Ten years ago, many other men were ahead of Lawrence Wong in the race to become Singapore’s fourth prime minister. How did he pip them?

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Annotated transcript available here.

If you enjoyed the show, read “Lawrence’s stunning success”, our GE2025 analysis. And please support our work. It’s the only way we can stay independent and keep making podcasts. You’ll also get access to our full library of content from 2022.

Do tag and follow us today on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Telegram, and/or TikTok.

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00:00 Introduction

02:12 Tharman and Heng Swee Keat

09:28 Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung

16:59 A pandemic star is born

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“The Neighbourhood Boy” is a Jom podcast produced and hosted by Jean Hew, written by Sudhir Vadaketh and Jean Hew, with input from Abhishek Mehrotra. Edited by Artwave Studio, with original music by lowkeii. Illustration by Mirza Jaafar.

Read the full show credits and acknowledgements here.

Who exactly is Lawrence Wong? A schoolmate, grad school friend, colleague, political opponent, and subordinate help give us a sense of the man. Their stories depict his progress from “neighbourhood” school to ministerial office.

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Annotated transcript available here.

If you enjoyed the show, read “Lawrence’s stunning success”, our GE2025 analysis. And please support our work. It’s the only way we can stay independent and keep making podcasts. You’ll also get access to our full library of content from 2022.

Do tag and follow us today on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Telegram, and/or TikTok.

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00:00 Introduction

05:43 Lawrence’s “neighbourhood” school days

12:46 Entering government, and the Asian Financial Crisis

18:56 Lawrence in politics

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“The Neighbourhood Boy” is a Jom podcast produced and hosted by Jean Hew, written by Sudhir Vadaketh and Jean Hew, with input from Abhishek Mehrotra. Edited by Artwave Studio, with original music by lowkeii. Illustration by Mirza Jaafar.

Read the full show credits and acknowledgements here.

Who exactly is Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s fourth prime minister? How did he rise to become the city-state’s first leader from a so-called “neighbourhood school” (rather than an elite one)? And what are the challenges Singapore and he will face in the coming years? Host Jean Hew seeks answers to these questions through interviews with his schoolmates, colleagues, and political competitors, as well as other Singaporeans.

The Neighbourhood Boy is a four-episode series, premiering 7 August 2026, with a new episode every Friday. Presented by Jom, a weekly magazine about Singapore.