SINGAPORE: The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s younger son, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, has condemned the ruling party minister Desmond Lee’s open letter against him, castigating it as a series of “ad hominem attacks and lies”. Not stopping there, Mr Lee Hsien Yang criticised Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his elder brother, as well, calling him “the highest paid prime minister in the world”.
Rocked by recent scandals, the Government was trying to silence its critics, Mr Lee Hsien Yang told The Independent Singapore on July 26.
Assailing the open letter containing “ad hominem attacks and lies”, Mr Lee Hsien Yang told The Independent Singapore, “In the face of the multitude of scandals, it is a craven government that focuses on attacking and seeking to silence its critics rather than assuming responsibility for its failings.”
Asserting that the scandals were tarnishing the ruling People’s Action Party and Mr Lee Hsieng Loong’s legacy, he added: “The PAP needs to reflect what the scandals mean to its reputation and to LHL’s legacy.”
Lee Hsien Yang on PM Lee’s service to Singapore
Mr Lee also took issue with the minister, who said his brother, PM Lee, “has given his life to serving Singapore”. Mr Lee told this publication, “It is a privilege to serve, not a sacrifice. Particularly as the highest paid prime minister in the world!”
Mr Lee Hsien Yang criticised Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, adding: “The whole farce of ‘oh these people could make so much money outside anyway’. You cannot bask in this moral sanctitude while enjoying both wealth and power beyond the dreams of most citizens.”
Arguing that PM Lee should take responsibility for the scandals that have taken place under his leadership, he said: “A prime minister is captain of the ship and should be accountable. In any proper democracy, there would have been a change of PM with so many scandals swirling.”
Events before and after Desmond Lee’s open letter against Lee Hsien Yang
Earlier, National Development Minister Desmond Lee criticised Mr Lee Hsien Yang in an open letter published on petir.sg (26 July), asserting that Mr Lee deliberately wants to bring down his estranged elder brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s government.
The open letter came three days after the younger Lee questioned public trust in PM Lee’s regime, pointing to a spate of recent scandals. Contending that trust in his brother and his late father’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) “has been shattered”, he said on Facebook:
“Trust has to be earned. It cannot simply be inherited. PM Lee Hsien Loong’s failure of leadership has squandered that trust.”
Mr Desmond Lee responded to the criticism with his open letter. Mr Desmond Lee’s open letter contended that Mr Lee Hsien Yang was trying to bring down his elder brother’s government. Referring to the post Mr Lee Hsien Yang had made on 23 July, the minister said:
“Mr 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.”
Citing the judgment of the disciplinary tribunal that had suspended Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s wife, senior lawyer Lee Suet Fern, from her legal practice for 15 months over her alleged misconduct relating to Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s will, Mr Desmond Lee said Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s latest action “is consistent with his duplicitous conduct towards his father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew”.
Mr Desmond Lee added that Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife had “fled the country” and ended his letter by stressing that the couple’s goal was to bring the PM down despite the damage that would do to the Government and the Singaporean people.
The Government said on Tuesday (25 July) that Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s references to the latter two controversies contained false statements of facts and issued a correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Mr Lee complied with the POFMA Order but said in a separate post that he stood by his assertion that trust in his brother’s leadership had been lost.
Lee Hsien Yang POFMAed for Facebook post on recent controversies