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‘It’s sad if I need magic properties to bolster my position’

SINGAPORE — Dismissing his siblings’ claims of nepotism and his desire to keep 38 Oxley Road intact for dynastic ambitions, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday questioned how it would enhance his aura.

Screengrab of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivering his speech in Parliament on July 3, 2017.

Screengrab of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivering his speech in Parliament on July 3, 2017.

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SINGAPORE — Dismissing his siblings’ claims of nepotism and his desire to keep 38 Oxley Road intact for dynastic ambitions, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday questioned how it would enhance his aura. 

“If I needed such magic properties to bolster my standing after 13 years as your Prime Minister, I must be in a pretty sad state.

“And if Singaporeans believe that such magic works in Singapore, I think Singapore would be in an even sadder state,” he said in Parliament.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling have alleged that their eldest brother wants to preserve the house of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew to enhance his political capital. 

They also accused PM Lee and his wife of wanting to milk their father’s legacy and harbouring political ambitions for their son, Hongyi. 

Following the allegations, Mr Li Hongyi said in a Facebook post that he had “no interest in politics”.

On the allegations of nepotism levelled by his siblings regarding his wife and son, PM Lee said on Monday that his son has publicly ruled out going into politics, adding: “Nor have I pushed him to enter politics.” He added that his wife, who is the chief executive of Temasek Holdings, reports to the board helmed by Mr Lim Boon Heng, and answers to its shareholder, the Finance Ministry, under Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat. 

Temasek Holdings’ board names the chief executive, whose appointment has to be confirmed by the President, who is advised by the Council of Presidential Advisers.

“If Ho Ching ever behaves improperly, I have no doubt that the Temasek Board, the President and the Council of Presidential Advisers know what their duty is,” PM Lee said.

In a separate Ministerial Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Minister in charge of the Civil Service, reiterated that the public service is guided by a code of conduct that lays out principles, which public officers must abide by to ensure integrity in the service.

Among other things, public officers must not undertake activities that “can give rise to any perception that official resources are being used for party political purposes” and are expected to protect the confidentiality of information. Public officers can report suspected misconduct directly to their agency heads or Permanent Secretaries.

Noting how the Republic’s public service is recognised for its “long track record” of integrity, Mr Teo said: “This is a key pillar of Government that Mr Lee Kuan Yew and our pioneer leaders have built. The public service staunchly believes in and commits itself to living up to the high standards set by Mr Lee and his founding team.”

Mr Teo noted that it was “ironic” that the fact that PM Lee had recused himself from the committee’s work had been “labelled by some as an abuse of power”. 

“If PM Lee … had simply as the Prime Minister, ordered the government agencies to demolish the house without due process, that would truly have been an abuse of authority and power,” he said.

“Perhaps (the current allegations may be due to how some) feel that their demand for a particular outcome should simply be carried out. But simply doing this would be an abuse of power.” Kenneth Cheng

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