PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings

SINGAPORE: Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong (pic) has expressed his disappointment and sadness over a statement issued by his siblings "publicising private family matters".

"I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son," said Lee, in response to a six-page public statement issued by his siblings on Wednesday.

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang had said in their statement that they had lost confidence in their brother, PM Lee.

In response, PM Lee said: "While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father's passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents. My siblings' statement has hurt our father's legacy. "

In their statement, which they publicised on their Facebook pages around 2am, the two siblings said they felt closely monitored and fear the use of organs of state against them and Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Suet Fern

They also said the situation is such that Lee Hsien Yang felt compelled to leave Singapore "for the foreseeable future".

The two siblings allege, among others, that since their father Lee Kuan Yew's death on March 23, 2015, there have been changes in Singapore that do not reflect what the late Mr Lee stood for.

At the centre of their statement, titled 'What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?', is the long-running dispute over the demolition of their father's house at 38 Oxley Road.

The two siblings are joint executors and trustees of the estate of the late Lee.

In their statement, they reiterated their father's wish that the house be demolished upon his passing, and said their brother and his wife Ho Ching had opposed this wish as "the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital".

The two siblings also alleged that preserving the house would allow their brother "and his family to inherit a tangible monument to Lee Kuan Yew's authority".

Lee responded to this by saying: "I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamentalvalue of our society."

The statement from the siblings came 1 1/2 years after Dr Lee, Lee Hsien Yang, and PM Lee issued a joint statement in Dec 2015 saying the brothers had each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to charities named in their father's obituary notice.

Dr Lee and Lee Hsien Yang had said they would like to honour their father's wish for the house to be demolished after Dr Lee ceases to live in it.

PM Lee had said he had recused himself from all government decisions involving the house and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured.

This morning, he ended his response by saying: "As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. Iwill consider this matter further after I return this weekend." – The Straits Times/Asia News Network