In the statement, Lee Hsien Yang said he felt “compelled to leave” Singapore “for the foreseeable future”.
The siblings of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have issued a statement of “no confidence” against their brother, saying that they felt threatened by his pursuit of a personal agenda in matters relating to their father’s home on 38 Oxley Road.
Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, the second son and daughter, respectively, of Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew, made the open statement through their Facebook accounts in the early hours of Wednesday (14 June).
“This is the country that my father, Lee Kuan Yew, loved and built. It has been home for my entire life. Singapore is and remains my country. I have no desire to leave. Hsien Loong is the only reason for my departure,” the statement quoted Lee Hsien Yang.
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Dr Lee refers her brother as a “dishonorable son” and accuses him of abusing power to ‘build a dynasty’
From a scintillating revelation of e-mail exchanges between Dr Lee Wei Ling, daughter of the late Lee Kuan Yew and Ivan Frenandaz, an editor from the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), it does seem that Dr Lee had less than pleasant things to say about not only SPH, but her own brother, PM Lee Hsien Loong, too.
Dr Lee first revealed the e-mail exchanges between SPH and her in a Facebook post at about 1pm on 4 April in what can be constituted as an attempt to rebut the latest post written by Ivan on The Straits Times. (read here)
Ivan defended his decision to remove the parts of Dr Lee's submission in his post as an editor of her writings, saying that her ideas had to be honed and her language, tightened. He also argued that Dr Lee was guilty of plagiarism.
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PM Lee refutes sister's claims of 'establishing dynasty' after Lee Kuan Yew's death
A family feud between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Dr Lee Wei Ling has been thrown in the public spotlight after a series of Facebook posts by the latter.
In two posts published on her Facebook account on Sunday (April 10) at around 1pm, Dr Lee alleged that "HL has no qualms abusing his power to hv (sic) a commemoration just one year after LKY died, 'least (sic) we forget'". It is understood that HL refers to her elder brother, PM Lee.
She also described PM Lee as a "dishonourable son".
related:
Dr Lee says she didn't intentionally plagiarise
Why Dr Lee's column was not published
Dr Lee Wei Ling reveals contentious part of unpublished article for ST
ST and ex-editor refute Dr Lee Wei Ling's allegations
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Open spat erupts in Singapore between premier and his sister
A spat between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger sister has blown into the open, one year after the death of their iron-handed father Lee Kuan Yew, who brooked no discord within the city-state's political world.
Lee's sister accused the prime minister in a Facebook post of abusing his power and forming a political dynasty, a highly unusual public comment in Singapore. It has sparked an online debate in a country where the Lee family is mostly held in high regard and where several of its critics have been sued for defamation.
"I am deeply saddened by my sister Dr. Lee Wei Ling's claim that I have abused my power to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing in order to establish a dynasty. The accusations are completely untrue," the prime minister said in a Facebook page on Sunday evening.
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Lee Wei Ling's accusations about LKY commemoration 'completely untrue': PM Lee
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday (10 April) that he was “deeply saddened” by his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling’s claim that “I have abused my power to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing in order to establish a dynasty”.
Writing in a Facebook post, PM Lee - the son of late former premier Lee Kuan Yew and elder brother of Dr Lee - was responding to his sister’s post earlier that day, and said that her accusations were “completely untrue”.
Dr Lee, a senior advisor at the National Neuroscience Institute, had re-posted a chain of e-mail exchanges between herself and The Straits Times editor Ivan Fernandez concerning the newspaper’s decision not to run her commentary on the “hero worship” that she had witnessed around the first anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s passing.
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Lee family spat: Social media a devil you must learn to dance with
“What social media has introduced for sure is an element of ‘live’ politics; you need to be able to react much faster – within hours – while bearing in the mind the consequences of what you are about to post,”The use of social media as a communication tool for politicians has steadily rose over the years and leading by example are Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India), Shinzo Abe (Prime Minister of Japan) and PM Lee of Singapore.
“The fact that Lee Wei Ling has found Facebook to express her opinions after being shut out by the mainstream media shows the value of social media,” said PN Balji, editor of The Independent Singapore and senior media consultant at RHT ARC Comms & Relations.
One of the core principles in politics is to be able to engage with your citizens, communicate your position to build support for your case so naturally social media makes sense.
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“I always try to stick by the truth,” Lee Wei Ling
“But if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”
These were the words of Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and she had said them in an email to a local newspaper.
Her brother and the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, was quick to denounce Dr Lee’s accusations. He said her allegations were “completely untrue”.
When an international publication, the Wall Street Journal, called Dr Lee to get her side of the story for their article yesterday (11 Apr), she would only tell them that the dispute “is a Singaporean matter” and that she “always try to stick by the truth”.
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Lee Wei Ling... a dissident in the making?
After a week of heady revelations and counter revelations, Dr Lee Wei Ling is now like a battered and bruised tigress, licking her wounds and waiting for an opportunity to strike back.
Her personality is that of a pit bull terrier with a tenacious instinct to not let go, said people who are familiar with her and her past actions.
When her father was alive, she had his wisdom to calm and even control her. Without the protective cover of a man she deeply respects and listens to, expect her to come to back fighting.
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Andrew Loh Facebook - 21 hours
- The "powers that be" wanna bring in another Lee, a 3rd generarion Lee, into politics.
- Best guess would be Lee Hongyi, eldest son from Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching, although LHL said in 2014 his children were not interested in politics "at the moment".
- Lee Wei Ling, for some reason, is adamantly against establishing what she sees as a "political dynasty" here.
- It seems this may be what Lee Kuan Yew himself may be against. Thus LWL's allusion or accusation of her brother as "a dishonourable son".
Perhaps some of them are silently supportive of what Lee Wei Ling is saying?
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Devadas Krishnadas Facbook - Yesterday at 03:44
Over the last few days Singaporeans have witnessed a startling spat featuring the children of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Triggered by his daughter, Dr Lee Weiling, who took issue with the country’s national English daily, the Straits Times, on its editorial policy and practice.
This morning the argument escalated dramatically when she chose to post the email thread between her and a Straits Times editor in which she made unflattering references to her eldest brother, the current Prime Minister.
Singaporeans and foreign observers alike must be wondering just what is going on. Disciplined Singapore seems to be revealing internal contradictions at its very core – the Lee family. I think though we should step back and put matters into a wider and longer term context. What does this episode really tell us that is meaningful and substantive? In Mr Lee's terms it is to ask "So?"
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Sorry But No Sympathy For Dr Lee Wei Ling
Dr Lee Wei Ling's ongoing spat with firstly, the Straits Times (ST) and lately with her brother, the Prime Minister has drawn a wide range of emotions. Some are cheering her (those who support the opposition), some are amused (the neutrals) whilst others are puzzled (PAP supporters).
Whichever it is, it's indeed rare to see the daughter of our first Prime Minister to criticise the conduct of another Prime Minister, especially when they are both cut from the same cloth.
Let's just do a brief summary - Dr Lee wanted to write articles to ST as she had done in the past with little objection. But this time, ST has invoked their right to editorial oversight, which clearly is not welcomed by her. The primary issue revolves around the position taken by the Govt and PAP members to glorify the rule of her father, Lee Kuan Yew (LKY). Dr Lee's argument is that LKY himself wouldn't approve of it and would cringe at it.
The spat went further with Dr Lee almost accusing then ST Editor in Chief Janadas Devan of being 'sly,' which prompted a response from him. Then she upped the ante by next accusing her brother, -curent PM Lee Hsien Loong of attempting to forge a 'dynasty.' This was rebutted but in a dramatic twist, the PM's wife, Ho Ching, posted a photo of a monkey on her Facebook page. The reference to Dr Lee wasn't a difficult one to make, given her words and if I'm a little crude - her looks. And so the drama continues.
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Lee Wei Ling kenna ‘Davinder’ed into silence?
Yesterday (10 Apr), in one of her postings on the entire email chain of exchanges between Ms Lee and the ST editors, she had accused her elder brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his powers to establish a dynasty and for being a “dishonourable son”.
At about 5 pm on the same day, PM Lee responded to Ms Lee’s post, denying the allegations hurled at him. He posted the following on his Facebook page.
Surprisingly, PM Lee’s wife, Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching, also posted on her Facebook page a picture of a monkey showing a rude gesture on the same day.
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Singapore: Of hero-worship and freedom
“Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom.”
“Lee Kuan Yew would have cringed at the hero worship,” his physician daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling posted on Facebook last week, accusing her prime minister brother Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his authority by leading Singaporeans into hero-worshipping their late father just one year after his demise.
Her views got her into a tangle with the editors of the Straits Times, leading to her claim that the pro-government paper was restricting her freedom of speech by censoring her views on the subject. Once again, Spencer’s words struck a chord within me.
Dr Lee does have a point. Photos abound on Singapore websites and blogs showing young schoolchildren bowing to his image, adults kneeling before it and soldiers in uniform saluting it. News reports tell of young children comparing him to Ironman and claiming he had bionic vision.
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The World is Watching: Lee Wei Ling vs Lee Hsien Loong Family Feud Gains Global Attention
From Malaysia and China, to Australia, the UK and even Switzerland, it appears that the world is watching to see how this family feud between our Prime Minister and his younger sister will pan out.
Yesterday, Lee Wei Ling made public an email exchange between her and Straits Times editor Ivan Fernandez, in which she accused her brother of no qualms abusing his power” in order to stage a commemoration just a year after their father’s death.
This, she said, was was part of efforts by “the power that be” to “establish a dynasty”, and she vowed that she would not allow her father’s name to be “sullied” by a “dishonourable son”.
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ST’s decision not to publish Lee Wei Ling’s commentary escalates into family feud
- She used “dishonourable” to describe someone
- LWL accused SPH of being controlled by the government
- LWL alleged that PM Lee had too much say in commemorating Lee Kuan Yew’s one-year anniversary passing
- Blogging vs Publishing
- Ivan Fernandez didn’t think blogging means posting the story on Facebook
- Ivan Fernandez CC-ed the email to SPH’s bigwigs Patrick Daniel, Warren Fernandez and Han Fook Kwang
Did the Wall Street Journal just imply that PM Lee should sue his sister?
Ho Ching explains politically incorrect monkey photo, social media malfunction
Lee Wei Ling Says She’s at Odds with Lee Hsien Loong: “Dishonorable Son” Won’t be Allowed to Sully LKY’s Name
In an ongoing public spate with SPH, Lee Wei Ling has revealed that she’s “at odds” with her elder brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Lee revealed that on Facebook, publishing an email correspondence between her and Straits Times editor Ivan Fernandez over the publishing of her story about the “hero-worshipping” of the late Lee Kuan Yew.
She accused PM Lee of “abusing his power” to have a commemoration one year after the death of their father and former prime minister.
related:
Lee Hsien Loong to Sis: I’m Not Trying to Establish a Dynasty
Ho Ching Apologises Doing What Every Wife Ought to Do: Stand By Your Man
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Dr Lee refers her brother as a “dishonorable son” and accuses him of abusing power to ‘build a dynasty’
From a scintillating revelation of e-mail exchanges between Dr Lee Wei Ling, daughter of the late Lee Kuan Yew and Ivan Frenandaz, an editor from the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), it does seem that Dr Lee had less than pleasant things to say about not only SPH, but her own brother, PM Lee Hsien Loong, too.
Dr Lee first revealed the e-mail exchanges between SPH and her in a Facebook post at about 1pm on 4 April in what can be constituted as an attempt to rebut the latest post written by Ivan on The Straits Times.
Ivan defended his decision to remove the parts of Dr Lee's submission in his post as an editor of her writings, saying that her ideas had to be honed and her language, tightened. He also argued that Dr Lee was guilty of plagiarism.
related:
Ho Ching apologises on Facebook for her “monkey post”
Of best friends, bitter foes and the bane of sailing through a fog
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LKY’s name sullied by an ‘dishonourable son’
So now that our PM’s reputation has been ‘sullied’ by his own sister, you’d have to wonder what drastic measures would need to be taken to ‘protect his honour’. One individual would be particularly interested. His name? Roy Ngerng. LWL has deleted the offending post, so perhaps that will keep Davinder Singh away for now.
As a son and PM, LWL’s brother had every right to commemorate Daddy’s 1st death anniversary, as many Singaporeans would come to expect as part of traditional custom. If he had decreed that a grand pagoda made of pure gold 10 storeys high be built just for LKY, then you could consider it an ‘abuse of power’. As for ‘honour’, well, we’ll leave it for the professor from NNI to elaborate further. As long as PM Lee doesn’t appear on the Panama Papers ‘honour roll’, then he’s fine.
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LWL: The dishonorable son
The eldest son and PM responded to her sister telling the world he is deeply saddened by her remarks. It is easy to understand where the PM is coming from but his sister LWL is harder to understand and I fear most will miss her point. If not for my background in the Gospel, I would not have understood either.
Yep, the eldest son ought to have done differently. He obviously did understand his late father but did otherwise. Here is my read of the whole thing.
When we remember LKY, we must choose how to remember him. You cannot publicly remember him in all ways although in private how you do it is up to you. I fear on the first anniversary of his passing we had chosen the equivalent of remembering him like King Hero had although we are not evil like this king.
PM Lee Hsien Loong claims that his sister’s accusations “completely untrue”
In the release of of the email exchanges between Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and herself in Facebook (which’s privacy option has since been changed to ‘private’), Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, had claimed that Mr Lee’s eldest son had “no qualms (about) abusing his power to have a commemoration just one year after LKY died.”
Mr Lee’s eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, is the current Prime Minister of Singapore.
Dr Lee further claimed in her email exchange with SPH that “if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”
related:
Ho Ching’s ‘it’s a twitter malfunction’ excuse for posting the monkey picture
Did Ho Ching extend an olive branch to Lee Wei Ling?
Ho Ching posts a picture of a monkey raising speculation of family feud further
Lee Wei Ling reveals emails indicating possible family feud
WSJ - PM Lee not suing sister can be construed as favoritism
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Top 5 lessons from the LWL saga
In the grand scheme of things, of course, it was a spat of no consequence. No policy nor police were involved. Nothing more cutting than words were used and certainly, nothing more durable than ego was harmed.
Still, it was a spectacle drawing punters and puns alike, not least because an unstoppable Hakka woman (from a VVIP family some more) meets head-on an immovable object (a blue-chip company some more). All that’s missing from this equivalent of a car wreck is a 4D number.
In the grand scheme of things, of course, it was a spat of no consequence. No policy nor police were involved. Nothing more cutting than words were used and certainly, nothing more durable than ego was harmed.
Still, it was a spectacle drawing punters and puns alike, not least because an unstoppable Hakka woman (from a VVIP family some more) meets head-on an immovable object (a blue-chip company some more). All that’s missing from this equivalent of a car wreck is a 4D number.
Here are five lessons from this episode:
- Don’t make public what should be private
- Stick to the issue
- Know when to lose the battle but win the war
- Membership has its privileges
- Do not copy and paste
Time for the famiLEE to end the public spectacle
THE trouble with writing about the LWL saga is that you have to keep updating your work. I have already said Dr Lee Wei Ling will give as good as she gets, and that has certainly turned out right. Unfortunately. Then there is another problem. How she seems to have trouble with deciding if she should or should not post anything. So the latest post, available for several hours earlier today, has been taken down but not before online media got hold of it.
What started as a simple rant about how The Straits Times (ST) wouldn’t publish her column has been given a different dimension: She says that the “powers that be’’, which control the media here and whom she has now identified as her brother, the Prime Minister, were behind the censorship/editing of her column criticising the events that commemorated Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death anniversary.
Included in the (now deleted) exchange of emails between her and her former ST editors which she had made public was this: “The powers that be commands SPH [Singapore Press Holdings], and no one in SPH dares to stand up to the powers that be to say, ‘you cannot abuse your power’. I will do so. I and HL are at odds on a matter of principle. HL has no qualms abusing his power to hv a commemoration just one year after LKY died, ‘least we forget’. Let’s be real, last year’s event was so vivid, no one will forget it in one yr. But if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”
This was the greatest shocker in Singapore's political history. The last time when someone tried to suggest Singapore is a "political dynasty" (i.e. New York Times), defamation suit was thrown swiftly against such insinuation. But this time round, this was done by the Prime Minister's very own sister!
The Prime Minister was quick to rebut his own sister by denying that there is any "political dynasty" in construction while we witnessed a monkey popped out of nowhere with its middle finger pointing upwards. Subsequently, LWL took down her FB post and the monkey also hides itself.
While the internet as well as international news portals were ignited with wild fires all around by this surprised family feud of the most powerful family in Singapore, I was first astonished but later felt that this is actually a good thing happening to Singapore, despite of the initial damage of Singapore's International reputation and standing.
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Be wary of nincompoops and sycophants
In a way the same story can be used to understand what Lee Wei Ling was trying to say and do. She is apprehensive that too much publicity given to LKY, already respected by many by the turn out at his funeral, could turn negative and ultimately make a mockery of LKY when sarcasm and doubts started to build up among the skeptics. LKY departed with great honours and the feeling was good in the minds of many. This goodwill should be left to stay in the minds of the people for as long as it could hold. To exaggerate it could end up being overdosed and trigger a bout of rejection.
Hsien Loong must be wary of the nincompoops and sycophants trying to curry favours by feeding him with the wrong message, that the people wanted more celebration of LKY, wanted to build more and bigger monuments, wanted to build temples, to elevate LKY to a deity to be worshipped. Singapore is a first world country, not like those in the 3rd world when hero worship and megalomania are acceptable, when political leaders could assume a god like image for the people to bow and pray and worship. Trying such behavioural tactics on a first world educated and sophisticated people would likely lead to unexpected and negative reception.
We have gone pass the 3rd world mentality. Or haven’t we?
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Are Dr Lee’s concerns about “Pa” being venerated justified?
Where’s the huge mausoleum? Where’s the mass forced bowing to LKY’s portrait. Yes I know the Indian alleged one such incident. But come on, the Indi is worse than Jason Chua’s FATPAP, ASS, TRS, STOMP! and TNP combined. And even if true, why no more reports meh?
And really, we wouldn’t stand for Sun style veneration. For starter’s we wouldn’t want to spend money on a huge mausoleum given the cost of land, labour and building materials here
Let me be very clear. I’m not saying that there’s no attempt to venerate LKY. There could be. Funnily Dr Lee doesn’t object to something that can reasonably be seen as deification veneration of LKY.
related: Why doesn’t Harry’s daughter object to this?
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LEE WEI LING SAYS LEE HSIEN LOONG ABUSED HIS POWER TO HOLD LKY COMMEMORATIONS
In a shocking expose on her Facebook page, Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of the late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, has come out to openly condemn Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for what she calls his attempts to "abuse his power" and for being a dishonourable son". This is with reference to LKY commemoration ceremonies organised by the People's Action Party and other organizations.
The post, which contain a series of email correspondences between herself and Singapore Press Holdings editors, has since been taken down. However, excerpts of her post are still available on a news report published by The Independent Singapore today.
According to the emails, Dr Lee, the second child in the late Lee Kuan Yew's household, said that she was at odds with her eldest brother over hagiography, and turned on Lee Hsien Loong by claiming that "HL (Hsien Loong) has no qualms (about) abusing his power to have a commemoration just one year after LKY (Lee Kuan Yew) died."
related: HO CHING SORRY FOR PICTURE OF MONKEY'S MIDDLE FINGER
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Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Wei Ling’s feud go public
Lee Kuan Yew’s death has eventually resulted a family feud between his eldest son and eldest daughter to go public today. On her Facebook, Lee Wei Ling blasted her Prime Minister brother Lee Hsien Loong for abusing power to establish a dynasty.
PM Lee Hsien Loong then used his controlled-press The Straits Times to hit her back saying that he is “completely saddened”:
“I am deeply saddened by my sister Dr Lee Wei Ling’s claim that I have abused my power to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing in order to establish a dynasty. The accusations are completely untrue.
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ST vs Lee Wei Ling (2016)
The current saga of Straits Times vs Lee Wei Ling is just stupid.
This is a perfect example of airing dirty laundry outside for all to see. This is when you could have washed the laundry properly first before airing it. Lee Wei Ling said ST censored her article on Facebook.
There are some arguments and counter-arguments on Facebook.
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What’s ST’s role in aggravating Lee Wei Ling’s grief on her father’s first death anniversary?
Over the past many days, many people have been excited by the exchanges between Dr Lee Wei Ling and the State-controlled newspaper, The Straits Times. For once someone big enough has come out to confirm their long-held belief that the newspaper practices censorship. Dr Lee had written an article protesting the heavy hero-worshiping and excessive adulation in commemorating the first anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s death. This, according to her, is something her father did not like or would approve. The editors decided it required some editing.
She accused them of censoring and limiting her freedom of speech and decided she would not want her edited article published in the newspaper. Instead she posted it herself on her own Facebook. She also said she would no longer write to the Straits Times. This obviously upset the editors and they became defensive. The original plot was buried and subplots quickly followed. They told her that her writings were rambling and incoherent that made editing tedious. “It’s like sailing through a fog”.
One even accused her of plagiarizing. With all these low blows, one should not expect the dispute to be settled amicably and in the end the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had to clarify himself.
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When Lee versus Lee reveals some uncomfortable truths
DEAR Dr Lee, I don’t know you very well. We’ve spoken a few times on the phone while I was a journalist in The Straits Times (ST), mainly because you had views on medical issues that merited reporting. But I’ve followed your columns over the years and know you as a caring doctor and filial daughter. You gave us a peek into the life of Singapore’s first family. You satisfied our curiosity and gave us insights. Thank you.
Many people were concerned about how you were feeling after your father died. We know how close you were to your parents. The responsibility of care-giving usually falls mainly on the single daughter and you seemed to have executed them more than dutifully.
I think you were right to raise concerns that the commemoration over your father’s death anniversary smacked of hero worship. I have said the same too in my column on The Middle Ground. I agree that it was something your father would have objected strongly to.
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Should PM Lee sue his sister?
I had written that I thought PM’s response to his sister’s accusations to be a very measured one. I still think it is. But it is very out of character. PM Lee and Mr Lee Kuan Yew are known for suing people who accuse them of corruption or abuse of power. Roy Ngerng was the latest person to have been dealt with in that manner.
When it was first reported that PM Lee has sent lawyer letters to Roy Ngerng to take down his defamatory statements and also apologise, there was a sense that PM’s response was disproportionate, but expected. It was a set play from PAP’s standard playbook. It was something that some friends and I had hoped would change with the new generation of leaders.
But I had a friend who strongly felt that PM had compelling reasons to initiate legal actions against Roy Ngerng. His argument was that it wasn’t sufficient for PM just to come out to refute Roy Ngerng’s baseless allegations. Roy Ngerng had to unequivocally recant everything he has said, publicly apologise, and public state categorically he was wrong to have made baseless allegations against PM. My friend also argued that if PM hadn’t done so, then there is a possibility that some foreign institutions (e.g. governments, MNCs) may actually believe that there is a nugget, however small, of truth in what Roy Ngerng had said.
related: FamiLEE feud so drama mama!
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PM Lee vs Lee Wei Ling ... "Damn if you do, damned if you don't"
Some may feel he should have kept this a family matter and not rebutted his sister in public. Others may think that as Prime Minister, he is answerable to Singaporeans as well.
It is very sad this ended up a public feud, but she forced his hand by calling him a "dishonourable son", and of establishing a dynasty. In the end, he chose to be accountable and upfront with Singaporeans.
It is not easy for him - he also has to balance between his role as a son, a brother, and the Prime Minister of Singapore. Whether or not he agreed with how the commemoration was done, he respected the wishes of Singaporeans to commemorate the first death anniversary of our founding father. Mr Lee is her father, but he was also more than just that. I do not think that it is right for her to deny Singaporeans the chance to pay their respects should they wish to, and to belittle their wishes.
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MomentariLee
I will not mention his name in this post. Other than the hint in the title as to the subject of this post. Because I agree with his daughter.
One year on, the events to commemorate his death, and his life has been, in his daughter's view, cringe-worthy.
I understand her point and share her view. He would not have wanted this "hero worship".
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Wei Ling’s Weird Wailings
I have itchy fingers. I’ve got this spot of psoriasis between my index and middle fingers (there’s a joke in there somewhere but I’m going to let it pass) in which the doctor had prescribed steroid cream. It seemed to work and as I was googling for the side-effects of steroids, I was directed to the news article of a spat between PM Lee and his sister Wei Ling. Don’t ask me what’s the link between steroids and the Lee siblings but google can be strange sometimes.
Anyway, I have been following Wei Ling’s musings for quite some time especially after the death of her father LKY. Like many, I enjoyed her writings because they gave an insight into the life of LKY that was not privy to others. But unlike others, somehow or rather I also felt her writings to be her own way of dealing with grief. Papa this. Papa that….
But lately it started to get really weird.
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PM Lee vs Dr Lee: Singapore Interest Is Paramount
So why am I writing this piece about the spat between our (SG) First Family siblings, PM Lee & Dr Lee Wei Ling? Well, in a very ironical way, it is out of respect for Mr Lee Kuan Yew himself and his belief that a political leader’s reputation must be jealously guarded and defended. Here’s what are widely reported - Dr Lee Wei Ling’s Claims:
- “HL has no qualms (about) abusing his power to have a commemoration just one year after LKY died,” Dr Lee wrote.
- “Let’s be real, last year’s event was so vivid, no one will forget it in one year,” she added and warned that “if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”
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The Lee Family Dispute
When the parents died, quarrels between siblings is not unexpected. However when you are the Lee family and one of you is the Prime Minister of Singapore, the family dispute somehow suddenly becomes national news and of public interest.
The problem began when Dr Lee Wei Lin wrote on her Facebook that there was excessive hero-worshipping of her late father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. She also claimed that she had to publish her post on Facebook because the Straits Times, Singapore’s government owned newspaper, refused to publish the article.
The Straits Times editor Ivan Fernandez defended the newspaper’s decision not to run Dr Lee’s commentary and Dr Lee re-posted their e-mail exchanges on her Facebook. Amid the exchange she wrote:
“I and HL are at odds on a matter of principle. HL has no qualms abusing his power to hv a commemoration just one year after LKY died, ‘least we forget’. Let’s be real, last year’s event was so vivid, no one will forget it in one yr. But if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”read more
Here’s why PM Lee had to issue a statement following Lee Wei Ling’s comments
Sunday (Apr 10) was a sad day for the Lee family. A private family disagreement spilled onto the public domain after Dr Lee Wei Ling (LWL) shared a Facebook post where she called Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a “dishonorable son” and alleged that he abused his power to have “a commemoration just one year after Lee Kuan Yew died.”
This prompted PM Lee to respond by saying that he was saddened by the accusation, adding that LWL’s claims were “completely untrue”. To the layperson, they may wonder why PM Lee even decided to respond – given that LWL’s post which accused him of “abusing his power” was not reported by the mainstream media (they did so after PM Lee issued his response) and was taken down a few hours after being posted. One would wonder whether his response would instead cast the public and media spotlight on this family disagreement.
Anyway, here is why we think he had to respond even if he might have amplified this issue:
- LWL’s post contained serious allegations
- PM Lee has to demonstrate although LHL is the son of LKY, LHL is also the PM who has to listen to the electorate and Cabinet
- He has to keep the international community informed in case they only get one side of the story
Singaporeans’ Disobedient Love for the Late Lee Kuan Yew
They appear to present a united front, but cracks have appeared in the Lee family’s façade of unity.
The cracks were made more apparent recently, after Lee Wei Ling lashed out her brother, Lee Hsien Loong, and accused his government of exploiting their father’s legacy for its own gains. PM Lee has denounced his sister’s statements, but the rare exchange has left the public shocked.
But hairline fractures were already starting to form in September last year.
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PM Lee, are you sure LKY commemoration was ‘ground-up’ effort?
Yesterday, PM Lee posted a Facebook comment rebutting his sister Lee Wei Ling claiming that he was “abusing his power” by commemorating yet again Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing after 1 year of his death.
Ms Lee said that his PM brother had “no qualms abusing his power to (have) a commemoration just one year after Lee Kuan Yew died”.
Calling her brother a ‘dishonorable son’, she said, “Let’s be real, last year’s event was so vivid, no one will forget it in one (year). But if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”
related: WSJ - PM Lee not suing sister can be construed as favoritism
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Lee Hsien Loong Facebook - 16 March at 18:00
A year ago our nation came together to bid Mr Lee Kuan Yew a last farewell. The week of national mourning and the State Funeral that followed were an intense and emotional experience for us all (on.fb.me/1LpZkPs).
During the State Funeral Procession, gunners from the 21st Battalion, Singapore Artillery fired a 21-gun salute for Mr Lee from the Padang.
I asked the SAF to collect the 21 artillery shell casings, to be presented to people, institutions and organisations that we...re closely linked to Mr Lee.
The recipients include the eulogists at the State Funeral Service, the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Housing & Development Board, National Parks Board, PUB, The People's Association, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, and the Parliament.
My deep thanks to all of them for the roles they played in my father’s life and for their contributions to the nation.
– LHL
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Lee saga exposed cracks in a lost dynasty...sinkies in trouble
Sinkies have always been dependent on incumbent PAP who cling on hero worship for power.....the lack of entrepreneurs and lack of local talents dependent instead on so called foreign talents are like sheeps being sent to feed and defend only the elites and new foreigner with no questions asked and challenge. Propaganda after propaganda has failed to raise entreprenuership and productivity because reliance on ft and building more houses are the only productive work govt can think of doing to raise gdp.....hiring of ft to run glc has not produce any single real well being for any singaporeans...instead sheeps are made to think that without PAP it will perish or face imminent danger....
perhaps lwl talk of lack of freedom of speech and hero worship is exposing fundamental weakness in the dynasty that is now lost and a PAP regime that has been preying on people fear and submissiveness for too long...so are singaporeans ready to lift their heads up one day or just cower and live like sheeps being herded by elites and ft...
related: HC says playing with different button but never deny Pic directed at LWL
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Has Lee Hsien Yang’s wife taken sides with Dr Lee Wei Ling in the famiLEE feud?
Several Facebook users have now pointed out that Mrs Lee Suet Fern had shared Dr Lee’s note about not hero-worshiping Lee Kuan Yew, and asked if this meant she supported Dr Lee in the spat with her older brother.
The privacy setting of Mrs Lee’s sharing of the post is set to ‘public’. This share is her only public post of socio-political nature.
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Ho Ching Apologises for Doing What Every Wife Ought to Do: Stand By Your Man
It was a right shocker to see that picture of a monkey go up on Ho Ching’s Facebook page, amidst the raging allegations by that her sister-in-law that her husband was trying to build a dynasty and pressurising the press.
But the wife of PM Lee Hsien Loong has said she’s sorry that the “monkey finger” image was posted, calling the sharing of the photo a mistake made while she was trying her hand at Twitter.
Many believed she was doing what every wife ought to do, which is “stand by your man” when he comes under attack (or when he’s being labelled a “dishonourable son”).
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Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching’s 8-Facebook-post guide to Twitter
Ho Ching, Temasek Holdings CEO and wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, took to Facebook on Monday (April 11) with an “embarrassed apolog(y)” for posting a cheeky photo of a monkey flipping the bird on Sunday (April 10). The timing was unfortunate as it was on the same afternoon that the Lee family saga happened to be unfolding close by.
So Ho explained that she was experimenting with the different parts of a tweet and the buttons involved, and happened to end up posting the picture by itself, sans all-important caption, especially on that particular afternoon, to her Facebook page. And as with most of her posts, it was set to “public”. Mayhem ensued.
Now, even after her apology and explanation, it seems certain critical readers among the Facebook community remained skeptical. “But it didn’t say ‘via Twitter’!” “But when you share a tweet to Facebook the post should carry the link!”. Instead of getting angry, the wise wife of PM Lee saw this as a learning opportunity for everyone.
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Internet refuses to buy Ho Ching’s ‘it’s a twitter malfunction’ excuse for posting the monkey picture
The head of Temasek Holdings and the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Madam Ho Ching, apologised earlier today for posting the picture of a monkey with an extended middle finger.
Ho posted the picture soon after her sister-in-law, Dr Lee Wei Ling, released her email exchange with The Straits Times in which she made several accusations against the PM (her elder brother).
Ho’s post of the picture raised the speculation of an escalating family feud further. Several Facebook users who commented on Ho’s post of the monkey asked if the message was directed at her sister-in-law, Dr Lee.
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A viral Joke???
Full Coverage:LWL was right. Take a look at this
Singaporeans should not be distracted from real issues by the monkey
HO CHING SORRY FOR PICTURE OF MONKEY'S MIDDLE FINGER
Ho Ching explains politically incorrect monkey photo, social media malfunction
Ho Ching’s ‘it’s a twitter malfunction’ excuse for posting the monkey picture
Did Ho Ching extend an olive branch to Lee Wei Ling?
Ho Ching posts a picture of a monkey raising speculation of family feud further
Lee Wei Ling reveals emails indicating possible family feud
Ho Ching apologises on Facebook for her “monkey post”
Of best friends, bitter foes and the bane of sailing through a fog
Lee Hsien Loong to Sis: I’m Not Trying to Establish a Dynasty
Ho Ching Apologises Doing What Every Wife Ought to Do: Stand By Your Man
FamiLEE feud so drama mama!
LWL at Odds with LHL: “Dishonorable Son” Won’t Allowed Sully LKY’s Name
Lee Hsien Loong to Sis: I’m Not Trying to Establish a Dynasty
Ho Ching Apologises Doing What Every Wife Ought to Do: Stand By Your Man
ST Editor Reveals Lee Wei Ling’s LKY Story was Rejected Due to Plagiarism
LKY’s Daughter Feels the Brunt of Daddy’s Legacy, Declares SPH Boycott
Former ST Editor Trashes LWL’s Writing, Accuses Her Smearing His Reputation
Lee Wei Ling Drives the Nail In Deeper on Censorship Practices of SPH Editors
Time for the famiLEE to end the public spectacle
Did the Wall Street Journal just imply that PM Lee should sue his sister?
HC says playing with different button but never deny Pic directed at LWL
Has Lee Hsien Yang’s wife taken sides with Dr Lee Wei Ling in the famiLEE feud?
WSJ - PM Lee not suing sister can be construed as favoritism
Lee Wei Ling vs Lee Hsien Loong Family Feud Gains Global Attention:
Financial Times: Singapore’s first family plays out public feud on Facebook
HK SCMP: Spore PM’s sister accuses him of ‘abusing his power’ to establish political dynasty
Sydney Morning Herald: Spore PM Lee Hsien Loong at war w/ sister over LKY commemorations
CNBC: Sister of Singapore Prime Minister Lee accuses him of dynasty politics
IBT UK: Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong denies sister’s abuse of power accusations
Guardian: Singaporean PM in feud with sister over anniversary of father’s death
Swissinfo: Open spat erupts in Singapore between premier and his sister
BBC: Lee family spat fuels Singapore debate on founder’s legacy
Nikkei Asian Review: Family feud over ‘hero worship’ erupts in Singapore
Manila Bulletin: Feud bursts between Singapore PM, sister
Malay Mail: Singapore PM ‘deeply saddened’ by sister’s charge of abuse of power
Xinhua: Singapore PM denies sister’s claim of abusing power
Reuters: Open spat erupts in Singapore between premier and his sister
Indian Mandarins: Troubling spat between Singapore PM & his sister
DailyMail: Open spat erupts in Singapore between premier and his sister
Turkey Anadolu Agency: Singapore PM refutes sister’s abuse of power claims
Focus Taiwan: Singapore PM rejects sister’s accusation of trying to build dynasty
WSJ: Singapore Family Feud
ejinsight: Singapore PM parries sister’s claims of dynastic ambitions
The Australian: Late S'pore PM Lee Kuan Yew’s children squabble over his memory on FB
The Independent: S'pore Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong embroiled in Facebook spat with sister
SMH: Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong at war with sister over Lee Kuan Yew commemorations
FT: Singapore’s first family plays out public feud on Facebook
Newusauk: Singaporean PM in feud with sister over anniversary of father's death
Marketing: Lee family spat: Social media a devil you must learn to dance with
Daily Mail: Feud bursts into the open between Singapore PM, sister
Can-india: Singapore PM denies sister’s claim of abusing power
Global News: Facebook family feud bursts into open between Singapore PM, sister
NDTV: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Feuds In Public With Sister
China Post: Feud between S'pore PM, sister goes public
Yahoo News: Lee Wei Ling... a dissident in the making?
Free Malaysia Today: Singapore: Of hero-worship and freedom
Dailymail: Singapore PM feuds in public with sister
Was the reception to Lee Kuan Yew's passing just a knee-jerk reaction?
I have no doubt that Singaporeans and many people around the world felt genuine, emotional stirrings at the death of this giant, but that it was so short-lived makes one wonder. I suppose we can't expect people to be writing eulogies to him every day. We all know that life goes on. However, I believe that if you asked the people who had either strongly negative or neutral feelings, or those who could rationalise how they felt about his life and passing, the conviction of their sentiments would be the same now as they have been for years and will be for years to come.
So what of the seven-day mourners? Was it a knee-jerk reaction? Was it that people didn't expect to feel as much as they did when he left us? Or was it just that many had never thought about it before and never weighed the importance of this man in our history and future until he was gone? How much of it stemmed from pure ignorance?
One of the main things that struck me was the disgust with which people who had anything other than a kind word to say about him were treated. They were called ungrateful and disrespectful. They weren't allowed their own opinions — God forbid any judgements — or their own parting words to a man they had a different relationship with. When Lee Kuan Yew passed, he was apparently no longer just a great man; in the eyes of many, he had become a perfect man too.
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related: Family feud over how to mark LKY's death spills out online
Over the past fortnight, Dr Lee Wei Ling had written on her personal FaceBook page about her disagreement with the way the 1st death anniversary of her father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, was marked across the country last month.
Yesterday, she made public a series of e-mails on the matter, only to take them down from her Facebook page several hours later.
In the e-mails between her and Straits Times associate editor Ivan Fernandez, who was editing her columns, Dr Lee said she was "at odds" with her brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
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related: Online squabble about "Hero-Worship" of the late Lee Kuan Yew
The saga, which has involved salvo after salvo being fired from both sides, shows no sign of respite.
Dr Lee Wei Ling took to Facebook again on Saturday afternoon to respond to a Straits Times article published the same day that claimed she had plagiarised her column.
The article was penned by the newspaper's associate editor Ivan Fernandez, who had edited Dr Lee's work since last November.
Dr Lee Wei Ling took to Facebook again on Saturday afternoon to respond to a Straits Times article published the same day that claimed she had plagiarised her column.
The article was penned by the newspaper's associate editor Ivan Fernandez, who had edited Dr Lee's work since last November.
related: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew 2016
A series of activities were held today to commemorate the one-year death anniversary of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the world’s longest serving prime minister, who passed away at the age of 91.
Born in Singapore on Sept 16, 1923, Kuan Yew, helmed the government for over three decades.
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong in his posting on Facebook wrote: “A year ago today, Mr Lee Kuan Yew left us. Tens of thousands queued for hours to pay their last respects at Parliament House, where his body lay in state. As he made his final journey past the Padang, a 21-gun salute was fired.”
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Lee Kuan Yew estate's appeal: Court of Appeal reserves judgement on interview transcripts
Singapore’s Court of Appeal on Monday (10 April) reserved judgement into the appeal by the estate of Lee Kuan Yew against a ruling on the interviews that the former Prime Minister had given in the 1980s.
The estate, overseen by Lee’s younger children, Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling, had appealed against the High Court’s ruling in September last year that while the estate has the copyright of the interview transcripts, it does not have the rights to the physical custody of the transcripts or use them freely.
The transcripts contain accounts of affairs of state as observed and experienced by Lee Kuan Yew, who was prime minister when he gave the interviews as part of a government oral history project in the 1980s.
related: Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Wei Ling say they have 'no confidence' in Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong
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Apex court reserves judgment in appeal on Mr Lee’s interview transcripts
The Court of Appeal on Monday (Apr 10) reserved judgment on another bid by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s 2 younger children to gain full control of his oral history transcripts, with the political sensitivity of the materials and whether Mr Lee had intended to bequeath the transcripts emerging as the main areas of contention between his estate & the Government.
Earlier, the High Court had ruled against Dr Lee Wei Ling & Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who are executors of their father’s estate. They had argued that as copyright holders of the transcripts of interviews he had given for a national oral history project in the 1980s, they should be allowed to access and use the materials.
On Monday, Senior Counsel Lee Eng Beng, who is representing the late Mr Lee’s estate, argued that there ought not be concerns about the politically sensitive portions of the interviews being divulged as a result, as these are covered by the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and would be punishable, if there were leaks.
related: Siblings of PM Lee said they felt "threatened" over fate of Oxley Road home, Hsien Yang to leave Singapore
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related:
The famiLEE tree
How international media are covering the famiLee feud
What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?
New Law to Protect Lee Kuan Yew's Name and Image
LKY Passing: Good Intentions Gone Wrong
PM broke down in Parliament talking about his Dad
A State Funeral Service held for Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew passes away on 23 Mar 2015
Lee Kuan Yew – The Man and his Legacy
Lee Kuan Yew in ICU with severe pneumonia
The Battle For Merger
Happy 91st Birthday Lee Kuan Yew from Singapore!
Former PM Lee Kuan Yew in the limelight
Singapore's Founding Father Hospitalised
Lee Kuan Yew turns 90
Lee Kuan Yew hospitalised: Suspected Transient Ischaemic Attack
Lee & Lee - The job has changed
"One World's View Of The Man"
Lee Kuan Yew on death: I want mine quickly, painlessly
A Post-LKY Singapore?
Remembering Lee Kuan Yew 2016
Online squabble about "Hero-Worship" of the late Lee Kuan Yew
Family feud over how to mark LKY's death spills out online
Social Media on the Late LKY’s children Online Squabble
