Update 20 Jul 2018: PM Lee’s Nephew Supports Pink Dot
And The Event Reached Max Capacity
Thousands of Singaporeans flocked to Hong Lim Park on Saturday (July 1), as the much-anticipated Pink Dot was held after overcoming many obstacles.
Among them: Foreign sponsorship was banned, which led to local companies filling in the gap; foreigners were banned entirely, leading to barricades being erected around the park; and people complained over even the event’s ad at Orchard Cineleisure.
In happier news, however, Paralympian Theresa Goh came out and became a Pink Dot ambassador. Here she is at the event,
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Dabu County: The Ancestral Place of Lee Kuan Yew and Overseas Hakka
A trip to Dabu County of Meizhou Municipality in Guangdong Province, exploring the Hakka history, houses and heritage.
Why is the ancestral house of Lee Kuan Yew a Chaoshan-style house? Check out the video.
LKY already has a memorial to his name in Chinese region he has never visited
The Founders’ Memorial notwithstanding, there is already a memorial to the first Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew. Mr Lee, on the other hand, had been known to say that he had no wish for a monument dedicated solely to himself. In Parliament on April 13, 2015, however, his son, now Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, called to honour his father but said that his father had been conscious that he had been part of a team that worked together to build the city-state. “One idea that has been suggested is to have a memorial for all of the founding fathers, perhaps coupled with an exhibition gallery to honour their legacy and educate future generations.
Indeed, Mr Lee himself had thought that there was value in such a memorial,” he said. The project broke ground last month and is set to open in 2028. The Business Standard reported two days after Mr Lee’s death on March 23, 2015, that many Chinese were coming to Mr Lee’s ancestral home in droves to pay homage to him. The report said that the village is located 500 kilometres away from Guangzhou “in search of a glimpse” into his life. It described the ancestral home as made of brick and wood, having been constructed in the traditional Chinese style in 1884 by Mr Lee’s great-grandfather, Li Muwen, with his earnings from Singapore. The home was called Zhonghandi. It also noted that the Lee family descended from the Hakka, a subgroup of China’s Han community, and came to Singapore in the middle of the 18th century. Local authorities refurbished the home and its surroundings between 2007 and 2008. Exhibitions of the Lee family tree, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s family and political accomplishments, and an introduction to Mr Lee Kuan Yew were also set up within the structure.
In 2016, the year after Mr Lee passed away, authorities in Dabu County in Guangdong said that his ancestral home would be turned into a tourist attraction. Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po daily reported at the time that the site would become an international rural tourist destination that incorporated Chinese Hakka cultural characteristics. A total of 40 million yuan, then equivalent to S$8.8 million, was allocated for the endeavor. Constructing the site had begun the previous year, and the first phase, Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Hall, was set for completion by the end of 2016.
STATEMENT BY CABINET SECRETARY MR TAN KEE YONG ON THE STATEMENT BY MR LEE HSIEN YANG AND DR LEE WEI LING
I refer to the statement issued by Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang earlier today, and specifically the references to an internal Ministerial Committee that was set up by Cabinet.
2. The Committee was set up to consider the options for 38 Oxley Road (the “House”), and the implications of those options. These included looking into various aspects, including the historical and heritage significance of the House, as well as to consider Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s thinking and wishes in relation to the House.
3. The Prime Minister has not been involved in Cabinet’s discussions concerning this Committee. As he had previously stated, he has recused himself from all Government decisions concerning the House.
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Ministerial Committee responds to Lee siblings’ allegations, asks them how LKY’s will was prepared
This committee was set up by Singapore’s Cabinet to consider the options (as well as their implications) regarding the house standing on 38 Oxley Road, the residence of the late founding Prime Minister.
And this committee is managed by the Cabinet Office, which provides secretariat and administrative support to the Cabinet. And that office is headed by Singapore’s Cabinet Secretary, a man named Tan Kee Yong.
Naturally, because it came up in the lengthy statement by the younger Lee siblings, which among many other things, alleged that their older brother was meddling in it, Tan felt the need to speak up.
How international media are covering the Lee household saga
8 people have reviewed LHY on his FB, one hero gave 4 stars without any reason
S’poreans react to the most elite FB drama they will ever have a chance to witness
Here’s a timeline on LKY’s Oxley Road house over its more than 100-year history
S’pore mainstream media grappling with reporting Lee household saga
LKY’s stance on demolition of his Oxley Road home is well-publicised & documented
PM Lee responds: My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy
LHY’s son Li Shengwu backs up dad’s & aunt’s statement on PM Lee and Ho Ching
Prime Minister Lee’s on overseas leave from June 10 to June 17
LHY wants to leave Spore, publishes open letter with sister to criticise PM Lee
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PMO: LEE HSIEN YANG’S LAWYER WIFE PLAYED A ROLE IN DRAFTING LKY’S LAST WILL
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has issued its own statement on the public spat between incumbent Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and his younger siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang.
In its statement, questions were raised as to the facts and circumstances surrounding the drafting of the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's Last Will and the role that Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern, and her law firm played in drafting the late Mr Lee's will.
A Cabinet committee set up to deliberate on the fate of 38 Oxley Road has requested for PM Lee's younger siblings to declare their version of events on the drafting of the late Mr Lee's will, as PM Lee has done. Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang indicated that they would only be able to respond with their version of events by the end of June, if at all.
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Future of Oxley Road house under study
Cabinet Secretary Tan Kee Yong, who confirmed the establishment of the committee in a separate statement yesterday, said it was set up to consider options for the house and the implications of those options.
"These included looking into various aspects, including the historical and heritage significance of the house, as well as to consider Mr Lee Kuan Yew's thinking & wishes in relation to the house," Mr Tan said in the statement.
He also said the committee has been looking at how the late Mr Lee's will came to be made and the roles played in this by Mrs Lee Suet Fern - Mr Lee Hsien Yang's wife - and the law firm that she heads.
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LEE HSIEN YANG’S LAWYER WIFE PLAYED A ROLE IN DRAFTING LKY’S LAST WILL
As part of its work, the Committee sought the views of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s children, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, to ask if they wished to say anything about Mr Lee’s thinking in respect of the House, beyond what has already been stated in public. Mr Lee Hsien Loong’s views were sought in his personal capacity, given his position as Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son and his interest as a beneficiary of the estate.
The Committee has made clear to Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang (in response to a query from them) that the Government has no intention of doing anything with the House as long as Dr Lee Wei Ling continues to reside there. The Committee will be listing out the different options with regard to the House and the implications. This will help a future Government when a decision needs to be taken about the House.
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have also referred to questions that have been asked about Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s last will (the “Last Will”). In the course of its work, the Committee received representations from Mr Lee Hsien Loong on various facts and circumstances in relation to how Mr Lee’s Last Will was prepared. The Committee has asked Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang some further questions about how the Last Will was prepared, and the role that Mrs Lee Suet Fern and lawyers from her legal firm played in preparing the Last Will. The Committee has also invited Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang to put their response by way of Statutory Declaration, as Mr Lee Hsien Loong had done. Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have not responded to-date, and have indicated that if they respond at all, they will only be able to reply at the earliest by the end of June.
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FamiLEE saga: Now about that mysterious ministerial committee
So this mysterious committee has been summoning the three Lees to make representations. Should PM Lee be allowed to make representations since he has recused himself and the committee is made up of his subordinates? One argument would be that it was natural that PM Lee would be asked to give his views as the eldest son. And the committee should be trusted enough to give the PM’s opinion the same weight as those of his siblings.
The other two siblings, however, have painted their brother has having a firm grip on power and who would use organs of state to get his way. Dr Lee put it even more bluntly in her FB : “(If) PM can misuse his official power to abuse his siblings who can fight back, what else can he do to ordinary citizens.’’ They also said that PM Lee had queried the circumstances of the late Mr Lee’s will. Confirming this, the Cabinet secretary shed more light: Mrs Lee Suet Fern, wife of Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and lawyers from her firm played a role here and the committee wanted to know what it was. PM Lee has responded with a statutory declaration, but the two others have yet to do so.
But Mr Lee Hsien Yang said his wife had nothing to do with the will and was upset that the siblings were being asked the same questions repeatedly. “If Lee Hsien Loong had any doubt about the validity of the Last Will, he should have challenged it in court,” he said in an interview with TODAY. “Frankly it is completely improper to use a cabinet committee to pursue an issue like this when the proper channel was at the court and probate.”
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Lee siblings: Lee Kuan Yew's home should be demolished
The children of the late Lee Kuan Yew have reiterated that their father's desire for his former home to be demolished should be honoured.
In a joint statement posted on Facebook, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang noted that it was the late Lee's wish that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished once Dr Lee ceases to live in it.
Separately, both PM Lee and his brother have each agreed to donate half the value of the pre-war Oxley Road house to the charities named in the late Lee's obituary notice.
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PM Lee not involved in talks on Ministerial Committee’s deliberations on LKY house: PMO
While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s views have been sought in his personal capacity, he has not been involved in the Cabinet’s discussions on the internal Ministerial Committee that is deliberating the fate of the house at 38 Oxley Road, said the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday (14 June).
“As (PM Lee) had previously stated, he has recused himself from all Government decisions concerning the House,” said Cabinet Secretary Tan Kee Yong , who noted that PM Lee is the late Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son and a beneficiary of the estate. Tan also clarified that the committee was set up to consider the options for the house which once served as the late Lee’s residence.
“These included looking into various aspects, including the historical and heritage significance of the House, as well as to consider Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s thinking and wishes in relation to the House.”
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PM Lee not involved in ministerial committee discussions on Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road house
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has not been involved in discussions by an internal ministerial committee set up by the Cabinet concerning the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s home at 38 Oxley Road, Cabinet Secretary Tan Kee Yong said on Wed (Jun 14).
The committee was set up to consider the options for the house & the implications of those options, he said in a statement. These included looking into various aspects including the historical and heritage significance of the house as well as to consider Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s thinking & wishes in relation to the house.
Mr Tan said as part of the committee’s work, it sought the views of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s children, Prime Minister Lee, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang to ask if they wished to say anything about the late Mr Lee’s thinking in respect of the Oxley Road home, beyond what has already been stated in public.
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Ministerial committee studying options for Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Oxley house
The future of the house at the centre of a dispute between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong & his siblings is being studied by a ministerial committee.
The existence of the committee was disclosed yesterday by Mr Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling, the PM's younger siblings.
In a Facebook statement, both said they were told by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong last July that "a ministerial committee had been set up to consider options with respect to 38, Oxley Road & their implications".
PM Lee saddened by siblings' allegations
Lee Hsien Yang says he feels compelled to leave Singapore
No political ambitions for my son, says PM Lee
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Lee Wei Ling 11 hrs
I am out of Singapore, with erratic and slow internet connection. The article that appeared in the Singapore press gave PM's version of the story. Our letter was carefully vetted by our lawyers and obviously not in my own voice.
My American friend who is the tour leader of my Scottish island holiday thought it a family quarrel. If it were merely a family affair, we would not have taken it public. The main message is not Hsien Yang & I fearing what PM will do to us. The most important point I want to put across is if PM can misuse his official power to abuse his siblings who can fight back, what else can he do to ordinary citizens. But our lawyer edited that main message out, and as Hsien Yang got most of the bullying, he could not help but allow his emotion to be expressed in the press statement. That is what led my American friend to conclude that it is a family quarrel.
38 Oxley Road was bought by my parents, it is for them to decide what its fate is. My Father had told us, his children, repeatedly, that being family property, there is no need to donate to charity if Oxley were sold. Hsien Loong, as a condition for selling the house to Hsien Yang, and in his attempt to punish Hsien Yang for blocking what he wants to do with the house, stipulated that in addition to paying Hsien Loong the market value of the house, he must also donate 50% of that value to charity. Hsien Loong and Ho Ching are finally showing their true colours. I think these Colours show them unsuitable as PM and most certainly as PM's wife of Singapore.
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Dispute with PM Lee would not have been publicised if it were merely a "family affair": Lee Wei Ling
Dr Lee Wei Ling on Thursday (Jun 15) said she & Mr Lee Hsien Yang would not have issued a public statement if the dispute with their brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, over their late father's house "were merely a family affair".
In a FaceBook post, Dr Lee said the main message of their 6-page statement released on Wednesday was not that the siblings feared what PM Lee would do to them.
Rather, she alleged that PM Lee's "misuse (of) his official power" against his siblings in relation to the house at 38, Oxley Road suggests he could do the same to ordinary citizens. She added that their lawyer edited this message out of the statement.
related:
No political ambitions for my son, says PM Lee
PM Lee saddened by siblings' allegations
Lee Suet Fern says she & husband Lee Hsien Yang are 'preparing to leave S'pore'
Home of former PM Lee Kuan Yew at 38 Oxley Road at centre of dispute
Ministerial committee studying options for Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Oxley Road house
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Lee Wei Ling Writes New Facebook Posts Clarifying The Reason For Going Public
The Lee family dispute has received widespread international coverage from CNN to the BBC. Back home, coverage by our mainstream media has been subdued, devoid of the fanfare even the dreary WP town council sagas attract. Our local mainstream media have sensitively angled this story as a family dispute gone wrong. But it’s nowhere as simple as that.
Mainstream media has failed to address serious allegations Lee Wei Ling has made about PM Lee, and the muted coverage may have triggered her to release two new statements on Facebook.
So let’s look at the core issue and no, you don’t have to wait till tomorrow morning to read a sanitised version of it. These international publications get to the main issue straightaway in the first paragraphs of their coverage.
related: serious allegations Lee Wei Ling has made about PM Lee
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Lee Weiling out of Singapore, calls current PM unsuitable with his misuse of official power
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang who are the younger children of Singapore’s founding prime minister, issued a harsh statement on Wednesday morning to criticise their brother, Lee Hsien Loong who is the current Prime Minister of Singapore, saying that they are disturbed by the character, conduct, motives and leadership of PM Lee, and the role of his wife, Ho Ching.
Dr Lee states in her Facebook post that the article that was published by the press only gave the Prime Minister's version of the story, which led to the public thinking that it is merely a family affair.
She wrote, "If it were merely a family affair, we would not have taken it public."
related:
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Familee Feud: Three observations
Ah, the Familee feud rages on. I’d thought that last year’s episode was the end of it. Turned out, the Lee siblings – Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling – had something else in store for Lee Hsien Loong.
What the three Lees had said so far, as well as Mdm Lim Suet Fern (Lee Hsien Yang’s wife), have been widely covered by both the mainstream and alternative media sites. Here’s my three points on this saga:
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Lee family feud in SingaporeFamilee Feud: Three observations
Ah, the Familee feud rages on. I’d thought that last year’s episode was the end of it. Turned out, the Lee siblings – Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling – had something else in store for Lee Hsien Loong.
What the three Lees had said so far, as well as Mdm Lim Suet Fern (Lee Hsien Yang’s wife), have been widely covered by both the mainstream and alternative media sites. Here’s my three points on this saga:
- It’s about the House, and perhaps something more?
- Persecution, really?
- It is a family issue, so keep it that way.
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Singaporeans awoke on Wednesday morning to the latest and most public installment of a family feud between the children of the island state’s national founder and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away in 2015.
In a long public statement entitled “What Has Happened to Lee Kuan Yew’s Values?”, uploaded to Google Drive and posted on their Facebook pages, Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang said that they had lost trust and confidence in their brother – Singapore’s current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – and accused him of misusing his power and position “to drive his personal agenda.”
“We feel big brother omnipresent. We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern,” they wrote, revealing that Lee Hsien Yang has since decided to leave the country.
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Not just a famiLEE affair
WHAT did Singapore wake up to this morning? The tremors that have been reverberating for several months have become a political earthquake, which started while we were sleeping.
There is now clearly an open rupture in the Lee family, with the two younger siblings taking issue with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (PM Lee) and his wife, Ms Ho Ching. Their denunciations could not have been made plainer, and go way beyond Dr Lee Wei Ling’s earlier description of their eldest brother as a dishonourable man who wouldn’t do right by their late father.
It is no longer about whether PM Lee intervened over the publication of Dr Lee’s columns in The Straits Times or whether an unnamed family member was right to hand over some documents from the family house to the G. As for the contentious Oxley Road house itself, it appears from the statement made by Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee that the issue of whether to preserve or demolish the home they grew up in hasn’t been settled.
related:
Third generation Lee weighs in
“We do not trust LHL as a brother or as a leader. We have lost confidence in him.”
Mystery deepens over secret tapes of Lee Kuan Yew
Time for the famiLEE to end the public spectacle
Dr Lee Wei Ling gagged?
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PM Lee’s claim is a ‘lie’ says Hsien Yang
PM Lee also said in his first response that he will consider the matter further after he returns to Singapore this weekend. It is unclear if he would sue his siblings for defaming him.
This is not the first time PM Lee’s siblings challenged him. In April last year, Dr Lee Wei Ling called her elder brother a “dishonorable son” and alleged that he abused his power. PM Lee dismissed her allegations as being “completely untrue”, but he did not sue for defamation.
In 1999, Asiaweek in publishing an interview with Singapore’s former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, quoted him saying why it was important for Cabinet Ministers to sue those that defamed them, and that those that don’t sue must leave the Cabinet.
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What about those who say you use the judiciary to silence critics?
"That's nonsense. What are these critics? There are many critics of the PAP in Singapore. They are not all hauled up before the judiciary. Political opponents, so long as they keep within the law, don't need safeguards. They do not have to appear before the judiciary. But if they've defamed us, we have to sue them -- because if we don't, our own integrity will be suspect. We have an understanding that if a minister is defamed and he does not sue, he must leave cabinet. By defamation, I mean if somebody says the minister is on the take or is less than honest. If he does not rebut it, if he does not dare go before the court to be interrogated by the counsel for the other side, there must be some truth in it. If there is no evidence, well, why are you not suing?"
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Minister K Shanmugam Sc:Criticise a minister but don't sling mud
"If you make a personal allegation of fact, if you say I took money, I am corrupt, I will then sue you and ask you to prove it. But if you say I am a stupid fool who doesn't know what I'm talking about, and the Government comprises ministers who don't know what they're talking about and you criticise every policy of the Government, no one can sue you," he said.
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Lee Hsien Yang 8 hrs
A public statement by Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang: We have no confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and are worried about Singapore's future.
A full statement is here: https://goo.gl/G71SrX
A summary is here: https://goo.gl/hSaj3K
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Lee Wei Ling 8 hrs
A public statement by Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang: We have no confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and are worried about Singapore's future.
A full statement is here: https://goo.gl/G71SrX
A summary is here: https://goo.gl/hSaj3K
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What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?
Full Statement: here
12 separate mentions of Ho Ching as a player in the public statement
Singapore has no such thing as the wife of the prime minister being "a first lady." Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990. During those many years, his wife (our mother) consistently avoided the limelight, remaining his stalwart supporter and advisor in private.
She lived discreetly and set a high bar for the conduct of a prime minister’s wife. She would never instruct Permanent Secretaries or senior civil servants. The contrast between her and Ho Ching could not be more stark.
While Ho Ching holds no elected or official position in government, her influence is pervasive and extends well beyond her job purview [as the long-time CEO and Director of Temasek Holdings, one of Singapore’s two sovereign wealth funds].
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Lee Hsien Loong 2 hrs
I am very disappointed that my siblings have chosen to issue a statement publicising private family matters. I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.
While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father’s passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents. My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy. I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society.
As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend. - LHL
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PM Lee, Ho Ching deny Lee siblings’ allegations, say they hurt Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has denied allegations by his siblings, adding that the statement hurt their father Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy.
In a one-page reply to the siblings’ 6-page statement issued on Wed (Jun 16), Mr Lee & Madam Ho Ching expressed disappointment at Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s statement publicising “private family matters”.
Mr Lee said: “Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.”
related: Siblings of PM Lee said they felt 'threatened' over fate of Oxley Road home; PM Lee, Ho Ching deny allegations
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PM Lee denies claims made by siblings
“Ho Ching & I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son,” Mr Lee Hsien Loong said, in response to the public statement issued by Mr Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday (Jun 14) denied the allegations made by his siblings – Mr Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling – and said he was “very disappointed” that they chose to issue a statement publicising private family matters.
“I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching & I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son,” PM Lee said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The siblings of PM Lee had earlier on Wednesday issued a public statement saying they have “lost confidence” in their brother & that they “do not trust him”. They also said, based on their interactions, that PM Lee and his wife “harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi”.
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Siblings of PM Lee said they felt 'threatened' over fate of Oxley Road home, Hsien Yang to leave Singapore
In a 6-page statement, the siblings of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have alleged that they felt "threatened" in their attempt to carry out their late father's wish to demolish the family home on 38 Oxley Road - to the extent that one of them is leaving Singapore "for the foreseeable future".
Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang also said they no longer trusted their elder brother & have lost confidence in him as a leader.
"We feel extremely sad that we are pushed to this position," Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang said in a joint statement posted on their Facebook accounts at 2.20am on Wednesday (Jun 14), where they expressed fears that the "organs of state" might be used against them and the wife of the younger Mr Lee, Ms Lim Suet Fern.
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Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Wei Ling say they have 'no confidence' in Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong
The siblings of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have issued a statement of “no confidence” against their brother, saying that they felt threatened by his pursuit of a personal agenda in matters relating to their father’s home on 38 Oxley Road.
Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, the second son and daughter, respectively, of Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew, made the open statement through their Facebook accounts in the early hours of Wednesday (14 June).
“This is the country that my father, Lee Kuan Yew, loved and built. It has been home for my entire life. Singapore is and remains my country. I have no desire to leave. Hsien Loong is the only reason for my departure,” the statement quoted Lee Hsien Yang.
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Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang wrote a public letter about PM Lee at 2am
Both of them do not represent anyone but themselves. They do not talk on behalf of Singaporeans or the establishment.
As the son and daughter of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, they are dignitaries (of sorts) and knew their words carry weight.
What could possibly be their motive for publishing something like this 2am in the morning, literally under the cover of darkness, when PM Lee is not even in Singapore?
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Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang
As the son and daughter of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, they are dignitaries (of sorts) and knew their words carry weight.
Are they trying to get Singaporeans on their side for their vested interest? – Is their interest really about getting the house demolished?
Li Shengwu (eldest son of Lee Hsien Yang ) came to the defence of his father.
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Third generation Lee weighs in
SOON after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (PM Lee) two siblings publicly denounced him in a joint statement (read here) in the early hours of Wednesday, his nephew, Mr Li Shengwu wrote a Facebook post supporting the statement against his uncle.
Mr Li Shengwu is Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s first born. He is also the first of the third generation of the Lee family to make a public comment on the matter.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and his wife Mrs Lee Suet Fern, have two other sons: Mr Li Huanwu and Mr Li Shaowu. Mr Lee made the joint statement with his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling. She has no children of her own.
related: “We do not trust Hsien Loong as a brother or as a leader. We have lost confidence in him.”
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Shengwu Li 12 hrs
Twelve hours ago I gave the following statement to AFP: "Not only do I intend never to go into politics, I believe that it would be bad for Singapore if any third-generation Lee went into politics. The country must be bigger than one family."
Today we are going to learn a lot about the country of my birth. We are going to learn whether (as I hope) the ruling party is still full of men and women of quality and strong character, or whether "it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
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Lee Hsien Loong 2 hrs
I am very disappointed that my siblings have chosen to issue a statement publicising private family matters. I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.
While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father’s passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents. My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy. I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society.
As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend. - LHL
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PM Lee, Ho Ching deny Lee siblings’ allegations, say they hurt Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has denied allegations by his siblings, adding that the statement hurt their father Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy.
In a one-page reply to the siblings’ 6-page statement issued on Wed (Jun 16), Mr Lee & Madam Ho Ching expressed disappointment at Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s statement publicising “private family matters”.
Mr Lee said: “Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.”
related: Siblings of PM Lee said they felt 'threatened' over fate of Oxley Road home; PM Lee, Ho Ching deny allegations
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PM Lee denies claims made by siblings
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday (Jun 14) denied the allegations made by his siblings – Mr Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling – and said he was “very disappointed” that they chose to issue a statement publicising private family matters.
“I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching & I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son,” PM Lee said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The siblings of PM Lee had earlier on Wednesday issued a public statement saying they have “lost confidence” in their brother & that they “do not trust him”. They also said, based on their interactions, that PM Lee and his wife “harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi”.
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Siblings of PM Lee said they felt 'threatened' over fate of Oxley Road home, Hsien Yang to leave Singapore
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang. TODAY file photo
In a 6-page statement, the siblings of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have alleged that they felt "threatened" in their attempt to carry out their late father's wish to demolish the family home on 38 Oxley Road - to the extent that one of them is leaving Singapore "for the foreseeable future".
Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang also said they no longer trusted their elder brother & have lost confidence in him as a leader.
"We feel extremely sad that we are pushed to this position," Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang said in a joint statement posted on their Facebook accounts at 2.20am on Wednesday (Jun 14), where they expressed fears that the "organs of state" might be used against them and the wife of the younger Mr Lee, Ms Lim Suet Fern.
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Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Wei Ling say they have 'no confidence' in Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong
In the statement, Lee Hsien Yang said he felt “compelled to leave” Singapore “for the foreseeable future”.
The siblings of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have issued a statement of “no confidence” against their brother, saying that they felt threatened by his pursuit of a personal agenda in matters relating to their father’s home on 38 Oxley Road.
Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, the second son and daughter, respectively, of Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew, made the open statement through their Facebook accounts in the early hours of Wednesday (14 June).
“This is the country that my father, Lee Kuan Yew, loved and built. It has been home for my entire life. Singapore is and remains my country. I have no desire to leave. Hsien Loong is the only reason for my departure,” the statement quoted Lee Hsien Yang.
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Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang wrote a public letter about PM Lee at 2am
Both of them do not represent anyone but themselves. They do not talk on behalf of Singaporeans or the establishment.
As the son and daughter of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, they are dignitaries (of sorts) and knew their words carry weight.
What could possibly be their motive for publishing something like this 2am in the morning, literally under the cover of darkness, when PM Lee is not even in Singapore?
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Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang
Are they trying to get Singaporeans on their side for their vested interest? – Is their interest really about getting the house demolished?
Li Shengwu (eldest son of Lee Hsien Yang ) came to the defence of his father.
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Third generation Lee weighs in
SOON after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (PM Lee) two siblings publicly denounced him in a joint statement (read here) in the early hours of Wednesday, his nephew, Mr Li Shengwu wrote a Facebook post supporting the statement against his uncle.
Mr Li Shengwu is Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s first born. He is also the first of the third generation of the Lee family to make a public comment on the matter.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and his wife Mrs Lee Suet Fern, have two other sons: Mr Li Huanwu and Mr Li Shaowu. Mr Lee made the joint statement with his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling. She has no children of her own.
related: “We do not trust Hsien Loong as a brother or as a leader. We have lost confidence in him.”
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Shengwu Li 12 hrs
Today we are going to learn a lot about the country of my birth. We are going to learn whether (as I hope) the ruling party is still full of men and women of quality and strong character, or whether "it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
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Shengwu Li shared Lee Hsien Yang's post 9 hrs
I generally avoid commenting on Singapore politics, but this is an exception.
In the last few years, my immediate family has become increasingly worried about the lack of checks on abuse of power. The situation is now such that my parents have made plans to relocate to another country, a painful decision that they have not made lightly. The details are below.
read more
Lee Hsien Yang’s son Li Shengwu backs up dad’s and aunt’s statement on PM Lee and Ho Ching
And here’s what he said, in case you can’t see it:
Li posted this at 2:19am on his Facebook page. In response to a friend of his who asked him why it wasn’t out in Singapore’s media yet (we were busy sleeping, for one), he said this
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Lee Hsien Loong’s son has just responded to this whole Lee family saga
One of the assertions made by both Lee Wei Ling, and Lee Hsien Yang was that Lee Hsien Loong was moulding his son to enter politics.
“His popularity is inextricably linked to Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy. His political power is drawn from his being Lee Kuan Yew’s son. We have observed that Hsien Loong and Ho Ching want to milk Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy for their own political purposes. We also believe, based on our interactions, that they harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi.”
Well, the man himself has answered the call for clarity. Here’s what he had to say: “For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics”
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Hongyi Li 5 hrs
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PM Lee’s Son Li Hongyi Announces He Has No Interest In Politics
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang made a lot of allegations in Singapore’s most read PDF of the year. In one of their allegations, they stated:
PM Lee’s second son Li Hongyi finally broke his silence in the Lee family dispute with a status update on his personal Facebook page, posted one hour ago.
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Prime Minister Lee’s siblings denounce him in statement, state misuse of his position and influence over Singapore government
Siblings of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have issued a public statement to express their non confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and wrote that they are worried about Singapore's future in his hands.
The statement that was posted online by Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang who are also the younger children of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew issued a harsh criticism of the current Prime Minister, saying that they are disturbed by the character, conduct, motives and leadership of their brother, Lee Hsien Loong, and the role of his wife, Ho Ching.
Lee Hsieng Yang and his eldest son, Li Shengwu both carried the statement on their Facebook posts as well.
related: Prime Minister Lee disappointed at statement issued by his sibilings
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Lee Hsien Yang: I am threatened by my Prime Minister brother
Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (June 14) issued a public letter expressing his fear of his brother Prime Minister.
In his open letter Lee Hsien Yang said that PM Lee Hsien Loong is abusing his power to make use of the government to persecute against him and his sister Lee Wei Ling.
“Since the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, on 23 March 2015, 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. We are concerned that the system has few checks and balances to prevent the abuse of government.
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SINGAPORE’S FUTURE…WHATEVER IS HAPPENING?
It would also be really interesting to see how the mainstream media reports this. Or perhaps, disturbing. And it will be really insightful to see how PM Lee’s Public Relations Team pens a response to this. Come to think about it, this situation is not a good position for any Public Figure to be in.
On the one hand, it is not wise to sue your (high-profile) family members for defamation, as the Singaporean public would tend to see this act as “being heartless”. Because why would you sue your kin, instead of being more magnanimous and forgiving? On the other hand, if the Public Figure doesn’t sue, his good name will be questioned. And people will also question the consistency in his decision– Did PM Lee not sue Roy Ngerng to protect his good name, even though some have criticized the act as petty? Shouldn’t PM Lee’s good name be protected at all costs “for the sake of Singapore”?
So one possible logical way out is to pepper the PR response with terms like “It is with great disappointment that I have to make this statement…”, “with great grief”, “regretful”, “would be happy to start a ‘constructive dialogue’ “, etc.
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WAS ST WAITING FOR ORDERS FROM UPSTAIRS BEFORE PUBLISHING LEE FAMILY SAGA?
What took the Straits Times so long to report the breaking news that is the saga of the Lee Family? The first statements from the Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang both came out on their Facebook pages at about 2:12am this morning.
In a possibly coordinated move, Lee Hsien Yang's eldest son, Li Shengwu, posted on his Facebook page his father's statement at 2:19am.
Surely more than enough time for the MSM to react to this news? It is but the biggest news event in Singapore this morning! The Straits Times first reported this at 8:45am
related: DEAR LEE HSIEN YANG DON'T LEAVE S'PORE, BE A PATRIOT & JOIN THE OPPOSITION TO DEFEAT THE PAP GOVT
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Public statement by Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang
We have no confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and are worried about Singapore's future. Either way, this is not good news.
If true:
Govt rebuts Lawyer's comments on QFLP scheme
The Law Ministry has rebutted comments by a prominent S'pore lawyer who said a scheme unveiled in 2008 to open up the local legal sector to foreign law firms has not benefited local lawyers enough.
The ministry was responding to comments on Internationalisation by Mrs Lee Suet Fern, managing partner of Morgan Lewis Stamford, at a lecture organised by the Law Society last month.
Mrs Lee had cited the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) scheme, which allows foreign law firms to practise in permitted areas of local law through S'pore qualified lawyers.
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38 Oxley Road
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House at Heart of Singapore's Lee Family Feud Has No Foundations, Cracks in Walls
In property-obsessed Singapore, the future and value of one house has gripped the nation due to an extraordinary feud between the children of the island state's founding father
Lee Kuan Yew died in 2015, but a bitter row over his will, specifically what to do with the old family home, broke into full public view this week, prompting the eldest son, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to issue a statement saying he was "disappointed" and "deeply saddened".
Lee Kuan Yew moved into the five-bedroom house, formerly owned by a Jewish merchant, in 1945, as the Japanese Occupation ended and the island returned to British colonial rule. Over the next decade 38 Oxley Road became a hub of political activity, and it was in the basement that the People's Action Party, which has led Singapore since independence, was conceived.
Four years before he died, LKY, as he was popularly known, said the bungalow should be demolished once he'd gone. He said it lacked foundations, suffered from damp, had cracks in the walls and was costly to maintain. "But fortunately the pillars are sound," he joked to the Singapore Straits Times.
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Timeline
• 2010-2011: Mr Lee Kuan Yew writes formally to the Cabinet twice to put his wishes to demolish his house at 38, Oxley Road on record.
• December 2011: Mr Lee is invited to a special Cabinet meeting to discuss his house. After the meeting, he writes a letter to the Cabinet in which he acknowledges their unanimous view that his house should not be demolished.
• Dec 17, 2013: The date of Mr Lee's last will.
• March 23, 2015: Mr Lee dies.
• April 12, 2015: Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang issue a public statement which outlines their father's wishes on demolishing the house, and ask Singaporeans to respect his wishes.
• April 13, 2015: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tells Parliament a decision on the fate of the house is not required yet as his sister will continue to live there. He adds that as a son, he would like to see his father's wishes carried out, but it will be up to the government of the day to consider the matter.
• Dec 4, 2015: The three siblings issue a joint statement announcing that PM Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have each agreed to donate half the value of the house to eight charities. The statement also says PM Lee has recused himself from all government decisions involving the house.
• June 14, 2017: Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang issue a statement saying, among other things, that they have lost confidence in PM Lee. In response, PM Lee denies their allegations, and says his siblings' statement has hurt their father's legacy. Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang also say in the statement that they were informed about a ministerial committee set up to consider options for the house in July 2016
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FamiLEE saga: 10 things from the academic paper “When I’m dead, demolish it”
IS 38 Oxley road just a private residence or something more? Many people, including the G, think there is more to the house than just the place where the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew lived.
But many of us, it seems, are late in realising the significance of the house. Last year a thesis paper written by a then-graduate student at Columbia University, Ms Cherie-Nicole Leo, looked into the importance of the house and what it means for Singapore. We found this thesis publicly available online and thought that it was worth summarising. Here are 10 things we learnt.
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“When I’m Dead, Demolish It”: Contradictions and Compromises in Preserving Values at Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road Home
Since the death of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, on March 23, 2015, the fate of his house at 38 Oxley Road remains in question. In spite of its association to this seminal political leader and the fact that historic meetings that led to Singapore’s independence from British rule in 1959 were held in its basement dining room, heritage authorities and the Singaporean public are faced with a dilemma because Lee Kuan Yew had, on multiple occasions, expressed his wish to have the more-than-a-century-old colonial bungalow demolished after his passing and he had included this wish in his last will and testament.
This thesis uses the ongoing debate surrounding 38 Oxley Road as a case study. It aims to address how decision-makers in the heritage conservation field might more effectively negotiate the multiplicity of competing values ascribed to heritage sites in working toward a future common good. Through a discourse analysis, the thesis examines how a values-based approach to heritage conservation can serve as a basis for exploring more robust tools for decision-making through the adoption of a more future-looking, scenario-focused framework. In this way, heritage decision-makers are challenged to look beyond some of the field’s traditional paradigms, as reflective of the broad shift from more expert-driven materials-based approaches to more participatory and contextually aware values-based approaches. In line with a values-based approach that posits that the goal of heritage conservation is to preserve significance and not material for its own sake, this thesis shows how an assessment and prioritization of the broad range of values ascribed to a heritage site can expand the range of potential outcomes that may effectively transfer those values to future generations.
Acknowledging and understanding this spectrum of possible outcomes and evaluating their trade-offs can help to enhance the field’s capacity to creatively work out contradictions and reach compromises in its decisions. In doing so, heritage decision-makers can more effectively engage in dialogue with related planning and policy fields as they work toward shaping the collective future.
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Lee Hsien Yang Yesterday at 14:51
DPM Teo Chee Hean tells us that there was "nothing secret" about this committee. We recommend that he look up the definition of "secret" in a dictionary.
#respectLKY
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The Lees of Singapore
It is no secret that a dynasty has emerged as the ruling force in Singapore. The Lee family (of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) is referred to as ‘the first family’ as a matter of routine in private conversation, though not usually in public. Power has already passed from father to son and now there is a generation of high-flying grandsons in the wings.
This article traces the establishment and consolidation of the Lee dynasty from the point in the early 1980s when Lee Kuan Yew emerged as the centre of all the significant power networks in Singapore, through to the consolidation of power in the hands of his son, Lee Hsien Loong, in 2011. In the process of doing this, it argues that despite official rhetoric that says that the country runs on the talent of the best and most talented men and women in the country, and the closely related myth that professionalism provides the basis of governance, the reality is that of rule by a family-based clique of confidantes and relatives.
There is a strong element of reality to both myths, but both elements are ultimately subordinated to and in the service of the forces of consanguineous and personal networks.
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Financial Times most read letter: the Lee’s banana republic?
In a letter, the most read Friday 23rd in the Financial Times, one Frankie Leung from Los Angeles, CA, USA said the Lee family’s feud could not happen in Singapore as it sounded like a ‘banana republic’ saga.
“When the story broke that the prime minister’s younger brother and his wife had to flee the country to avoid political persecution, we thought it could only happen in a banana republic and not the Republic of Singapore,” the letter said.
He also wrote that When the Old Man (as Singapore’s late premier Lee Kuan Yew was fondly called) talked so eloquently about Asian values and propounded his interpretation of a brand of Confucianism, I had to bite my lip to stop laughing.
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LKY poked his nose into the business of others
Some Singaporeans posted responses to the prime minister’s statement on Facebook, urging him to sue his siblings for libel. Lee Hsien Yang says he is ready to face a lawsuit. He says the purpose of his statement was to make it harder to thwart his father’s wishes. But Lee Hsien Loong says it is his siblings’ airing of the family dispute that “has hurt our father’s legacy”.
In my view, what the dispute really hurts is his father’s sanctimony. He does not look holier than other people now. LKY poked his nose into the business of others, and tried to tell them what to do. He made it official policy for Singapore to sue opposition politicians and journalists who criticized him and his government with expensive lawsuits in his homecourt, in order to drive them to bankruptcy or to submission.
If Lee Hsien Loong sues his siblings to accomplish the same objective, he will drive Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy to disrepute and ridicule.
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Lee Hsien Loong 4 December 2015
My siblings, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and I have issued the following joint statement:
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Half the value of Oxley Road house to be donated to charity
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said on Facebook that he and his two other siblings Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling would like to respect their father’s final wishes to demolish the Oxley Rd house.
Singapore’s founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away on 23 March this year. The outpouring of grief by the young and old alike in Singapore was followed by calls to preserve the Oxley Road house which he lived in.
However, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew was always adamant about having the house demolished after his passing and should his daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling no longer lived in it. Mr Lee Kuan Yew wrote this in his will:
Lee Kuan Yew’s family to donate the value of Oxley Rd house to charity
PM Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Lee Hsien Yang & Dr Lee Wei Ling reiterate their request that Singaporeans respect the wishes of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away in March
"To honour the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong & Mr Lee Hsien Yang have each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to the charities named in the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's obituary notice," wrote PM Lee. "Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang would like to honour the wish of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished after Dr Lee Wei Ling ceases to live in it.
"Mr Lee Hsien Loong has recused himself from all government decisions involving 38 Oxley Road and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured."
"Speaking as the children of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang hope the government will allow the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's wish for the demolition of the house to be honoured & that all Singaporeans will support their cause."
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Lee Kuan Yew turning in his grave
A Filipino columnist for the Manila Times wrote that Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), the redoubtable Singaporean leader who had a penchant to hector other leaders and lecture the West about Asian values, must be turning in his grave.
He said while his – that is LKY – country is still up in the charts for sheer performance, the family he has left behind is being torn apart by a family feud. “His political dynasty may not be as cohesive or admirable as everyone supposed. “In my view, what the dispute really hurts is his father’s sanctimony. He does not look holier than other people now,” he wrote.
He said LKY poked his nose into the business of others, and tried to tell them what to do.
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related:
The famiLEE tree
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee "I'm not sure that it is solved"
The famiLEE feud: AGC to start legal action on Li Shengwu for contempt
The famiLEE feud: AGC looking into FB post by Lee Hsien Yang's son
The famiLEE feud: Protest at Hong Lim Park
The famiLEE feud: Demolish the house, end the saga, let's move on
The famiLEE feud: LWL, LHY to stop presenting online evidence
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang responds to Parliament Hearing
The famiLEE feud: Parliamentary Hearing on Oxley's Dispute
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee Hsien Loong's Ministerial Statement
The famiLEE feud: Why LHY is speaking up
The famiLEE feud: July 3 Parliament session a cover-up & whitewash?
The famiLEE feud: Not another minister on the Will again!
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang & his wife in Hong Kong
The famiLEE feud: Rise of the 'First Lady'
The famiLEE feud: Govt 'Poking Nose' into Oxley's fate
The famiLEE feud: Will House Debate clear the air?
The famiLEE feud: PM apologises for family feud
The famiLEE feud: Singaporeans sick & tired of endless Oxley Rd allegations
The famiLEE feud: "Past three days"
The famiLEE feud: "Will of Wills"
I generally avoid commenting on Singapore politics, but this is an exception.
In the last few years, my immediate family has become increasingly worried about the lack of checks on abuse of power. The situation is now such that my parents have made plans to relocate to another country, a painful decision that they have not made lightly. The details are below.
read more
Lee Hsien Yang’s son Li Shengwu backs up dad’s and aunt’s statement on PM Lee and Ho Ching
And here’s what he said, in case you can’t see it:
“I generally avoid commenting on Singapore politics, but this is an exception. In the last few years, my immediate family has become increasingly worried about the lack of checks on abuse of power. The situation is now such that my parents have made plans to relocate to another country, a painful decision that they have not made lightly. The details are below.”It’s fascinating that Li also finds it necessary to speak up about this — when the essence of his dad and aunt’s statement appears to chiefly centre on the demolition of the late Lee’s house on 38, Oxley Road.
Li posted this at 2:19am on his Facebook page. In response to a friend of his who asked him why it wasn’t out in Singapore’s media yet (we were busy sleeping, for one), he said this
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Lee Hsien Loong’s son has just responded to this whole Lee family saga
One of the assertions made by both Lee Wei Ling, and Lee Hsien Yang was that Lee Hsien Loong was moulding his son to enter politics.
“His popularity is inextricably linked to Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy. His political power is drawn from his being Lee Kuan Yew’s son. We have observed that Hsien Loong and Ho Ching want to milk Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy for their own political purposes. We also believe, based on our interactions, that they harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi.”
Well, the man himself has answered the call for clarity. Here’s what he had to say: “For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics”
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Hongyi Li 5 hrs
“For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics”
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PM Lee’s Son Li Hongyi Announces He Has No Interest In Politics
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang made a lot of allegations in Singapore’s most read PDF of the year. In one of their allegations, they stated:
“We also believe, based on our interactions, that they (PM Lee and Ho Ching) harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi.”While we lack the knowledge to comment on most of the allegations, this one seemed off to us. Because we ran a story last year on Li Hongyi which included PM Lee’s remarks of how his children were not interested in joining politics.
PM Lee’s second son Li Hongyi finally broke his silence in the Lee family dispute with a status update on his personal Facebook page, posted one hour ago.
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Prime Minister Lee’s siblings denounce him in statement, state misuse of his position and influence over Singapore government
Siblings of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have issued a public statement to express their non confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and wrote that they are worried about Singapore's future in his hands.
The statement that was posted online by Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang who are also the younger children of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew issued a harsh criticism of the current Prime Minister, saying that they are disturbed by the character, conduct, motives and leadership of their brother, Lee Hsien Loong, and the role of his wife, Ho Ching.
Lee Hsieng Yang and his eldest son, Li Shengwu both carried the statement on their Facebook posts as well.
related: Prime Minister Lee disappointed at statement issued by his sibilings
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Lee Hsien Yang: I am threatened by my Prime Minister brother
Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (June 14) issued a public letter expressing his fear of his brother Prime Minister.
In his open letter Lee Hsien Yang said that PM Lee Hsien Loong is abusing his power to make use of the government to persecute against him and his sister Lee Wei Ling.
“Since the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, on 23 March 2015, 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. We are concerned that the system has few checks and balances to prevent the abuse of government.
read more
SINGAPORE’S FUTURE…WHATEVER IS HAPPENING?
It would also be really interesting to see how the mainstream media reports this. Or perhaps, disturbing. And it will be really insightful to see how PM Lee’s Public Relations Team pens a response to this. Come to think about it, this situation is not a good position for any Public Figure to be in.
On the one hand, it is not wise to sue your (high-profile) family members for defamation, as the Singaporean public would tend to see this act as “being heartless”. Because why would you sue your kin, instead of being more magnanimous and forgiving? On the other hand, if the Public Figure doesn’t sue, his good name will be questioned. And people will also question the consistency in his decision– Did PM Lee not sue Roy Ngerng to protect his good name, even though some have criticized the act as petty? Shouldn’t PM Lee’s good name be protected at all costs “for the sake of Singapore”?
So one possible logical way out is to pepper the PR response with terms like “It is with great disappointment that I have to make this statement…”, “with great grief”, “regretful”, “would be happy to start a ‘constructive dialogue’ “, etc.
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WAS ST WAITING FOR ORDERS FROM UPSTAIRS BEFORE PUBLISHING LEE FAMILY SAGA?
What took the Straits Times so long to report the breaking news that is the saga of the Lee Family? The first statements from the Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang both came out on their Facebook pages at about 2:12am this morning.
In a possibly coordinated move, Lee Hsien Yang's eldest son, Li Shengwu, posted on his Facebook page his father's statement at 2:19am.
Surely more than enough time for the MSM to react to this news? It is but the biggest news event in Singapore this morning! The Straits Times first reported this at 8:45am
related: DEAR LEE HSIEN YANG DON'T LEAVE S'PORE, BE A PATRIOT & JOIN THE OPPOSITION TO DEFEAT THE PAP GOVT
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Public statement by Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang
We have no confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and are worried about Singapore's future. Either way, this is not good news.
If true:
- we have a power abuse issue
- its being trashed out very publicly (meaning it will be a very emotive issue one way or another)
- it throws into doubt one of the core tenets of our government (trading off liberties for steadfastness and stern-father governance)
- it is a very he said - she said case, as we don't generally trust our state media nor our alternative ones
- we cannot verify even if it is untrue
- it is going to throw a lot of doubt on our government
- it's a huge blow to our reputation of having our shit together
Govt rebuts Lawyer's comments on QFLP scheme
Mrs Lee cited figures on the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice scheme, and wondered if the outcome was good enough
The Law Ministry has rebutted comments by a prominent S'pore lawyer who said a scheme unveiled in 2008 to open up the local legal sector to foreign law firms has not benefited local lawyers enough.
The ministry was responding to comments on Internationalisation by Mrs Lee Suet Fern, managing partner of Morgan Lewis Stamford, at a lecture organised by the Law Society last month.
Mrs Lee had cited the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice (QFLP) scheme, which allows foreign law firms to practise in permitted areas of local law through S'pore qualified lawyers.
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38 Oxley Road
House at Heart of Singapore's Lee Family Feud Has No Foundations, Cracks in Walls
Lee Kuan Yew died in 2015, but a bitter row over his will, specifically what to do with the old family home, broke into full public view this week, prompting the eldest son, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to issue a statement saying he was "disappointed" and "deeply saddened".
Lee Kuan Yew moved into the five-bedroom house, formerly owned by a Jewish merchant, in 1945, as the Japanese Occupation ended and the island returned to British colonial rule. Over the next decade 38 Oxley Road became a hub of political activity, and it was in the basement that the People's Action Party, which has led Singapore since independence, was conceived.
Four years before he died, LKY, as he was popularly known, said the bungalow should be demolished once he'd gone. He said it lacked foundations, suffered from damp, had cracks in the walls and was costly to maintain. "But fortunately the pillars are sound," he joked to the Singapore Straits Times.
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Timeline
• 2010-2011: Mr Lee Kuan Yew writes formally to the Cabinet twice to put his wishes to demolish his house at 38, Oxley Road on record.
• December 2011: Mr Lee is invited to a special Cabinet meeting to discuss his house. After the meeting, he writes a letter to the Cabinet in which he acknowledges their unanimous view that his house should not be demolished.
• Dec 17, 2013: The date of Mr Lee's last will.
• March 23, 2015: Mr Lee dies.
• April 12, 2015: Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang issue a public statement which outlines their father's wishes on demolishing the house, and ask Singaporeans to respect his wishes.
• April 13, 2015: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tells Parliament a decision on the fate of the house is not required yet as his sister will continue to live there. He adds that as a son, he would like to see his father's wishes carried out, but it will be up to the government of the day to consider the matter.
• Dec 4, 2015: The three siblings issue a joint statement announcing that PM Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have each agreed to donate half the value of the house to eight charities. The statement also says PM Lee has recused himself from all government decisions involving the house.
• June 14, 2017: Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang issue a statement saying, among other things, that they have lost confidence in PM Lee. In response, PM Lee denies their allegations, and says his siblings' statement has hurt their father's legacy. Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang also say in the statement that they were informed about a ministerial committee set up to consider options for the house in July 2016
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FamiLEE saga: 10 things from the academic paper “When I’m dead, demolish it”
IS 38 Oxley road just a private residence or something more? Many people, including the G, think there is more to the house than just the place where the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew lived.
But many of us, it seems, are late in realising the significance of the house. Last year a thesis paper written by a then-graduate student at Columbia University, Ms Cherie-Nicole Leo, looked into the importance of the house and what it means for Singapore. We found this thesis publicly available online and thought that it was worth summarising. Here are 10 things we learnt.
- The house isn’t just about Mr Lee Kuan Yew. It’s about colonial history and the foundation of his party.
- It’s also a key narrative in PM Lee’s upbringing and political career
- Mr Lee Kuan Yew has publicly expressed hopes for the demolition since 2011
- There are competing “values” in deciding whether to preserve the house
- Taken at face value, LKY’s Will may seem incongruous with the principles that he himself espoused
- But upon closer look, his Will – while personal in nature – might not have been self-serving, as it was aimed at serving the collective national interest
- There are indications he may have been open to a “surrogate” memorial
- The outcome of reconciling the competing values has been falsely framed as a demolish vs. preserve dichotomy
- A possible outcome – and the most effective in reconciling competing values – is the middle way of redevelopment with some form of preservation
- Such a compromise had been suggested before – reproduced here
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“When I’m Dead, Demolish It”: Contradictions and Compromises in Preserving Values at Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road Home
Since the death of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, on March 23, 2015, the fate of his house at 38 Oxley Road remains in question. In spite of its association to this seminal political leader and the fact that historic meetings that led to Singapore’s independence from British rule in 1959 were held in its basement dining room, heritage authorities and the Singaporean public are faced with a dilemma because Lee Kuan Yew had, on multiple occasions, expressed his wish to have the more-than-a-century-old colonial bungalow demolished after his passing and he had included this wish in his last will and testament.
This thesis uses the ongoing debate surrounding 38 Oxley Road as a case study. It aims to address how decision-makers in the heritage conservation field might more effectively negotiate the multiplicity of competing values ascribed to heritage sites in working toward a future common good. Through a discourse analysis, the thesis examines how a values-based approach to heritage conservation can serve as a basis for exploring more robust tools for decision-making through the adoption of a more future-looking, scenario-focused framework. In this way, heritage decision-makers are challenged to look beyond some of the field’s traditional paradigms, as reflective of the broad shift from more expert-driven materials-based approaches to more participatory and contextually aware values-based approaches. In line with a values-based approach that posits that the goal of heritage conservation is to preserve significance and not material for its own sake, this thesis shows how an assessment and prioritization of the broad range of values ascribed to a heritage site can expand the range of potential outcomes that may effectively transfer those values to future generations.
Acknowledging and understanding this spectrum of possible outcomes and evaluating their trade-offs can help to enhance the field’s capacity to creatively work out contradictions and reach compromises in its decisions. In doing so, heritage decision-makers can more effectively engage in dialogue with related planning and policy fields as they work toward shaping the collective future.
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Lee Hsien Yang Yesterday at 14:51
DPM Teo Chee Hean tells us that there was "nothing secret" about this committee. We recommend that he look up the definition of "secret" in a dictionary.
#respectLKY
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The Lees of Singapore
It is no secret that a dynasty has emerged as the ruling force in Singapore. The Lee family (of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong) is referred to as ‘the first family’ as a matter of routine in private conversation, though not usually in public. Power has already passed from father to son and now there is a generation of high-flying grandsons in the wings.
This article traces the establishment and consolidation of the Lee dynasty from the point in the early 1980s when Lee Kuan Yew emerged as the centre of all the significant power networks in Singapore, through to the consolidation of power in the hands of his son, Lee Hsien Loong, in 2011. In the process of doing this, it argues that despite official rhetoric that says that the country runs on the talent of the best and most talented men and women in the country, and the closely related myth that professionalism provides the basis of governance, the reality is that of rule by a family-based clique of confidantes and relatives.
There is a strong element of reality to both myths, but both elements are ultimately subordinated to and in the service of the forces of consanguineous and personal networks.
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Financial Times most read letter: the Lee’s banana republic?
In a letter, the most read Friday 23rd in the Financial Times, one Frankie Leung from Los Angeles, CA, USA said the Lee family’s feud could not happen in Singapore as it sounded like a ‘banana republic’ saga.
“When the story broke that the prime minister’s younger brother and his wife had to flee the country to avoid political persecution, we thought it could only happen in a banana republic and not the Republic of Singapore,” the letter said.
He also wrote that When the Old Man (as Singapore’s late premier Lee Kuan Yew was fondly called) talked so eloquently about Asian values and propounded his interpretation of a brand of Confucianism, I had to bite my lip to stop laughing.
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LKY poked his nose into the business of others
Some Singaporeans posted responses to the prime minister’s statement on Facebook, urging him to sue his siblings for libel. Lee Hsien Yang says he is ready to face a lawsuit. He says the purpose of his statement was to make it harder to thwart his father’s wishes. But Lee Hsien Loong says it is his siblings’ airing of the family dispute that “has hurt our father’s legacy”.
In my view, what the dispute really hurts is his father’s sanctimony. He does not look holier than other people now. LKY poked his nose into the business of others, and tried to tell them what to do. He made it official policy for Singapore to sue opposition politicians and journalists who criticized him and his government with expensive lawsuits in his homecourt, in order to drive them to bankruptcy or to submission.
If Lee Hsien Loong sues his siblings to accomplish the same objective, he will drive Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy to disrepute and ridicule.
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My siblings, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and I have issued the following joint statement:
- "To honour the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and Mr Lee Hsien Yang have each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to the charities named in the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's obituary notice.
- Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang would like to honour the wish of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished after Dr Lee Wei Ling ceases to live in it.
- Mr Lee Hsien Loong has recused himself from all government decisions involving 38 Oxley Road and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured.
- Speaking as the children of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang hope the government will allow the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's wish for the demolition of the house to be honoured and that all Singaporeans will support their cause."
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Half the value of Oxley Road house to be donated to charity
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said on Facebook that he and his two other siblings Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling would like to respect their father’s final wishes to demolish the Oxley Rd house.
Singapore’s founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away on 23 March this year. The outpouring of grief by the young and old alike in Singapore was followed by calls to preserve the Oxley Road house which he lived in.
However, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew was always adamant about having the house demolished after his passing and should his daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling no longer lived in it. Mr Lee Kuan Yew wrote this in his will:
"I further declare that it is my wish, and the wish of my late wife, KWA GEOK CHOO, that our house at 38 Oxley Road, Singapore 238629 (‘the House’) be demolished immediately after my death or, if my daughter, Wei Ling, would prefer to continue living in the original house, immediately after she moves out of the House. I would ask each of my children to ensure our wishes with respect to the demolition of the House be carried out. If our children are unable to demolish the House as a result of any changes in the law, rules or regulations binding them, it is my wish that the House never be opened to others except my children, their families and descendants. My view on this has been made public before and remains unchanged. My statement of wishes in this paragraph 7 may be publicly disclosed notwithstanding that the rest of my Will is private."read more
Lee Kuan Yew’s family to donate the value of Oxley Rd house to charity
"To honour the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong & Mr Lee Hsien Yang have each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to the charities named in the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's obituary notice," wrote PM Lee. "Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang would like to honour the wish of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew that the house at 38 Oxley Road be demolished after Dr Lee Wei Ling ceases to live in it.
"Mr Lee Hsien Loong has recused himself from all government decisions involving 38 Oxley Road and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured."
"Speaking as the children of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang hope the government will allow the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's wish for the demolition of the house to be honoured & that all Singaporeans will support their cause."
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Lee Kuan Yew turning in his grave
A Filipino columnist for the Manila Times wrote that Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), the redoubtable Singaporean leader who had a penchant to hector other leaders and lecture the West about Asian values, must be turning in his grave.
He said while his – that is LKY – country is still up in the charts for sheer performance, the family he has left behind is being torn apart by a family feud. “His political dynasty may not be as cohesive or admirable as everyone supposed. “In my view, what the dispute really hurts is his father’s sanctimony. He does not look holier than other people now,” he wrote.
He said LKY poked his nose into the business of others, and tried to tell them what to do.
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"I will GET UP!"
related:
The famiLEE tree
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee "I'm not sure that it is solved"
The famiLEE feud: AGC to start legal action on Li Shengwu for contempt
The famiLEE feud: AGC looking into FB post by Lee Hsien Yang's son
The famiLEE feud: Protest at Hong Lim Park
The famiLEE feud: Demolish the house, end the saga, let's move on
The famiLEE feud: LWL, LHY to stop presenting online evidence
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang responds to Parliament Hearing
The famiLEE feud: Parliamentary Hearing on Oxley's Dispute
The famiLEE feud: PM Lee Hsien Loong's Ministerial Statement
The famiLEE feud: Why LHY is speaking up
The famiLEE feud: July 3 Parliament session a cover-up & whitewash?
The famiLEE feud: Not another minister on the Will again!
The famiLEE feud: Lee Hsien Yang & his wife in Hong Kong
The famiLEE feud: Rise of the 'First Lady'
The famiLEE feud: Govt 'Poking Nose' into Oxley's fate
The famiLEE feud: Will House Debate clear the air?
The famiLEE feud: PM apologises for family feud
The famiLEE feud: Singaporeans sick & tired of endless Oxley Rd allegations
The famiLEE feud: "Past three days"
The famiLEE feud: "Will of Wills"
Online squabble about "Hero-Worship" of the late Lee Kuan Yew
Family feud over how to mark LKY's death spills out online
New Law to Protect Lee Kuan Yew's Name and Image
Govt rebuts Lawyer's comments on QFLP scheme
Li Hongyi & Li Shengwu: 2 latest Internet sensation from the Lee family
Remembering Lee Kuan Yew 2016
LKY Passing: Good Intentions Gone Wrong
PM broke down in Parliament talking about his Dad
A State Funeral Service held for Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Former PM Lee Kuan Yew in the limelight
Lee Kuan Yew passes away on 23 Mar 2015
Lee Kuan Yew – The Man and his Legacy
Lee Kuan Yew in ICU with severe pneumonia
The Battle For Merger
Happy 91st Birthday Lee Kuan Yew from Singapore!
Singapore's Founding Father Hospitalised
Lee Kuan Yew turns 90
Lee Kuan Yew hospitalised: Suspected Transient Ischaemic Attack
Lee & Lee - The job has changed
"One World's View Of The Man"
Lee Kuan Yew on death: I want mine quickly, painlessly
A Post-LKY Singapore?
Family feud over how to mark LKY's death spills out online
New Law to Protect Lee Kuan Yew's Name and Image
Govt rebuts Lawyer's comments on QFLP scheme
Li Hongyi & Li Shengwu: 2 latest Internet sensation from the Lee family
Remembering Lee Kuan Yew 2016
LKY Passing: Good Intentions Gone Wrong
PM broke down in Parliament talking about his Dad
A State Funeral Service held for Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Former PM Lee Kuan Yew in the limelight
Lee Kuan Yew passes away on 23 Mar 2015
Lee Kuan Yew – The Man and his Legacy
Lee Kuan Yew in ICU with severe pneumonia
The Battle For Merger
Happy 91st Birthday Lee Kuan Yew from Singapore!
Singapore's Founding Father Hospitalised
Lee Kuan Yew turns 90
Lee Kuan Yew hospitalised: Suspected Transient Ischaemic Attack
Lee & Lee - The job has changed
"One World's View Of The Man"
Lee Kuan Yew on death: I want mine quickly, painlessly
A Post-LKY Singapore?
