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SINGAPORE - Newly minted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arrived to a jubilant reception on May 15 in Yew Tee, where more than a thousand people had gathered to watch his swearing-in ceremony at the Istana earlier in the evening. It took PM Wong more than five minutes to make his way from his car to the stage, a mere 30m away, as he inched his way through a crowd eager for photos or a handshake. PM Wong, who has been an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC since 2015, made Yew Tee his first port of call, arriving at around 10.30pm. “I decided to rush from the Istana tonight because I wanted my first event as prime minister of Singapore to be an event with all of you, the residents of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC,” said PM Wong, adding that he will continue to serve as their MP. “We inherit a Singapore that our forefathers have built, and it’s now our turn to take Singapore forward and make Singapore even better,” he said in a speech to residents. On stage, he was flanked by his fellow MPs, North West District Mayor Alex Yam, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Hany Soh. “The best days of Singapore are still ahead of us, the best chapters of our Singapore story lie ahead – let’s work together to build a better Singapore together,” he added. Following his address, PM Wong stayed for about half an hour more, to greet the residents who had spilled out of the confines of the tent set up for the watch party. People started arriving from as early as 6pm to get a good seat at the May Day singalong-cum-watch party for PM Wong’s swearing-in ceremony that was organised by the People’s Association at a hard court next to Yew Tee MRT station. The strains of popular songs such as Taylor Swift’s Love Story and performances by local artistes filled the tent from 7.30pm, as people waited in anticipation to see their district’s anchor minister being sworn in as the Republic’s fourth prime minister, on a big screen set up for the event. Inflatable clappers, fans and light sticks had been laid across hundreds of seats, adding to the party atmosphere. By 7.40pm, a sizeable crowd of onlookers had gathered. Among the first to arrive was Jurong East resident Toh Hoo Kee, 73, who secured a front-row seat. The part-time private bus cleaner had found out about the watch party on May 13 when he passed by Yew Tee, and decided to drop by to show his support for the Government. Armed with a guitar, he was hoping to sing for PM Wong. “We’ve come a long way since our first prime minister, the country has had much progress, and we should be appreciative of it,” he said. Others at the party included Ms Jennifer Muneswary, 44, and her seven-year-old daughter, Heavenly Joy. They were there to witness the historic occasion and soak in the atmosphere. The healthcare attendant said she believed PM Wong was the best man for the job, citing how hard the 51-year-old had worked to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. “I use him as motivation for my daughter,” said Ms Muneswary, adding that she told her daughter to make Singapore proud, like PM Wong has. Ms Muneswary also recounted how PM Wong had assisted in finding an infant care service for her daughter some years back, before he was prime minister. “If I go to him for anything, he won’t say no,” she added. Once the live stream began at 8pm, PM Wong received loud cheers whenever he appeared on the screen. At the start of the ceremony, residents young and old got on their feet to sing the national anthem. But they quietened down when PM Wong took his oaths, whipping out their phones to take pictures and record videos of the big screen. The party atmosphere returned soon after, with onlookers cheering at every chance, including when PM Wong received the instrument of appointment. Some residents had congratulatory banners, and some groups even had gold balloons spelling out “PM Wong”. But the loudest cheers were saved for when the master of ceremonies announced that the new prime minister, his wife Loo Tze Lui and the district’s MPs would be making an appearance at the watch party. Yew Tee resident Aton Buang, 61, said she found out about the viewing party from friends at Masjid Al-Khair in Choa Chu Kang. Madam Aton, a housewife, said Singapore’s new leaders have many challenges ahead of them, including “understanding the younger ones and their dreams”. “Not my generation, we’re okay... But people like my daughter and her generation – (Singapore’s leaders) have to serve them.”