Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong has posted a response in relation to the statement earlier published by his two siblings.
PM Lee who is currently on overseas leave, expressed his disappointment towards the choice of publicising private family matters and denies allegations made by the two against him, especially on the point that he has political ambitions for his son.
In the early morning of Wednesday, siblings of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang issued a public statement to express their non confidence in PM Lee Hsien Loong and wrote that they are worried about Singapore’s future in his hands.
PM Lee, Dr Lee Weiling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang are all children of late Lee Kuan Yew who is commonly referred to as the founding Prime Minister of Singapore.
The statement noted that the two were pushed to this position by their brother,
“We have seen a completely different face to our brother Hsien Loong, one that deeply troubles us. Since the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, on 23 March 2015, we have felt threatened by Hsien Loong’s misuse of his position and influence over the Singapore government to drive his personal agenda. We are concerned that the system has few checks and balances to prevent the abuse of government. We feel big brother omnipresent. We fear the use of the organs of state against us and Hsien Yang’s wife, Suet Fern.”
Both siblings question whether able leaders with independent political legitimacy will be side-lined to ensure Hsien Loong’s grip on power remains unchallenged.
Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang also stated:
“Nobody ever doubted that Lee Kuan Yew always held the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans at heart. He was authentic and spoke his mind. The same cannot be said for our brother, Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching. We believe, unfortunately, that Hsien Loong is driven by a desire for power and personal popularity. His popularity is inextricably linked to Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy. His political power is drawn from his being Lee Kuan Yew’s son. We have observed that Hsien Loong and Ho Ching want to milk Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy for their own political purposes. We also believe, based on our interactions, that they harbour political ambitions for their son, Li Hongyi.”
Stating that the two’s statement has hurt their father’s legacy, PM Lee emphasized that he will serve Singaporeans honestly and to the best of his ability, in particular to uphold meritocracy.
Below is PM Lee’s statement on Facebook in full
I am very disappointed that my siblings have chosen to issue a statement publicising private family matters. I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son.
While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father’s passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents.
My siblings’ statement has hurt our father’s legacy.
I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society.
As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend. – LHL
Late Lee Kuan Yew served as Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 to 1990, passing the baton to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1990 with Lee Hsien Loong succeeding as Prime Minister in December 2004.
