Lee Hsien Yang has confirmed with Today on Dec. 27 that he has donated money to blogger Leong Sze Hian.

Lee Hsien Yang is the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Leong is facing a defamation suit filed by the PM Lee and is crowdfunding for donations with a target of S$10,000.

In response to Today's queries, the younger Lee said that he gave Leong a “meaningful sum”.

When pressed on the exact amount, he replied: “It is not S$1.”

Asked why he donated to Leong’s legal fund, Lee told Today: “Surely it needs no explanation?”

Background:

Leong's countersuit

In court papers posted on Dec. 26, Lim Tean, who is Leong's lawyer, claimed that what his client did was no more than what thousands of others had done in sharing the allegedly defamatory article, which said PM Lee had helped launder money from Malaysia's embattled 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund.

Lim, from Carson Law Chambers, recently set up a new opposition party, People's Voice.

In response to PM Lee's suit, Leong is countersuing.

Leong said in his countersuit: "The predominant purpose of the claim is the use of the legal process to chill freedom of expression in Singapore generally and in particular to restrict reporting on any role the government may have had in the 1MDB scandal."

He is seeking compensation for damages to his reputation through the issuance, continuance and reporting on the legal proceedings, as well as costs, according to the court papers.

PM Lee is seeking aggravated damages as well as costs, plus an injunction that Leong be prevented from publishing or disseminating the defamatory allegations, or any other allegations of complicity in matters relating to 1MDB.