Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's decision to step aside as the leader of the People's Action Party's (PAP) fourth-generation team, announced on Thursday, has come as a shock to those accustomed to the smooth leadership transition in Singapore. Mr Heng, who turns 60 this year, cited the long-term and profound challenges ahead wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, his age and the demands of the top job as being among the reasons for his decision. His announcement paves the way for a younger person with a longer runway to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and lead the country.

The decision comes as a shock as it breaks with past experience of political succession going largely to plan. Singaporeans, already worried about their economic future during the Covid-19 crisis, would be taken aback by this unexpected development. True, transitions are not guaranteed to be smooth, but it has been a hallmark of the PAP Government to make them as unsurprising as possible. Singaporeans' expectations of the succession process are high precisely because it is institutionalised and meant to function seamlessly. While personal health and external circumstances are imponderables even in the most well planned processes, many have come to expect that the PAP will stick to its choices once they are made and disclosed publicly. Mr Heng's decision will leave many unsettled. Given the ongoing pandemic and huge challenges thrown up by the crisis, uncertainties about political succession are the last thing the country needs now.