Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Lee Hsien Yang's passport remains valid and it was never seized, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on May 17.

ICA's statement was issued in response to media queries in the wake of a disciplinary tribunal for Kwa Kim Li, the lawyer of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The statement clarified that Lee Hsien Yang's passport was never in ICA’s possession during and following Kwa Kim Li’s disciplinary tribunal hearing.

Tribunal report details

On May 5, a report released by the disciplinary tribunal stated that Lee Hsien Yang had applied to give evidence by video link as his "passport was currently being held by immigration authorities in connection with an immigration issue".

The report also said "he was unlikely to get it back in time for the hearing".

The report said Lee Hsien Yang had applied to give evidence via video link, which the tribunal noted was one of the issues raised prior to the commencement of the evidentiary hearing.

But it was revealed that Kwa had rejected the application.

Her lawyer argued that Kwa would be unable to cross-examine Lee Hsien Yang in person and would be prejudiced by the inability to do so.

Lee Hsien Yang put forth in a video hearing for this application that he was unable to travel due to matters beyond his control, and that he could "give evidence by video link" as there were solutions available for him to do so.

The tribunal noted that Lee Hsien Yang argued that he would face "unfair prejudice" if the application was not granted.

There was no mention of when the application was made.

It was also not made known when the hearing subsequently occurred.

Declined to state why passport handed over

However, the tribunal noted that the counsel for Lee Hsien Yang declined to state why the passport had been handed over, or even when that occurred, despite repeated requests.

The date when the passport was hand over was critical, the tribunal noted, as it would determine if Lee Hsien Yang's inability to travel "was a matter beyond his control or occasioned by his own actions".

Eventually, the tribunal allowed the application for Lee Hsien Yang to give evidence via video link after consideration.

But the tribunal also said it was "disturbed" by Lee Hsien Yang's "refusal to give reasons why and the circumstances under which he did not have possession of his passport".

The tribunal added that Kwa would not be prejudiced by cross-examining Lee Hsien Yang via video link.

Background

The tribunal found that Kwa had misled Lee Kuan Yew's children -- Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling -- in email responses to their queries.

Kwa was also found to have failed to safeguard Lee Kuan Yew's confidentiality while handling his will.

She was ordered to pay a penalty of S$13,000 and to pay costs and disbursements to Lee Hsien Yang and The Law Society of Singapore.

Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Lee Suet Fern left Singapore after declining to attend a police interview in July 2022 relating to lying in judicial proceedings about the late Lee Kuan Yew's will.

Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling are the brother and sister of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Lee Kuan Yew is the father of the trio.

Top photo via Overseas Singaporean YouTube