Siblings accuse Singapore ruler of abuses
Son and daughter of founding leader say they are being closely monitored
Afeud between the children of Singapore’s late founding leader intensified yesterday after two siblings publicly accused their brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of disobeying their father’s last wishes and abusing his powers.
Singapore’s founder Lee Kuan Yew is largely credited with transforming the city-state from a relatively poor British colony into one of the world’s wealthiest and most stable societies.
His eldest son Hsien Loong became Singapore’s third prime minister in 2004, taking over the People’s Action Party (PAP) which has governed Singapore since it gained self-rule in 1959.
“We have felt threatened by Hsien Loong’s misuse of his position and influence over the Singapore government and its agencies to drive his personal agenda,” read a statement posted online by younger brother Hsien Yang and younger sister Wei Ling.
It was an extraordinary public criticism of the city-state’s top leadership in a country where tough laws have stifled political dissent.
The siblings’ grievances largely centre on the fate of the family’s home after their father’s death.
The Lee patriarch, who died two years ago, warned against building a personality cult around his legacy and feared his old bungalow would be turned into a museum if it was not demolished.
The pair said their brother Lee had defied their father’s instructions to tear down the house.
“We have observed that Hsien Loong and [his wife] Ho Ching want to milk Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy for their own political purposes,” the statement said, adding that they harbour political ambitions for one of their sons.
The premier’s siblings also alleged they were being closely monitored, adding they had lost faith in their brother’s ability to lead.
“We feel hugely uncomfortable and closely monitored in our own country,” they said.
“We do not trust Hsien Loong as a brother or as a leader. We have lost confidence in him.”
Hsien Yang, a former brigadier-general like his brother, added that he “will leave Singapore for the foreseeable future” over the widening rift.