Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Singapore's former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and the son of the city-state's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, has declared himself a political refugee. This announcement marks the latest development in a long-standing family feud that has captivated Singapore.
Lee Hsien Yang and his sister Lee Wei Ling, who passed away on October 9, have been at odds with their influential elder brother, Lee Hsien Loong, for years. The siblings have disagreed over the fate of their father's home following his death in 2015. This strained relationship has played out publicly, with Lee Hsien Yang, 67, aligning himself with an opposition party during the 2020 election and expressing interest in running for the Singapore presidency, a largely ceremonial role.
In a recent Facebook post, Lee revealed that Britain has determined he faces 'a well-founded risk of persecution and cannot safely return to Singapore.' 'I sought asylum protection as a last resort. I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that some day it will become safe to return home,' he stated. The Singapore government has dismissed these claims of persecution as baseless, according to ChannelNewsAsia.
Lee's post also mentioned that he had sought asylum protection in 2022, citing government 'attacks' and persecution against him and his family. This prevented him from attending his sister's funeral. In an interview with The Guardian, Lee confirmed that Britain granted him asylum in August.
Last week, Lee announced his intention to demolish Lee Kuan Yew's home, in line with his father's wishes. The government responded by stating it would consider the property's future in due course. Lee Hsien Loong believes the government should decide the home's fate, potentially preserving it as a heritage landmark.
Despite the ongoing family feud, Lee Hsien Loong remains in the cabinet as a senior minister, a role previously held by his father, who led Singapore from 1959 to 1990. In 2017, Lee Hsien Yang and his sister accused their elder brother of abusing his power and expressed fear that 'organs of the state' could be used against them. Lee Hsien Loong vehemently denied these allegations, which were highly unusual for a Singaporean leader.
In a separate interview with Kyodo News, Lee Hsien Yang revealed that he had effectively self-exiled in Europe due to fears of political prosecution. In May, he was ordered to pay damages to two cabinet ministers in a defamation suit, related to online posts he made that the government deemed false.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
