PUBLISHED ONOctober 22, 2024 8:05 AMBySean LerThe Singapore government has said that British media outlet The Guardian's proposition that Lee Hsien Yang and his family are victims of baseless and unfounded persecution is itself "without basis".
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 22), Lee revealed that he sought asylum in the (UK) in 2022 and is now a political refugee.
"The Singapore government's attacks against me are in the public record. They prosecuted my son, brought disciplinary proceedings against my wife, and launched a bogus police investigation that has dragged on for years," he wrote.
"On the basis of these facts, the UK has determined that I face a well-founded risk of persecution, and cannot safely return to Singapore."
He then added that he 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 said.
According to the UK's government portal for persons seeking protection and asylum, a refugee is someone who is unable to return to their country due to their race, religion, nationality and their political opinion, among other things.
It also states that the person "must have failed to get protection from authorities in [their] own country".
The Singapore government, in response to media queries from The Guardian about Lee's asylum status, said there is no basis to allegations of criminal prosecution against him as well as other claims about political repression in the country.
It pointed out that that there are no legal restraints on Lee and his wife Lee Suet Fern returning to Singapore.
"They are and have always been free to return to Singapore," the government added.
Lee left Singapore on June 15, 2022, after the police asked him and his wife to assist in investigations. He had initially agreed to do so, but never turned up.
In 2023, Lee hinted that he may never return to Singapore amid the ongoing investigations, even though his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, was then extremely unwell.
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After Dr Lee died on Oct 9 this year, Lee said he would not return and had organised the funeral remotely with his son Li Huan Wu's help. In response, the police said that there are "no legal restraints" on Lee and his wife returning to Singapore.
On allegations of criminal prosecution, the government spokesperson also said that Singapore's judiciary is "impartial and makes decisions independently".
"This is why Singaporeans have a high level of trust in the judiciary," the spokesperson added.
"In Singapore, no one is above the law. Anyone, including the offspring of the founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, can be investigated and brought before the courts."
The spokesperson also cited Singapore's third-place ranking in the 2023 World Justice Project index, while the UK was ranked 11th.
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editor@asiaone.com
