Not to be outdone by the excitement of last week, Minister for Law and Home Affairs, K Shanmugam and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan have dramatically announced via their social media pages that they would be suing Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) for defamation if he did not apologise, withdraw his statements about 26 and 31 Ridout Road and pay damages.
The estranged brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had posted on his Facebook page that trust in his brother and his late father’s party, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), “has been shattered”. Shanmugam and Balakrishnan took umbrage at the younger Lee’s accusations that they have acted corruptly and for personal gain by having Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval, and also having SLA pay for renovations to 26 and 31 Ridout Road.
The Corrupt Practices Investigations Bureau (CPIB) have investigated “Ridoutgate” and declared that there was no evidence of wrongdoing. While it is understandable for both PAP ministers to want to defend their positions, is it necessary to threaten legal action and to seemingly notify the public of such intentions via social media?
Do Singaporeans really have the bandwidth for such courtroom dramas when costs of living are escalating and there are real livelihood issues? Unfairly or not, at the end of the day, many Singaporeans are likely cheesed off by Ridoutgate because it exposed the difference in the standard of living between the rulers and the ruled, and not because they really believe that there is any legal wrongdoing.
Further, are the ministers defending their reputations in their capacity as serving ministers or in their personal capacities? Are the ministers funding these legal actions out of their own pocket or are the taxpayers coughing up? If it is the latter, should there not be a vote in Parliament? Legal fees are likely to be expensive and do people really want money to be spent that way? After all, both ministers have already been cleared by CPIB and have issued strong statements of clarification on their social media pages.
LHY has also condemned National Development Minister Desmond Lee’s open letter against him, castigating it as a series of “ad hominem attacks and lies”.
Desmond Lee had written an open letter contending that LHY was trying to bring down his elder brother’s government: “Lee Hsien Yang is pursuing this vendetta because he wants to bring down the government as well as the PAP, the party his father founded. I am saddened by him using falsehoods to attack his brother, who has given his life to serving Singapore.”
Rocked by recent scandals, the Government was trying to silence its critics, LHY told The Independent Singapore on July 26.
These public spats and tit-for-tats are not good for Singapore.
The Government should also take heed not to be seen as attacking LHY and his wife, Lee Suet Fern (LSF) so soon after the death of LSF’s father, the economist, Lim Chong Yah. Particularly when Singaporeans are feeling sorry for them that they have been unable to return for the funeral. LSF’s searing tribute to her late father has touched the hearts of many netizens who have posted messages of condolences and solidarity.
There is this impression that the courts are being used to settle political scores, however untrue. Coupled with the sympathy garnered by the loss of Lim and his daughter’s perceived inability to return to Singapore for political reasons, all this could backfire on the PAP no matter how valid they might feel their actions are.