 "How a family feud has forced Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew's youngest son to seek asylum in UK")
Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, has been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, alleging persecution by the Singaporean government led for two decades by his brother, Lee Hsien Loong, the recently stepped-down prime minister of the Asian nation.
The feud between the brothers has been publicly documented since 2017, largely centered around the inheritance and fate of their late father’s home, and has since expanded.
Who is Lee Hsien Yang?
Born on September 24, 1957, Lee Hsien Yang was raised in a family that would go on to define modern Singapore.
He attended top institutions, including Catholic High School and National Junior College, before studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, under Singapore’s prestigious President’s Scholarship and the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship.
He graduated with a double first in engineering science and later obtained a Master’s in management from Stanford University.
After a successful military career, during which he attained the rank of brigadier-general, Lee Hsien Yang transitioned to the private sector. He served as CEO of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) from 1995 to 2007, overseeing its transformation into one of Asia’s largest telecom companies.
His role in Singapore’s corporate world positioned him as an elite figure in the country’s establishment. However, his fallout with his elder brother, Lee Hsien Loong, drastically shifted the course of his life.
What is the Lee family feud?
The public rift between Lee Hsien Yang and his brother began after the death of their father, Lee Kuan Yew, in 2015. The primary point of contention was Lee Kuan Yew’s final will, specifically his instructions regarding the family home at 38 Oxley Road.
The elder Lee had stated that the house should be demolished after his passing, a wish his younger children, Hsien Yang and his sister, Lee Wei Ling, wanted to honour. However, Lee Hsien Loong, then the sitting prime minister, proposed preserving the house as a national monument.
In 2017, this disagreement erupted into a public controversy when Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling accused their brother of abusing his power to block the demolition of the house. They claimed that Lee Hsien Loong was using their father’s legacy for political gain and harboured ambitions to establish a political dynasty.
They also expressed fear that state institutions were being used against them, a claim Lee Hsien Loong and the Singapore government have repeatedly denied.
As the feud deepened, Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lim Suet Fern, found themselves entangled in multiple legal disputes. They were accused of providing false evidence in judicial proceedings related to Lee Kuan Yew’s will, and their son, Li Shengwu, was prosecuted in absentia for contempt of court over a Facebook post.
Lee Hsien Yang and Lim Suet Fern ultimately left Singapore, living in self-imposed exile for several years, first in Europe and later settling in the UK. His sister, Lee Wei Ling, continued living in the family home until her death on October 9, 2024.
Lee vs Lee
Before his exile, Lee Hsien Yang became involved in Singaporean politics, further widening the gap between himself and his brother. In 2020, he joined the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), led by Tan Cheng Bock, stating that the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), once led by his father and later by his brother, had “lost its way.”
Although he did not run in the 2020 general elections, citing that “Singapore doesn’t need another Lee,” his political alignment marked a significant departure from his earlier life as a member of Singapore’s elite establishment.
In 2023, he hinted at running for Singapore’s largely ceremonial presidency, but legal investigations against him and his wife prevented his candidacy.
Legal troubles continued to follow Lee Hsien Yang. In 2023, he was ordered to pay damages in a defamation suit involving two Singaporean ministers, K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan. The ministers claimed that Lee had falsely accused them of corruption in relation to state property rentals.
Lee was ordered to pay over SGD 400,000 in damages and costs, a judgment he chose not to contest in court, which the government saw as an admission of defeat.
Why did Lee Hsien Yang seek asylum in the UK?
In 2022, after years of public attacks and legal battles, Lee Hsien Yang sought asylum in the UK, citing ongoing persecution by the Singaporean government.
In a Facebook post on October 22, 2024, he declared that the UK had granted him refugee status for five years, following its assessment that he faced a “well-founded fear of persecution.” Lee stated, “I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will become safe to return home.”
Lee has openly criticised the Singaporean authorities, claiming they launched a politically motivated campaign against him, his wife, and his son.
“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 posted on social media.
In an interview with The Guardian published on Tuesday, Lee Hsien Yang also criticised the Singaporean government’s role in international financial dealings, accusing the city-state of facilitating illicit transactions, including arms trade and money laundering.
He called for the world to scrutinise Singapore’s financial practices more closely, despite the government’s robust defence that its system complies with international anti-money laundering standards.
In response, Singapore’s government denied all allegations, calling Lee’s claims “baseless” and asserting that there were no legal restrictions preventing him or his family from returning to Singapore. The government reiterated that “no one is above the law,” and investigations into Lee Hsien Yang’s actions had been conducted fairly.
What next?
The Lee family dispute, centered on 38 Oxley Road, remains unresolved. Following the death of his sister, Lee Wei Ling, in 2024, Lee Hsien Yang applied to demolish the family home, in accordance with his father’s wishes.
However, the Singaporean government has yet to make a final decision on the fate of the house.
Also Watch:
Lee Hsien Yang’s status as a political refugee in the UK, coupled with his vocal criticism of the Singaporean government, marks a dramatic departure from his earlier life as a key figure in Singapore’s establishment.
As he continues to reside in the UK, he maintains that his fight for justice is not over. “I sought asylum protection as a last resort,” he said. The question of whether Lee Hsien Yang will ever return to Singapore remains unanswered.
With inputs from agencies
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