SINGAPORE’S elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew remained in critical condition, the government said, as police launched a probe into bogus reports that he had died.
“Lee Kuan Yew remains critically ill in the ICU,” the latest bulletin issued by the office of his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
The government on Wednesday quashed rumours that the 91-year-old patriarch, who has been in hospital for severe pneumonia since Feb 5, had died and asked police to investigate a fake statement on his passing that purportedly came from the Prime Minister’s Office website.
A government spokesperson said late Wednesday that the statement was “doctored” and described it as “fake”.
“Police confirmed a report has been lodged and we are looking into the matter,” the Singapore Police Force said in a statement.
“We take a very stern view against anyone who doctors a government website to spread false information to deceive the public,” it added.
“We will spare no effort to bring them to task. We also advise the public not to spread falsehoods.”
Lee, credited with transforming the resource-poor island from an economic backwater to one of the world’s wealthiest economies, is on life support in the intensive care unit, according to previous government statements.
The government on Wednesday said the patriarch was “critically ill” and his condition was worsening further. — AFP
