Singapore’s first family openly feud
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday he wanted to avoid suing his brother and sister for defamation over allegations he had abused his power in a dispute with them over what to do with their late father’s house.
The bad blood between the heirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, has gripped the city-state since mid-June, when the younger siblings launched a series of attacks on their elder brother in social media postings.
‘‘In normal circumstances, in fact, in any other imaginable circumstance than this, I would’ve sued immediately,’’ Lee said in a statement to a rare special sitting of parliament.
He said any such action would ‘‘further besmirch my parents’ names’’, while drawn-out legal proceedings would distract and cause distress to Singaporeans.
‘‘Therefore, fighting this out in court cannot be my preferred choice,’’ the prime minister said.
His brother and sister, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, allege Lee Hsien Loong has abused his power in the dispute over the old family home, and fear he would use the organs of the state against them.
The prime minister has consistently denied the allegations, and said he was very disappointed they had chosen to publicise private family matters.
Yesterday’s parliamentary session was extraordinary for Singapore, a small but wealthy island nation that prides itself on being a rock of stability in Southeast Asia.
The accusation of abuse of power prompted Lee to call for the special sitting to defend the integrity of his government.
In a rare move, Lee removed the Party Whip for the debate, allowing lawmakers from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to question their own cabinet.
PAP controls 83 of the 89 elected seats, and lawmakers submitted questions at the end of last week. More than 30 are due to put questions over the course of yesterday and today. – Reuters