Lee siblings: Lawrence Wong brushed off questions about K Shanmugam's involvement in committee

They point out that K Shanmugam was extensively consulted in the process of the drafting of LKY's will.

Jeanette Tan | June 17, 2017, 06:52 PM

Once again, in Singapore-style speed and efficiency, we have already heard Lee Hsien Yang's response to Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean's recently-released statement on the composition of the Ministerial Committee.

Here it is:

"DPM Teo has finally revealed the composition of the shadowy committee members. This was information that Wei Ling and I had asked for repeatedly from the outset for almost a year, and been denied. It is clear that a committee of one's subordinates, should not be sitting arbitrating an issue related to their boss. That is why the Committee is fundamentally flawed. As the subordinates of the PM, how can they possibly be in a position to deal in this private disagreement? This is the wrong forum.

We had expressed specific concerns on the possible membership of Shanmugam and his conflict of interest having advised Lee Kuan Yew and us on options to help achieve Lee Kuan Yew's wishes, and the drafting of the demolition wish. This represents a clear conflict of interest. When we raised this in writing, we were brushed off by Lawrence Wong with "Nothing you have stated precludes any member of the Cabinet from taking part in the Committee's work or its deliberations, with the exception of the Prime Minister." We found the refusal to identify the members of the committee, and to confirm Shanmugam's recusal particularly troubling as he is an experienced Senior Counsel and Minister for Law who should well understand the problem of conflicts of interests. Only now do we find out that he is indeed a member of this Committee."

The members of the committee include:

- K Shanmugam, Minister for home affairs and law

- Grace Fu, Minister for community, culture and youth

- Lawrence Wong, Minister for national development, and it's chaired by

- DPM Teo, Coordinating minister for national security and head of the civil service.

Lee Wei Ling, in her usual style, backed him up, adding the line: "Shanmugam was extensively consulted and advised my father over lunch."

Here's her post:

Back to the government folks, we suppose.

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Top photos via Lee Hsien Yang, K Shanmugam Sc Facebook, and Big Ears YouTube.

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