Lee Hsien Yang talks about “Wayang” and shares a tale of two brothers

In a rather cryptic Facebook post, Lee Hsien Yang, younger brother to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong alluded to “Wayang” and an Indian epic featuring two brothers, the Ramayana.

On Sunday (Jun 21), Mr Lee shared about “Wayang Kulit”, a shadow puppet play.

The story of Ramayana is about Rama, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon King Ravana.

It is told that Rama’s father the King of Ayodya at the behest of his scheming and manipulative second wife exiles Rama, the first son of the family, rightful heir to the throne of Ayodya to the forests.

Rama, the ever- obedient son, thus unquestioningly departs to a forest called Dandaka, along with his wife, Sita and his younger brother, Lakshmana.

Netizens speculated in the comments that through his cryptic post, and by drawing parallels to the story, the younger Mr Lee is attempting to map out his relationship with his brother, PM Lee.

In his Facebook post, Mr Lee wrote that Rama, the older brother, was the “favourite son of King Dasharata”.

In the epic, the younger brother Lakshmana left behind his own family in order to follow and assist his older brother on the latter’s own selfish journey.

Along with a brief summary of the epic, Mr Lee shared a quited version of the tale, as he has often shared his wife, Lee Suet Fern’s quilts.

In the post, Mr Lee wrote: “Top row line up from left to right the puppets are: Anggada (ally of Rama), Laksmana (Rama’s younger brother), Sita (Rama’s wife), Rama (favourite son of King Dasharata, exiled by the King Dasharata’s second wife), the Golden Deer (a demon in disguise to entrap Sita) and Rahwana ( the demon king who abducts Sita)

Bottom row line up from left to right the puppets are; Rama, Ravana (the demon king), Sita, Hanuman (monkey deity), Dragon Demon (Indrajit, Ravana’s pompous son in disguise) and Hanuman (monkey deity slaying the Dragon Demon)”.

/TISG