If 2015 could be described as a bumper year for political junkies, then 2016 will be a massive one as well, with key pieces of the country’s political landscape falling into place and setting the stage for years to come.

All eyes will be on the fourth-generation leadership, with the clock ticking down for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and senior Cabinet members to hand over the baton by the next General Election (GE) in about five years’ time. With leadership renewal cited by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) as the single most important issue in the recent GE, the PAP’s landslide victory not only allowed PM Lee to bring in the people he wanted to reinforce the core leadership team, but also provided a strong and stable foundation for the group to work on. How individuals of the core team handle various national issues and the type of assignments given to them will be closely watched, as they seek to establish themselves in the eyes of parliamentary colleagues and Singaporeans at large, political analysts and former Members of Parliament (MP) said.

The transition is well and truly in place, with the younger leaders taking over not just the running of key ministries, but also parliamentary roles — such as the Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu) and the Government Whip (Mr Chan Chun Sing).

… Describing the current Cabinet as one “of guardians and understudies”, Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said the public will also observe how senior Cabinet members mentor their younger colleagues.