Advertisement
Lee family feud
This Week in AsiaPolitics

Lee family feud: Singapore’s prime minister falls silent, as his lieutenants speak out

Signs the Singapore government is seeking common ground with Lee Hsien Loong’s estranged siblings

4-MIN READ4-MIN
Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, says his siblings’ allegations are ‘mostly inaccurate’. Photo: AFP
Bhavan Jaipragas

Two weeks after the bitter feud in the family of the late Lee Kuan Yew erupted in public, his eldest son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is appearing keen on tamping down the quarrel, with the embattled leader declaring he will next address the abuse of power claims made by his siblings in parliament next week. His government meanwhile took on a less adversarial tone by the end of yesterday, changing tact from sharp comments against the premier’s siblings early on in the feud.

“My siblings continue to make allegations about what I supposedly did or did not do. They are mostly inaccurate,” Premier Lee said late on Tuesday. “As I earlier said, I will be making a statement in parliament on July 3, 2017. I will at that time deal with the allegations that need to be addressed.”

What’s really behind the Lee Kuan Yew family feud?

The prime minister’s comments came as his younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, and sister Lee Wei Ling pressed on in their social media campaign against him nearly two weeks after the issue erupted into the public domain. The bitter family feud centres around the will of their late father Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s revered founding leader.
The younger siblings on June 14 publicly accused the premier of abusing his powers to prevent them from demolishing the family home upon Lee Kuan Yew’s death – one of the patriarch’s final wishes expressed in his seventh and final will.
The family home at 38 Oxley Road that is at the centre of the Lee family feud. Photo: EPA
The family home at 38 Oxley Road that is at the centre of the Lee family feud. Photo: EPA

Since then, the two younger siblings have made a total of 35 posts on Facebook, substantiating their initial statement and responding to rejoinders by their brother and his supporters.

After keeping silent in the first few days, some of Lee’s key lieutenants have stepped up efforts to defend their boss this week. Indranee Rajah, a junior minister in the law and finance ministries, trained her guns on Lee Hsien Yang in three long Facebook commentaries posted over the weekend.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x