans after current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong retires. Lee, 69, had planned to retire at age 70 but has indicated he may stay on until the coronavirus crisis is over. Singapore has been led by the People's Action Party since independence in 1965, and succession plans are usually made years in advance. In his letter, posted on the prime minister's office website, Heng, who turns 60 this year, said the pandemic is likely to be prolonged, and "I would be close to the mid-60s when the crisis is over."