Lee Hsien Yang’s allegations will not distract my team, UK relations unaffected by asylum: PM Wong

Tan Min-Wei

November 08, 2024, 08:15 PM

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Lee Hsien Yang’s actions would not distract him or his team from focusing on core issues that were important to Singaporeans.

At the press conference on Nov.8, he was asked a question about Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was recently granted political asylum in the United Kingdom.

PM Wong also spoke about a range of issues, including the impact of the United States elections, and Singapore’s own general elections.

Lee Hsien Yang has made several allegations regarding the Singapore government, accusing them of politically targeting him as well as accusing the government of being complicit in illicit financial activities.

These claims have been refuted extensively by the Singapore government.

A dent in relations?

A question put to PM Wong at the conference referred to him saying that it was important for Singaporeans to speak with one voice so that it could be a credible member of the international community.

But now Lee Hsien Yang was casting aspersions and making allegations from outside of Singapore, with the implied question being how this would impact Singapore and the government.

PM Wong was also asked whether the United Kingdom granting asylum to Lee Hsien Yang implied that the UK either agreed with him or believed that his allegations were true, and if the granting of asylum had dented relationships with the UK.

Further strengthening relationships

PM Wong said that he could not speak for the UK government or its decisions on political asylum.

He had recently met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where the topic of Lee Hsien Yang did not come up.

The meeting took place at the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting, and PM Wong said that he and Starmer had “had a good conversation”.

The UK and Singapore had a strategic partnership, and there were many areas of cooperation to work on.

PM Wong believed that there would be opportunities to strengthen the relationship further, especially as Singapore and the UK will mark 60 years of diplomatic ties in 2025.

Would not distract from core issues

PM Wong then spoke about Lee Hsien Yang’s allegations, saying that the Singapore government had responded to them in full and that said that he could not control what Lee Hsien Yang said or did.

He reemphasised that there were no legal restrictions on Lee Hsien Yang, his wife Lee Suet Fern, or his son, Li Sheng Wu; and all three were free to return to Singapore.

But whatever Lee Hsien Yang said, PM Wong said that it would not distract him or his team from focusing on core issues that were important to Singaporeans.

This included taking care of Singaporean livelihoods, advancing Singaporean’s standard of living, and making sure that Singapore continued to build a better future for itself.