On 25 November 2016, the Prime Minister's Office announced Wong's appointment as Attorney-General.[4][9] Wong would be Singapore's first Attorney-General without prior experience on the Bench nor in the Attorney-General's Chambers. Human rights lawyerEugene Thuraisingam, who was later brought to Court by Wong, as Attorney-General, for scandalising the judiciary,[10] said Wong’s lack of Bench and criminal law experience will have little bearing “because he is a top lawyer, one of the best”. He added: “He is a very highly regarded and respected lawyer who has been in practice for a very long time ... For criminal law, he will pick it up very fast. Generally, he has led one of Singapore’s most successful firms".[11]Law Society president Thio Shen Yi described him as a "well-known corporate visionary" and Senior CounselLok Vi Ming said he had "few equals in the legal profession".[5] Parliament also debated his age, as he would be 63 or three years older than the retiring V K Rajah when appointed; however, Law MinisterK Shanmugam said that the appointment, being for a specified term, was "in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution".[12]
As a "transitional arrangement", Wong was appointed on 19 December 2016 as a Deputy Attorney-General and a Senior Counsel.[4]
In 2017, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), an opposition political party in Singapore, wrote in to the President of Singapore, Tony Tan, urging him to revoke Wong's position as the Attorney-General as he had refused to look into Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang's allegations that Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, had abused his powers and made false statements in Parliament. The SDP said that the association of Wong with Lee Hsien Loong prior to his becoming the Attorney-General has created an acute conflict of interest which cannot be ignored and any further delay or refusal to act will cause even greater erosion of confidence in Singapore's public institutions. The Prime Minister, however, had stated that the President had been informed of the connection between him and the appointed AG, and had no issues with it.[13]
On 14 January 2017, he commenced his first three-year term as Singapore's ninth Attorney-General, succeeding V K Rajah.[6] He was re-appointed for his second three-year term commencing on 14 January 2020 until 2023. On 26 September 2022, it was announced that Wong will be appointed for his third three-year term as Attorney General beginning on 14 January 2023 until 2026. [14]
