The brother of Singapore’s prime minister may enter self-exile, all because of a house

Now a bitter and public family dispute over the fate of his modest house has shattered Singapore’s image as an orderly authoritarian ideal and hinted at deeper divisions about its political future.

Two of Mr. Lee’s three children have accused their elder brother, the prime minister, of abusing his power to preserve the house against their father’s wishes. The motive, they said, is to shore up his own political legitimacy and ultimately to establish a dynasty for which he is grooming his son.

These charges have transformed what on the surface is an ugly estate battle into a national crisis that has raised questions about how this island nation is governed, the basis of the governing party’s uninterrupted 58-year rule and how the country’s leaders are chosen.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByodqaSLlpPIWHdRdFE2QlZYbzg/view pdf

shocking news—Lee Hsien Yang, brother of Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, issued a statement (.pdf) suggesting he will enter self-exile. In a six-page letter co-written with his sister, Lee Wei Ling, he said he would leave the state for the “foreseeable future,” citing his brother Loong as the “only reason for [his] departure.”

The siblings contend Lee Hsien Loong has sought to establish a dynasty-like rule over Singapore following the passing of their father Lee Kuan Yew—Singapore’s revered former leader, responsible for its astonishing economic advancement and deeply mourned upon his death in 2015. For evidence, they point to the fate of the family real estate. Lee Kuan Yew stated in his will that upon his death, the family’s home at 38 Oxley Road ought to be demolished. Lee Hsien Loong, however, wants to preserve the property, and perhaps move in.

The siblings say they believe this marks a concerted effort to build a dynasty-like ruling family in Singapore, and runs contrary to their father’s wishes.

Lee Kuan Yew moved into his house on 38 Oxley Road in 1945. The property remained his home until his death.

His desire to demolish the property after he died is well-documented. In a 2011 interview with local paper the Straits Times, he cited the high cost of maintenance as one reason to tear it down, adding that he doubted his family would remain attached to it. “I don’t think my daughter or my wife or I, who lived in it, or my sons who grew up in it will bemoan its loss. They have old photos to remind them of the past,” he said. He also appeared not to want the house to become a political shrine—or a nuisance to neighbors.

It’s been over two years since Lee Kuan Yew’s death, though, and the house still stands. In December 2015 prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that he and his brother Hsien Yang would donate the value of the house to charity. But in today’s letter, Lee Hsien Yang alleges that his brother’s public hand-wringing belies private efforts to keep the house for himself.

Lee Hsien Loong issued a response to the letter on Facebook, stating the allegations left him “deeply saddened.”

Ref: Property Report