An old video of Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (MP) speaking in Parliament about 38 Oxley Road has been re-circulated on social media.
The YouTube video, published on an official channel ‘govsingapore’ and titled, ‘MP Low Thia Khiang seeking clarifications on 38 Oxley Road’ was uploaded two years ago, on July 4, 2017.
Its topic proves relevant because of recent events where earlier this month (September 1), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued a letter to the editor of The Online Citizen, demanding an apology from the portal and the removal of an article and a Facebook post repeating allegations made by PM Lee’s sister Lee Wei Ling during the Lee family feud in 2017.
The letter put forth PM Lee’s request that TOC immediately remove the article and Facebook post by Wednesday (September 4) and publish a “full and unconditional apology” along with an undertaking that it would not publish similar allegations in the future.
In a letter, Xu refused to take down the article saying that he is “of the opinion that the contents of the Article are not defamatory” and that he was “merely republishing” the words uttered by the PM’s siblings.
The publication is being sued for defamation over the article.
In his Parliamentary speech two years ago, Low said, “The Workers’ Party has not gone through the due process to decide whether, or to conclude whether the allegations made by the Lee siblings is baseless.
We keep our minds open, we are prepared to give the benefit of the doubt to the Prime Minister but we don’t know”.
Low cited the example of how ESM Goh had handled the Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) case to illustrate how a controversy in the past involving founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was resolved.
“But for this parliament session, it is the Prime Minister, the head of the government and the Secretary-General of the PAP accused of wrongdoing. This episode, there are no investigations done, it’s ownself (sic) defend ownself (sic) in parliament with the PAP MPs. I mean I wonder how you would want to convince me and my party and Singaporeans that it is conclusive, and it is something that we can all be convinced entirely. Though I said I am prepared to give the benefit of the doubt to the Prime Minister”, Low said.
The veteran opposition politician continued, “I wonder whether the Prime Minister is not worrying that the PAP as a ruling party will be seen as (practicing) double standards. Has he forgotten, the former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is now ESM, sued the Workers’ Party candidate Tang Liang Hong during General Election 1997, for just making a police report”.
“But now these are allegations that are much more serious than that. And more importantly, we are talking about upholding the legacy of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, that the nation, the laws above the family and individuals. By using family, does this not also show that blood is thicker than water. Own siblings, cannot sue. After all, we are all brothers and sisters. But political opponents and critics, sue until your pants drop”.
The ending of the video showed the short response by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who said, “I’ll be very brief. The response by Low Thia Khiang is not unexpected. I expected that. This is what you call political sophistry. And as for Tan Liang Hong, he’s not my brother”. /TISG
Watch the full video here:
Also read: The Online Citizen changes name of author in article defaming PM Lee