Before the distraction came to the forefront, Wong had spent much of his campaign last week urging Singaporeans to give him the strongest team to tackle the global uncertainties ahead.
In the lead-up to the poll, three senior ministers – former deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat who was once touted to be prime minister, long-serving defence minister Ng Eng Hen and senior minister Teo Chee Hean – retired.
At a press conference on Sunday with local media soon after the election results, Wong brushed off a question on whether those flanking him on the panel early that morning were his core team.
Those present were Grace Fu, K Shanmugam, Desmond Lee, Gan Kim Yong, Chan Chun Sing, Masagos Zulkifli, Ong Ye Kung, and Chan Hui Yuh. Chan Hui Yuh was not elected after losing in the Workers’ Party (WP) stronghold Aljunied, while the rest had been cabinet ministers in the last 14th parliament.
