Dispute with PM a ‘Singaporean matter’: Lee Wei Ling

SINGAPORE — Dr Lee Wei Ling has described her public dispute with her brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, over the commemoration of their father’s one-year death anniversary, as a “Singaporean matter”.

“I always try to stick by the truth and that’s all I’m going to say,” Dr Lee was quoted saying by the Wall Street Journal when the newspaper contacted her on Monday (April 11). She did not elaborate.

The dispute made international headlines this week after Dr Lee posted a series of email exchanges with editors of The Straits Times over a column she had written about the death anniversary of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

In one of the emails posted on Sunday, which was later deleted, Dr Lee accused PM Lee of having “no qualms” about holding commemorative events in order to establish a dynasty.

She wrote: “But if the power (sic) that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonorable son.”

PM Lee refuted his sister’s allegations that same day, saying he was “deeply saddened” by her claims and that they were “completely untrue”.

The dispute first began when Dr Lee took to Facebook to take issues with The Straits Times’ handling of a column she had written, which criticised the commemorative events as excessive. She claimed that she was denied her freedom of speech.

The newspaper has refuted her accusations, with its Associate Editor Ivan Fernandez disclosing that Dr Lee had plagiarised other writers for parts of her column.