PM Lee’s son, Li Hongyi, says he has ‘no interest in politics’

SINGAPORE — Mr Li Hongyi, the second son of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has publicly declared that he has no interest in politics, seemingly refuting a claim made by his aunt and uncle.

“For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics,” Mr Li, 30, wrote on Thursday (June 15) in a public Facebook post, his first since the death of his grandfather, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in March 2015.

Mr Li is currently in the civil service, working as a deputy director in the Government Digital Services Group. 

His name was thrust into the public spotlight on Wednesday after his aunt and uncle, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, alleged, among other things, that PM Lee and his wife Ho Ching harboured political ambitions for Mr Li.

PM Lee has dismissed the allegations, and described the claim of having political ambition for his son as “absurd”.

In an email interview with AFP published on Thursday evening, Mr Lee Hsien Yang said his elder son, Mr Li Shengwu, had no interest in entering government.

"He (Mr Li Shengwu) believes it would be bad for Singapore if any third-generation Lee went into politics," the former Singtel chief said. "My elder son and my views on politics are entirely aligned."

Mr Li Shengwu is a Harvard academic. His father also told AFP: "The country must be bigger than one family."