Singapore Responds to Lee Hsien Yang's 'International Smear Campaign

Lee Hsien Yang, son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, recently leveled accusations against the Singaporean government, asserting that the country has become more repressive and corrupt since his father's passing. In an interview with The Associated Press (AP), he claimed that a veneer of affluence masks growing oppression, corruption, and a lack of transparency.

The Singapore government responded by labelling Lee’s comments as a “personal vendetta” and an international “smear campaign” that harms the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew. Officials cited that Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, were found by a disciplinary tribunal to have misled his father on his will’s execution. The couple left Singapore in 2022 after declining to cooperate in a police investigation into alleged false evidence relating to Lee Kuan Yew’s will.

The government highlighted that Lee's asylum claim in the UK included an allegation that his family is being persecuted to prevent his son, Li Shengwu, from becoming prime minister. Authorities dismissed the claim, noting that Li has openly stated he has no political ambitions.

Responding to claims of corruption, Singapore emphasized its anti-corruption track record, pointing to high global rankings in transparency and clean governance. Recent cases, including a billion-dollar money-laundering scandal and the Keppel Offshore & Marine case in Brazil, were thoroughly addressed with legal actions and penalties. The government also referenced the recent conviction of former transport minister S Iswaran for accepting gifts, underscoring that such incidents demonstrate the country’s strict stance on corruption.

Singapore’s government defended its history of free elections and parliamentary representation, highlighting that opposition members are at their highest levels in history. They cited the regular, transparent elections held without martial law or constitutional suspension as evidence of political freedom in the nation.

Lee Hsien Yang, who joined an opposition party briefly before the 2020 election, was invited to participate in politics but withdrew at the last minute. The government maintains that he and his wife are free to return to Singapore at any time, denying allegations of persecution.

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