Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Pix credit LHY FB
By TNS News Team
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 – Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, announced on Facebook on Tuesday that he has been granted political refugee status under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
He expressed hope to eventually return to Singapore when it is safe to do so.
In his post, Lee cited longstanding tensions with his brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (who is now Singapore’s Senior Minister), dating back to 2017, when he and his sister Lee Wei Ling publicly declared, “We do not trust Hsien Loong as a brother or as a leader.
“We stated that we feared the abuse of the organs of the Singapore state against us and against my family. Because of that risk, I was unable to attend Wei Ling’s funeral,” he said in his posting.
He claimed that the Singapore government has subjected him and his family to various forms of persecution, including a prolonged police investigation, the prosecution of his son, and disciplinary actions against his wife.
Lee said he sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 2022, as a “last resort,” citing concerns over abuse of state power and a “well-founded risk of persecution.” He remains a Singaporean citizen and expressed his desire to return home when circumstances permit.
The public feud between Lee Hsien Yang and his brother, Lee Hsien Loong, began in 2017, focusing on the future of their late father Lee Kuan Yew’s residence at 38 Oxley Road.
The conflict arose when their sister, Lee Wei Ling, and Lee Hsien Yang accused Lee Hsien Loong of misusing his authority as Prime Minister (at that time) to preserve the house, contrary to their father’s wishes.
Lee Kuan Yew had clearly stated his desire for the house to be demolished after his death to avoid it becoming a public monument.
Lee Kuan Yew’s residence at 38 Oxley Road. Pix credit Lee Hsien Yang FB
According to a report by Singapore’s Channel News Asia, the government responded to media inquiries from The Guardian regarding Mr. Lee Hsien Yang’s asylum status. The government stated there is “no basis” for allegations of “a campaign of persecution” against him and other claims of political repression in the country.
“Singapore’s judiciary is impartial and makes decisions independently. This is why Singaporeans have a high level of trust in the judiciary,” the government added.
It also emphasized that there are no legal barriers preventing Mr. Lee and his wife, Mrs. Lee Suet Fern, from returning to Singapore.
- TNS News