WP chief slams ‘ugly media circus’, wants issue settled in court

SINGAPORE — Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang on Monday called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to settle the “private family dispute” between him and his younger siblings in court, noting that less serious allegations had been dealt with under libel.

Urging PM Lee and the Cabinet to “do whatever is necessary to bring this dispute to a quick resolution”, the opposition leader also slammed the “ugly media circus” as he pointed out that the spat is distracting the Government and Singaporeans from “far more important issues”, and damaging the Singapore brand. 

“Individuals who made less serious allegations that undermined the reputation and authority of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers have been brought to task for libel. 

“There is no reason why this time it should be different because it comes from the Lee family. In fact, the allegations (by PM Lee’s siblings) are much more serious,” said Mr Low, who is a Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC. 

Settling the dispute in court will allow the parties involved to put forward their sides of the story with evidence, while allowing Cabinet ministers to focus on uniting Singaporeans instead of being drawn into “participating in a divisive dispute”, he said.

Mr Low said the opinions of the WP members and MPs on the other aspects of the saga “are just as diverse as public opinion has been in these few weeks”. 

Amid the squabble, the line between the private and the public domains have been “blurred (and) crossed too many times” by PM Lee, his siblings, as well as other members of the Government, said Mr Low.

The dispute created a public ruckus at an “unfortunate” time, he added, when the Republic is confronted by wide-ranging challenges in the economic, geopolitical and security areas, among others.

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s allegations against PM Lee via a “continuous media campaign” — based on “scattered evidence centred on family displeasure” — undermine the Prime Minister’s authority and do not make for constructive politics, Mr Low noted. 

“It is a reckless thing to do and I do not see how this is in the national interest,” he said. 

But PM Lee and the Government also should not have contributed to the public row, he added. 

“The Government should set an example … It should not be involved in (the) Facebook brawl for the whole world to see … (It) should not continue with this dispute in the public domain,” he said. 

Urging the Government to “move on” from this dispute, he added: “I am personally perplexed and lost, as are many Singaporeans, on the Lee family saga. 

“However, this is not a Korean drama show. It is a serious matter because it affects the credibility of the entire country.”

Echoing Mr Low’s views, fellow WP MP Pritam Singh said PM Lee’s decision not to take legal action is “to the surprise of many Singaporeans” and an “anomaly” in the way the ruling People’s Action Party handles such damning claims.

Responding to the WP MPs, Senior Minister of State (Communications and Information and Education) Janil Puthucheary pointed out that going to the courts will only “drag out” the matter. Parliament cannot make a private citizen sue his own brother, he stressed. “It is a choice for a private citizen to make. Yet you are asking for us in this House to make a decision about a private act,“ he said. 

Mr Low argued that if PM Lee does not sue his siblings, the Government risks “giving the impression that it is afraid of what the Lee siblings might say or reveal”. “This will taint the trust Singaporeans have placed on the Government and compromise the high standards that the Government prides itself on achieving and aspires to maintain,” he said. 

Mr Low noted that the Government has the law at its disposal to decide on the fate of 38 Oxley Road, just like “any other important heritage sites in Singapore”. 

“I believe that to a large extent, it is a delay in acting which has led to this sorry state of affairs. Why is there a need for a Ministerial Committee to look into this when the Government clearly has the power to act decisively in the national interest?”