Lee Hsien Yang Granted Asylum by UK Amid Feud

Lee Hsien Yang, brother of former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has been granted asylum in the UK and declared himself a “political refugee.” This development stems from a 7-year familial dispute over their late father Lee Kuan Yew’s family home; he claims the government has retaliated by persecuting him, his wife, and his son. Lee stated on Facebook that he sought asylum in 2022, citing the alleged actions against his family, including what he calls a “bogus police investigation” and prosecution of his son. “On the basis of these facts, the UK has determined that I face a well-founded risk of persecution and cannot safely return to Singapore,” he said.

In an interview with The Guardian, Lee accused the Singapore government of enabling money laundering. He urged global scrutiny, claiming Singapore is a facilitator for “arms trades, for dirty money, for drug monies, crypto money.” Singapore’s government has disputed these claims, emphasizing it maintains stringent anti-money laundering systems in keeping with international standards. In their statement, officials reiterated that no individual, even Lee Kuan Yew’s descendants, is above the law, and all can face judicial scrutiny.

The family feud has seen both Lee Hsien Yang and his late sister, Lee Wei Ling, accuse their elder brother of misusing his authority to prevent the demolition of their father’s house, contrary to his wishes. This ongoing conflict has involved investigations related to alleged false testimony by Lee Hsien Yang and his wife in matters tied to Lee Kuan Yew’s will. The nation is currently led by newly appointed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong; Lee Hsien Loong retains an advisory Cabinet role. (This story was generated by Newser’s AI chatbot. Source: the AP)