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Singapore rebukes New York Times over video featuring Li Shengwu, disputes claims of repression

Singapore’s ambassador to the US, Lui Tuck Yew, has accused the New York Times of misrepresenting Singapore in an opinion video featuring Li Shengwu, grandson of Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lui disputed Mr Li’s claims of repression and criticised the NYT for advancing its own agenda through misleading analogies.

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The Singapore government has criticised the New York Times (NYT) over its opinion video How Tyranny Begins, which features Harvard economics professor Li Shengwu, the grandson of Singapore’s late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

In a letter to the NYT editor dated 26 January 2025, Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States, Lui Tuck Yew, characterised the video as a commentary on US politics but accused the publication of misrepresenting Singapore.

The former transport minister from the People’s Action Party alleged that the NYT included Singapore inappropriately by using what he described as “false portrayals” and “misleading analogies.”

The video, released on 22 January, featured Mr Li alongside individuals from Russia, Hungary, and Nicaragua, who shared personal experiences of alleged repression.

Mr Lui argued that Mr Li’s inclusion in such a context was unwarranted.

“Mr Li Shengwu masquerades as a persecuted dissident,” said Mr Lui, asserting that Mr Li has not been exiled, jailed, or stripped of his possessions. “He remains a Singapore citizen and travels freely on a Singapore passport.”

Mr Lui claimed the video misrepresented Singapore’s governance and alleged that it advanced the NYT’s own narrative by unjustly comparing Singapore with authoritarian regimes.

In defending Singapore’s governance, Mr Lui pointed to its strong global rankings. He highlighted that Singapore ranked 16th on the 2024 Rule of Law Index and 5th on the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, outperforming larger democracies, including the United States.

Mr Lui reiterated the government’s stance that it operates under a framework of transparency, regular elections, and judicial independence. “Decisions, including those concerning 38 Oxley Road, are made transparently and follow due process,” he said.

Li Shengwu’s Allegations

In the NYT video, Mr Li Shengwu accused his uncle, Lee Hsien Loong, the former Singapore Prime Minister, of using police investigations and legal processes to suppress political opposition.

He cited his own experience, claiming that a private Facebook post he made in 2017 led to a criminal contempt of court charge, following his father and aunt’s public criticism of Lee Hsien Loong’s handling of Lee Kuan Yew’s 38 Oxley Road property after his death.

In the private post, Mr Li commented that Singapore had a “pliant court system” that constrained the international media from reporting freely. The post also included a link to a New York Times editorial titled Censored in Singapore.

Mr Li stated in the video that this led to what he described as politically motivated charges and that he left Singapore to avoid persecution.

In response, Mr Lui said the charge was brought under Singapore’s legal framework and emphasised that Mr Li had paid a S$15,000 fine in 2020. “He is free to return to Singapore at any time,” said Mr Lui, adding that Mr Li had not been subject to further investigations.

However, Mr Li has not been in Singapore since the contempt of court charge due to fear of further persecution, so Mr Lui’s point about him not being subjected to further investigation is moot.

Disputes Involving Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern

In a separate letter to the NYT, dated 15 January 2025 but only made public on 27 January, Mr Lui referred to a 11 January NYT article titled Why Singapore’s First Family is Locked in a Bitter Feud Over a House.

In that letter, Mr Lui reiterated the Singapore government’s claims that Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, had misled Lee Kuan Yew during the drafting of his last will. He alleged that they acted dishonestly, pointing to findings by a disciplinary tribunal and other courts, which cited professional misconduct.

However, these claims remain contested by Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, who argue that their actions aligned with Lee Kuan Yew’s intentions. The couple has also accused the government of using these allegations to discredit them publicly.

Mr Lui claimed in the same letter that Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern left Singapore in 2022 to avoid cooperating with police investigations into possible perjury. These investigations have not led to formal charges, and both have maintained their innocence, describing the accusations as politically motivated.

At the same time, both Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern were granted refugee status by the United Kingdom in 2024, which may lend credence to their claims of political persecution.

In his 15 January letter, Mr Lui also criticised the NYT for its reporting on the Lee family feud.

Broader Context and Omission of Kwa Kim Li Case

Mr Lui’s letter notably omitted mention of the findings against Kwa Kim Li, the lawyer who drafted Lee Kuan Yew’s wills. In 2023, a disciplinary tribunal ruled that Ms Kwa had engaged in professional misconduct by misleading Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, the executors of Lee Kuan Yew’s estate.

The tribunal found that Ms Kwa failed to disclose communications with Lee Kuan Yew regarding changes to his will in late 2013. It ruled that these omissions misled the executors and constituted a breach of professional standards, though it stopped short of concluding that she had acted intentionally.

Ms Kwa was fined S$8,000 and ordered to pay legal costs. These findings align with some of the claims made by Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, raising questions about the government’s narrative regarding the alleged perjury by the two.

Despite his assertions that the NYT posts, which included claims by Lee Hsien Yang and his family, contained falsehoods, no Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction directions have been issued against the NYT article or opinion video.

The New York Times has not yet responded to the criticisms raised by Mr Lui.

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