2 hours after launching an attack on a Bill outlining contempt of court laws, Dr Lee Wei Ling apologised publicly, saying she had been wrong in her assumptions.
In a post on her FaceBook page earlier Sunday afternoon (Aug 14), Dr Lee, who is the sister of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, criticised the Bill, which makes contempt of court a criminal offence.
Under the Bill, disobeying court orders, publishing material that interferes with on-going proceedings, & making allegations of bias against judges constitute contempt of court.
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Lee Wei Ling FB - 13 August at 23:03
In Straits Times on 12/8/2016, it was reported that the contempt of court laws are set to be entered into the statutes.
Minister Shanmugam stated that:
- It gives the public a better sense of what action can unduly influence court proceedings, known as sub judice. Ironically, Sub Judice rules were set up for situation where there is laymen jury who may be naïve enough to be misled by rumours or lead by emotion rather than logic as in religious or racial issues. It was this weakness of having a jury swayed by ignorance or emotions that lead our founding PM Lee Kuan Yew, to do away with Juries in Singapore courts. If your judges are so vulnerable, then the cabinet is at fault for its choice of candidates proposed to be promoted to be judges.
- It provides a framework for contempt of court punishments. The maximum penalty is a fine up to $20,000 and/or jail term up to 12 months. This is very serious penalties for someone who may just want to speak out against an unfair judge and/or an unfair government. When I wrote in ST against the then penalty for Mr Tang Wee Sung, whilst I wrote out of my pity for Mr. Tang and the sense of how brutally unfair the penalty suggested by our Attorney General’s Chambers was, the letter published in Straits Time was worded with the help of Mr Shanmugam and his partner at Allen and Gledhill, Mr Lucian Wong. I would have written even if neither senior lawyers supported me, but the wording of my letter would have been very amateurish. Now being on the side of the government, Minister Shanmugam seems to see justice only from the point of view of the government and the AGC always being right.
Lee Wei Ling clarifies that she did not retract entire post regarding new law on Contempt of Court
Dr Lee Wei Ling clarifies on her Facebook post that she did not retract the entirety of her comment regarding the proposed .Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill.
This is in response to Channel News Asia (CNA)'s report that seems to imply that Dr Lee had retracted her entire post posted on Sunday after she posted a subsequent post and apologised for causing any embarrassment that she may have caused to the Minister of Law and Home Affairs, K Shanmugam.
CNA in its report wrote:
- "Two hours after launching an attack on a Bill outlining contempt of court laws, Dr Lee Wei Ling apologised publicly, saying she had been wrong in her assumptions....
- ..."Thus I was wrong in my assumptions," wrote Dr Lee. "Everyone is entitled to criticise judgements, policies, as I did in the Tang Wee Sung matter.
- "I am relieved by the clarification given by Mr Shanmugam, and I apologise for any embarrassment I may have caused to Mr Shanmugam."
Dr Lee Wei Ling: Just like us and yet not like us
AFTER a long silence, the good doctor speaks. And when she does, everyone sits up and takes notice. Including the Financial Times. This is no online raconteur, she is the daughter of Singapore’s first Prime Minister and the sister of the current one.
It was for this reason that The Straits Times (ST) published her columns in its pages, which were later compiled into a book, A Hakka Woman‘s Singapore Stories. She would offer precious insights into the workings of Singapore’s first family, pandering to the curious and voyeuristic instincts in each one of us. And she would have a following, which will make up for the amount of editing that the ST admitted to having to do.
Dr Lee Wei Ling has always been a “character”. She is plain-speaking and sometimes wears her heart on her sleeve. Older readers will remember the fights she got into with yet another feisty fellow, Mr Philip Yeo, about the directions the biomedical industry was taking and how she levelled into the unethical practices of scientist Simon Shorvon. Readers will feel her pain on the death of her father.
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Dr Lee Wei Ling?
Dr Lee Wei Ling
Lee Kuan Yew’s daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling have been speaking up vocally against her brother Lee Hsien Loong and the current batch of PAP Ministers and the alternative media like yourself have been trumpeting her lines, heralding her as the new voice of the people.
May I caution you that Dr Lee Wei Ling is not to be trusted and you should not be too quick to put her on a soapbox. Remember a certain Amos Yee whom you supported so fervently and once he was out of jail, he turned his back on so many of our activists who fought for his release and spat on their goodwill and kindness.
She is after all the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, the PAP leader who used harsh methods on anyone who went against him. LKY does not shy away from using draconian laws to get those dissenters in line, likewise his daughter must be cut from the same mould. She is confirm PAP at heart.
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Dr Lee Wei Ling slams the Contempt Bill; makes problematic claim about K Shanmugam and then apologises for getting it all wrong
After staying out of the limelight after her debacle with Straits Times earlier this year, Dr Lee Wei Ling strikes back again.
This time round, Dr Lee took issue with the Contempt of Court Bill that is set to be legislated as law. In her most recent 616 words-long FB post, Dr Lee felt that the bill “will gag public debate on issues that are important to Singaporeans.”
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Current government is less frank and upfront with government
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Lee Wei Ling slam Lee Hsien Loong: Your PAP is not like the previous PAP
The elder daughter of deceased dictator Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Wei Ling, slam her Prime Minister brother Lee Hsien Loong for being an authoritarian dictator and that his government differs from the previous PAP.
Lee Wei Ling was taking issues with the newly-passed changes to the Contempt of Court charge, that increases the penalties for anyone who speak out against an unfair judgment. Under the new law, it will be an offence to speak out against the Singapore Court and judges.
Lee Wei Ling then complained about the state of apathy among Singaporeans. You may view the original post here.
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Lee Wei Ling: This current government is not like previous PAP governments
In Straits Times on 12/8/2016, it was reported that the contempt of court laws are set to be entered into the statutes. Minister Shanmugam stated that:
1) It gives the public a better sense of what action can unduly influence court proceedings, known as sub judice.
(Ironically, Sub Judice rules were set up for situation where there is laymen jury who may be naïve enough to be misled by rumours or lead by emotion rather than logic as in religious or racial issues. It was this weakness of having a jury swayed by ignorance or emotions that lead our founding PM Lee Kuan Yew, to do away with Juries in Singapore courts. If your judges are so vulnerable, then the cabinet is at fault for its choice of candidates proposed to be promoted to be judges.)
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DR LEE WEILING APOLOGISES BUT INSISTS NEW CONTEMPT LAW IS TO MUZZLE PUBLIC OPINION
I just read CNA. The report seems to imply that I retract my entire first post of today. I only retract the part related to the comment on Mr. Tang Wee Sung. Mr. Shanmugam has informed me that even after the new law has been passed, it is not illegal to criticize a judgement or the AGC after the judgement has been delivered.
Much of the proposed bill is ambiguous to a person not trained in legal matters. As per my current understanding, I stand by the rest of the statements I posted.
The bill which will be passed in parliament tomorrow gives the government the right to comment whilst denying that to people. This is inconsistent with equality before the law and is an attempt to muzzle public opinion.
related:
CALVIN CHENG: DR LEE IS UNREALISTIC - CONTEMPT LAW IS NECESSARY
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Lee Wei Ling takes aim at new contempt of court bill, apologises to law minister after he spoke to her to clarify, continues to take aim
Dr Lee Wei Ling earlier today (Aug 14) posted on her Facebook page regarding the impending bill on laws of contempt of court. The bill seeks to spell out what constitutes contempt of court and the punishments in relation to it — maximum penalty is a fine up to $20,000 and/or jail term up to 12 months.
One of the three instances of contempt of court is publishing material that interferes with on-going proceedings. This has raised concerns among some Singaporeans — 249 Singaporeans signed a petition, which was submitted to Parliament by NMP Kok Heng Leun, contending that this may restrict legitimate discussion of issues that are of public interest.
Lee’s issue with the bill - This too caught Lee’s attention and in her Facebook post she expressed concern that the punishments for contempt are “very serious penalties for someone who may just want to speak out against an unfair judge and/or an unfair government” and that “this bill will gag public debate on issues that are important to Singaporeans.”
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Online squabble about "Hero-Worship" of the late Lee Kuan Yew
Social Media on the Late LKY’s children Online Squabble
