Mr Lee Hsien Yang who has been in the news for the allegations of abuse of power by the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has posted his reasons for why he is speaking out against his elder brother.
He wrote that he and his sister, Dr Lee Weiling were pushed to bring out the issues that they have been doing these weeks, due to the secret cabinet committee of their brother. As executors of late Lee Kuan Yew’s will, they had to ensure that their father’s wishes are honoured, however, PM Lee and his wife, Ho Ching have in private vehemently opposed demolition.
LHY states that it became clear that they faced a vast and coordinated effort by PM Lee against them as their brother did not want their father’s wishes remembered or carried out. He further claims that PM Lee wishes to rewrite history to claim that Lee Kuan Yew “accepted” the preservation of his house and was ready to use his power and influence to thwart their father’s wishes, to meet the personal political agenda of PM Lee and his wife.
He highlighted that his parents view on the demolition of their house was unwavering. As executors of their father’s will, both him and his sister, have a legal duty to carry out his wishes, instead of allowing them to be perverted by sophistry and machinations.
“It was a difficult decision, but we were pushed into a corner. We have to stand up and fight for our parents even if it means bringing things into the public sphere as a last resort.” wrote LHY.
Both of them issued a joint statement on 14 June delivering harsh criticisms of PM Lee, saying that they are disturbed by the character, conduct, motives and leadership of their brother and the role of his wife, Ho Ching.
While the media and the Ministers under PM Lee have been painting the issue as one that is about the property of 38 Oxley Road, how LKY was not one-minded to have his property demolished, how the younger brother intends to profit from selling the plot of land and a matter of family dispute between the Lee siblings.
PM Lee will be addressing the Parliament about the allegations made against him tomorrow (3 July). LHY has remarked that it is an attempt to cover-up and whitewash himself in Parliament, “We have begun to show evidence of his misuse of his position and influence to drive his personal agenda. This is yet another example.”
Below is his posting in full
Since the episode involving my parents’ house became publicised, my sister, Wei Ling and I have taken to social media to reach the people of Singapore. We have no other access. Please let me step back and introduce myself, so that Singaporeans know where I am coming from.
I am the youngest child of Lee Kuan Yew. I have an elder brother Hsien Loong, and an elder sister Wei Ling.
I am a private individual who has always avoided public attention. I am not a politician, and I have never desired to be a one. When I reach out to Singaporeans, please bear in mind that I am a novice. I have neither brigades of staff nor teams to back me up. Indeed, until this episode occurred, I had never posted on Facebook. As such, I ask for your patience – I am only a man working to honour his father’s wishes.
WhyMany have asked me why Wei Ling and I have felt compelled to bring these issues before the people of Singapore. They ask why I have made public a huge national controversy. The answer is that we were pushed by Hsien Loong’s secret cabinet committee.
Growing up in Lee Kuan Yew’s family was a unique experience. My father, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, was a powerful and influential man. My mother too, though she avoided the public eye, was herself a very principled woman. For all these privileges afforded by my parents, they always taught us to act with integrity and to always do the right thing. This was an inviolable value of theirs.
When my father died, the issue of carrying out both my parent’s wishes for their house came up. Our father firmly believed that demolition of his house was the right thing for Singapore. He believed Singapore needed to focus on her future and not on monuments. My father named my sister and I his executors, and with it came his expectation and trust that we ensure his wishes are honoured. Unfortunately, our brother, Hsien Loong, and his wife Ho Ching, have in private vehemently opposed demolition.As we sought to remind the people of Singapore of our father’s last wish, we encountered opposition every step of the way. It became clear that we faced a vast and coordinated effort by Hsien Loong against us. He did not want our father’s wishes remembered or carried out; he wished to rewrite history to claim that Lee Kuan Yew “accepted” the preservation of his house. Hsien Loong was ready to use his power and influence to thwart our father’s wishes, to meet Hsien Loong’s and Ho Ching’s personal political agenda.
At that point, I could have said to myself, “This is too big for me. This political world is not my world. I could just let events take their course. This is not worth it.” It would have been easy to keep my head down — why risk public outcry, suffer campaigns of character assassination, or even exile? But doing the right thing is rarely easy.
I am not a perfect human being. But I do my best to act with the honour and integrity expected of me by my parents. Their view on demolition of their house was unwavering. I know what they wanted, and as executors of our father’s will, my sister and I have a legal duty to carry out his wishes, instead of allowing them to be perverted by sophistry and machinations. It was a difficult decision, but we were pushed into a corner. We have to stand up and fight for our parents even if it means bringing things into the public sphere as a last resort.
My GoalSince these events became public, many reached out to me. Some have scolded me for disrupting the status quo. Others have offered words of encouragement and support. But both groups often ponder what I hope to achieve through all this.
