Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s grandsons Li Shengwu and Li Hongyi are no longer on speaking terms, despite once being described as “very close”.
32-year-old Shengwu, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew’s youngest child Lee Hsien Yang, revealed this and that he and his cousin Hongyi remain Facebook friends although they are no longer close, to Hong Kong–based Chinese-language digital news outlet Initium Media this month.
30-year-old Hongyi is Prime Minister and Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest child Lee Hsien Loong’s second son. He rose to fame, alongside Shengwu, when the pair delivered eulogies at their grandfather’s funeral a little over two years ago.
The cousins were both in the west coast of the United States at one point as Shengwu was pursuing his PhD at Stanford University and Hongyi was working at Google in Silicon Valley.
Initium Media reported that Shengwu wore a “bitter smile” as he said: “We are no longer on speaking terms, but he is still among my Facebook friends, I did not remove him.”
The rift between the cousins possibly occurred around the time the Oxley Road dispute broke out between Lee Kuan Yew’s children, following his passing.
The fued, over whether the Lee family home at 38 Oxley Road should be preserved or demolished, spilled into the public domain when Lee Kuan Yew’s younger children Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang made allegations that their elder brother is abusing his power as head of government to preserve their family home, against their father’s willed desire to demolish the house, in order to bolster his grip on power.
Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang also alleged that Lee Hsien Loong used state organs against him and that he was moulding his son, Hongyi, to enter politics.
Hongyi had responded in a Facebook post then and said, “For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics.”
Shengwu told Initium Media that Hongyi’s comments on a potential entry into Singapore politics is “vague” and added: “He only said he has no interest in politics, but my uncle Lee Hsien Loong also once said he wasn’t interested in politics when he was in his 20s. These words can easily be taken back.”
Shengwu himself openly declared that he will “never go into politics” in the past and asserted that he is “completely unsuitable” for politics. Besides avowing his love for mathematics, Shengwu also said that he is not willing to lie about his beliefs, which he believes he will inevitably have to do if he becomes a politician:
“I believe I can become a top economist, my second love is mathematics, that’s where my interests are.
“As a politician, you will inevitably have to lie, I am not willing to lie about my beliefs, I am not up to it.”
Shengwu further said that the Singapore government is still using his grandfather’s name or political “halo” to increase their clout and asserted that Singapore no longer needs a leader from the Lee fold:
“I believe Singaporeans and the Singapore government should not constantly bring up Lee Kuan Yew, the institution should be larger than an individual.
“Singapore no longer needs someone from the Lee family as a leader, no matter which side.
“It’s like the US. Hillary is definitely better than Trump, but Americans no longer need another Clinton.”
Shengwu also reiterated that he has no plans to return to Singapore in the short term and disclosed that his parents have moved to Hong Kong after the following the Oxley Road saga.
A Junior Fellow at Harvard who is set to become an Assistant Professor next year, Shengwu has lived in the United States since he was a teenager when he left Singapore 12 years ago to study.
Shengwu’s decision to stay in the States is one that he has revealed before, when news broke that the authorities in Singapore are taking legal action against him for private comments he had made on his Facebook page about the Oxley Road saga. Shengwu had asserted that he will not return to Singapore to face charges.
He told the publication: “There are many people who can’t return to their home, it’s not such a big deal.”
Of course, imagine a kinship is being broken on the media platform.
As a leader, one should exhibit forgiveness to a younger generation.
Once a legal suit is pursued, o longer can one talk to another.
Both sour grapes la and one of them spilled the beans on the other ambition to be the PM. The other one doesn’t get anything from it of course not happy ha ha
Ppl remain of fb also want to KPO.
Just let the LKY legacy pass.
Well said ! Li Shengwu.He should not return to Singapore and leave the matter to his attorney in US to handle the matter.
LSW better unfriend + block LHY to avoid further trouble from AGC,
it;s about time the lee dynasty comes to an end……
I predict LHL hand over to 4th Generation leader for A term and vacate it for this Gangster son of dishonored son Now quietly understudy V.Bala.
LSW is must probably right. Despite LHY had said he would not consider politics, LHL in an interview prior to US visit, said entering politics is entirely up to him. Gossips are that HC wanted the son to enter politics. Anyway …. hope LHL put party above his family, and nation above his family and party. Mrs LKY showed the way as a role model First Lady supporting LKY quietly, building Singapore into what it is today. If every decision made by the cabinet is to sustain or protect one person or one entity, at national and citizen expense, that would be very sad for all Singaporeans.
Edwin Kwan – beg your pardon , Sad for Singaporean is but an understatement ! It is dangerous to Singaporean and the country !
Singaporeans esp the wealthy and well-connected love the Lees. What to do? So Long as those driving Porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, Jaguars love them, they cannot be touched. As Long as those who attend certain big churches praying for them Nd friends to them, you can’t touch them. Tens of thousands of prayers offered to God for them – sorry.
But no harm try praying to God for the opposition. God is a God of justice and righteousness; enough people submitting supplications for them, alternative candidates will stand a chance. Remember Jesus did not come to associate with the rich and powerful, he was born in a manger and he mingled with the poor and the masses.
Mrs LKY was the First Lady???? Since when was LKY a President?
Ouch !!!!…
Sivaramalingam Puthusamy
Haha..
The Singapore government is nothing more than a mimosa . Try bruising their ego and you will be sorry .
Feels like star wars
can report any ‘private’ posting
The Independent Singapore I think it is stated in the article that Lee Hong Yi is LHL’s eldest son. Are you forgetting Lee Yipeng?
Yes ….good observation, that wicked woman hojinx will not have it that there is another elder lky’s grandson !
Mr Blue,
Indeed U r right
Look at the different facial feature of both cousin …..
the one on the right definitely has the look of a dangerous man !! beware ! if that wicked hojinz has her way in the making of this CB gs of the elder cb s of lky come to pass ! woe be upon this country and her people !! God forbids!!!
I never thought it until u mentioned it.
Wow..
Daryl Chew Luke Iggy Chang top class comment! This fella is way ahead of his time…
But LKY is the glue that’s keeping this pap from falling apart.
And they’re pretty conscience about that
Nonsence. LKY’s last wishes, remember?

It’s either Singapore learn from Taiwan where it no longer revolves around Chiang family or grow stronger like Kim family from North Korea

LKY’s glue is wearing off as evident in the Oxley Rise dispute.

My point is, this PAP is relying a lot on LKY ‘branding’. Without it they don’t do that, they lose a lot of credibility.
Haiyo.

One is professor the other look like gangster do not respect his superior while serving NS how to be a leader????
HY cannot even take knocks on the rugby field, always complaining – how to be a good leader!!!!. I dare him to complain to MOD if LKY was not his GF – gutsy based on connections – pui pui pui!!!!!!!
Let’s hope the sibling rivalry will not pass down to the next generations.
家變啊~
Wayang
Very sad , Their kinship teach by LKY been bully by current political for political own benefit.
It’s time Lee dynasty coming to an end.
Sheng Wu – never say never.
Brothers in not speaking term, blame the parents, ego and arrogant. Stupid as they came from the same parent…. , because of power, fakes and money, they lose their brotherhood and family ties.
Wish both should not be as politican..MP ..ministers of singapore
Brothers can be on not speaking terms. Cousins not surprising especially when parents are already so.
Time for the Familee to fade out of politics
PPAPISTS are a bunch of hungry mad dogs they don’t listen unless Master said so
We’ve built a nation with our hands
The toil of people from a dozen lands
Strangers when we first began, now we’re Singaporean
Let’s reach out for Singapore, join our hands forevermore
Chorus:
One people, one nation, one Singapore
That’s the way that we will be forevermore
Every creed and every race, has its role and has its place
One people, one nation, one Singapore
And when the time comes for the test
Our vigilance will never rest
We’ll be united, hand in hand
We’ll show the world just where we stand
And reach out for Singapore, join our hands forevermore
Chorus:
One people, one nation, one Singapore
That’s the way that we will be forevermore
Every creed and every race, has its role and has its place
One people, one nation, one Singapore
When you are borned into a politician families… You will not be able to escape politics for the rest of your life.
Like it or not… To enter politics you have to be a great lier… Be it good it or be it bad. Today you will say you are not interested as you have yet to become one.
But when you have decided to become one, your answer that being politician has to lie well enough to make your lies believable.
Family disputes are never healthy even though family size is not large. End if the day family bond is totally destroyed unless mutually settled. Both sides suffer because of pride or what gave u?
What have u?
FUCKING DISGRACE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE BORN SO STUPID
Need to get rid of dictatorship. Or 3rd world is very real here. Look at Philippine n malaysia n Indonesia very good example of governance. ♂️
Spread the net wide to look for a capable one.
The lee can’t even govern their own families, I think they shouldn’t govern singapore
Singapore media damn free. Always report lee family saga.
It is a very sad story. Singapore needs unity & love for all Singaporeans. We must unite as one family regardless of language, ethnicity & beliefs. If we do not love each other, who will love us?
“We are no longer on speaking terms, but he is still among my Facebook friends, I did not remove him.”
What a statement to make – just say I keep him as my fb friend so I can spy on him as instructed by my mummy dear
Seems he is smarter than lhl and the pap dogs. .
Banish the Lees ….
Absolutely right