Wong was elected to Parliament at the 2011 general election representing West Coast Group Representation Constituency. On 21 May 2011, he was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education. Wong was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on 10 June 2011. On 1 August 2012, he was appointed a Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts and Senior Minister of State for Education. On 1 November 2012, he was appointed Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information. Wong led a team to bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to be recognised as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wong also spearheaded the free museum entry policy for all Singaporeans and permanent residents, to all national museums and heritage institutions from 18 May 2013. In 2013, Wong also announced the setting up of a new $100 million National Youth Fund for youth to champion community and social causes. On 1 May 2014, he was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Communications and Information. He is also a member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee. Wong was also appointed as the Head of the SG50 Programme Office that coordinates the work of five Committees for the nation’s Golden Jubilee Year celebrations. Wong is also the Co-Chair for the SG50 Culture and Community Committee. As the Minister of MCCY, Wong was involved in the transformation of Singapore’s Civic District – the birthplace of modern Singapore, containing many institutions that have witnessed important turning points in Singapore’s history. In August 2015, the National Arts Council attracted criticisms over the high consultation fees paid for a bin centre, as flagged by the Auditor-General's Office. Lawrence Wong addressed the issue in parliament saying that the project was at acceptable cost due to the need for extensive study of the location and technicality involved with the building of the refuse centre in the Civic District. Under his charge, Wong also introduced the $200 million Cultural Matching Fund, a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for cash donations to arts and heritage charities and Institutions of Public Character in Singapore. In August 2015, it was reported that Wong would be contesting in the Marsiling–Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency for the Singaporean General Election, 2015. His GRC team won against the Singapore Democratic Party with 68.7% of the votes. Wong was also the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Singapore’s performance of 259 medals was its best ever showing in Southeast Asian Games history. Wong had also announced several key initiatives to get more Singaporeans involved in sports. This includes a national movement called ActiveSG, which gives all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents ActiveSG$100 to sign up for sports programmes, and enter into swimming pools and gyms at the various Sports Centres island-wide. Wong also chairs the Singapore High Performance Sports Steering Committee, which provides strategic guidance on identifying and nurturing high performing sporting talents. Wong said that the accomplishments of Singapore athletes at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games indicate that Singapore’s investment in sports is paying off. On 28 September 2015, it was announced that Wong will be the Minister of National Development from 1 October 2015. He also chairs the steering committee for the development of Jurong Lake Gardens. During the National Day Rally on 21 August 2016, it was announced that Wong will also be appointed Second Minister for Finance. On 29 August 2016, Wong stepped down from the board of Monetary Authority of Singapore, replaced by Ong Ye Kung. On 27 January 2020, it was announced that Wong, along with Minister for Health, Gan Kim Yong, will co-chair COVID-19 Multi-Ministerial Task Force to combat the COVID-19 situation. On 26 March 2020, while paying tribute to frontline workers in Singapore helping in the country's fight against the COVID-19 virus, he turned emotional and teared while delivering his address. He thanked healthcare workers, as well as those working in cleaning, transport and security sectors for providing much-needed services to keep Singapore going during this difficult time. On 25 July 2020, it was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that he will succeed Ong Ye Kung as the Education Minister in the new Cabinet line-up.
Wong's father was a sales executive and his mother was a teacher at his primary school. His elder brother is an aerospace engineer. Wong was previously divorced has since remarried. He is a Singaporean of Hainanese descent.
