Lee Hsien Loong

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Lee Hsien Loong
Other names 李显龙
Lee Hsien Loong in 2019 (cropped 2).jpg
Born 10 February 1952
Colony of Singapore
Occupation Politician
Political party People's Action Party

Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as the third Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Teck Ghee division of Ang Mo Kio GRC since 1991, and previously Teck Ghee SMC between 1984 and 1991.

Controversies

Condominium rebates

For more information, see: 1995 Hotel Properties Limited apartment sales.

In 1996, while serving as deputy prime minister, Lee and his father Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew addressed Parliament on the allegations of receiving special discounts on four luxury condominium units that they had purchased from Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) on the properties of Nassim Jade and Scotts 28 in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Lee Kuan Yew's brother Lee Suan Yew was the director of HPL, leading to the controversy. Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong ordered an immediate investigation into the matter, since although the provision of special discounts or rebates to relatives and associates of directors is permitted under Singapore law, shareholders must approve such transactions.[1]

Ministerial salary

Lee's salary has been a source of public discontent.[2] From 2008 to 2012, Lee earned an annual salary of S$3,870,000 (US$2,856,930),[3] an increase of 25% from the previous S$3,091,200 (US$2,037,168).[4][5] In January 2012, due to public discontent,[6] Lee took a 28% pay cut, reducing his salary to S$2.2 million (US$1.7 million).[1][7][8] He remains the highest-paid head of government in the world.[9]

Allegations of nepotism

International Herald Tribune

In 2010, Lee, together with his predecessors, threatened legal action against The New York Times Company which owns the International Herald Tribune regarding an op-ed piece titled "All in the Family" of 15 February 2010 by Philip Bowring, a freelance columnist and former editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review. The International Herald Tribune apologised in March that readers of the article may "infer that the younger Lee did not achieve his position through merit". The New York Times Company and Bowring agreed to pay S$60,000 to Lee, S$50,000 to Lee Kuan Yew and S$50,000 to Goh (amounting to about US$114,000 at the time), in addition to legal costs. The case stemmed from a 1994 settlement between the three Singaporean leaders and the paper about an article also by Bowring that referred to 'dynastic politics' in East Asian countries, including Singapore. In that settlement, Bowring agreed not to say or imply that the younger Lee had attained his position through nepotism.

Issues involving judiciary

In response, media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders wrote an open letter urging Lee and other top Singapore government officials to stop taking "libel actions" against journalists.[10][11][12][13] Legal action had been taken in the Singapore courts for defamation against the Financial Times (2007)[14] and the New York Times Company.[10] In a 2008 report, the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute cast doubts on the independence of the judiciary in cases involving PAP litigants or interests.

Prime minister career

As the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, Lee's career has been shadowed by allegations of nepotism.[15][16][17][14] He was widely tipped to be prime minister with several critics viewing Goh Chok Tong as a seat-warmer. Lee has challenged his critics to prove their allegations of nepotism or put the matter to rest.[15][16]

Oxley Road house dispute

See also: 38 Oxley Road

In June 2017, Lee became embroiled in a dispute with his brother Lee Hsien Yang and sister Lee Wei Ling, over the fate of their father's house at 38 Oxley Road.[18][19][20][21] Founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was averse to a cult of personality.[22] As a result, he had inserted in his final will a demolition clause stating that the house was to be torn down when his daughter moves out; it also states that should demolition be impossible, the house shall be closed to the public.[23]

Lee's siblings alleged that he was abusing his powers, using "organs of the state" as prime minister to preserve the house against their father's wishes. Lee and the Cabinet denied all their allegations and convened a special sitting of Parliament to debate the matter thoroughly.[24] In his closing speech, Lee stated: "After two days of debate, nobody has stood behind these [his siblings'] allegations or offered any evidence, not even opposition MPs ... It shows that the Government and I have acted properly and with due process." He left open options to convene a select committee or Commission of Inquiry should substantive evidence be presented.[25][26][27][28] The siblings accepted Lee's offer to settle the dispute in private the following day.[29]

On 1 September 2019, Lee sent a letter, via the Prime Minister Office, to journalist Terry Xu of The Online Citizen (TOC) requesting that Xu take down a TOC article with false allegations.[30] On 5 September, Lee sued Xu for repeating statements made by Lee's siblings.[30] By doing so, Lee attracted critics for using the prime minister's office for personal matters.[30]

1MDB defamation case

In December 2018, Lee sued Leong Sze Hian, a prominent government critic, for sharing an online article on his Facebook page alleging that former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak had signed "secret deals" with Lee to secure help from Singapore banks to facilitate money laundering from Malaysia's government-run strategic development company 1Malaysia Development Berhad, in what became known as the 1MDB scandal. Lee's lawyers claimed that Lee had been "gravely injured in his character and reputation" and "brought into public scandal, odium and contempt".[31] Leong removed the post thereafter but justified his actions by claiming that it was "a matter of public interest... whether or not it was correct" and filed a countersuit against Lee, claiming that the lawsuit proceedings against him were "an abuse of the process of the court".[32] The Court of Appeal dismissed the countersuit in September 2019, citing that Singapore law does not recognise the concept of the abuse of court process.[33]

In October 2020, Lee took the stand in a four-day trial in the High Court against Leong, who was defended by lawyer Lim Tean, secretary-general of the opposition party Peoples Voice.[34] In an opening statement, Lee's lawyer Davinder Singh said that 1MDB had become "a byword for corruption and criminal activity" and that Leong's sharing the post might have implied that "Lee was complicit in criminal activity relating to 1MDB".[35] Lee claimed that he was compelled to file the suit because not to do so would have raised questions, given his history of filing lawsuits against defamatory statements.[34] Leong did not take the witness stand, with Lim arguing that it was unnecessary for Leong to give evidence, and that it was Lee's responsibility to prove that Leong's actions were malicious and had damaged Lee's reputation. The case was adjourned to November 2020.[36] Leong was found guilty in March 2021 of defamation and ordered to pay damages to Lee.[37]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Salaries Cut, Singapore Leaders Are Still Well-Paid, The Wall Street Journal, 18 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Singapore PM faces 36 pct pay cut, still world's best paid, Reuters, 4 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Lee, Lynn. Ministers, top civil servants to get 4% to 21% pay rise in Jan.
  4. ↑ Seth, Mydans. Singapore announces 60 percent pay raise for ministers, The New York Times, 9 April 2007.
  5. ↑ SPEECH BY MR LEE HSIEN LOONG,PRIME MINISTER, AT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARY REVISIONS, 11 APRIL 2007, 4.30 PM.
  6. ↑ Singapore Leaders, Among Globe's Best Paid, Brace for Cuts, The Wall Street Journal, 5 January 2012. (in en-US)
  7. ↑ Mydans, Seth. Singapore Slashes Officials' Salaries, The New York Times, 23 January 2012.
  8. ↑ AFP: Singapore PM says Obama earns less but has perks (17 January 2012).
  9. ↑ Singapore faces growing pains as setbacks pile up, Reuters, 6 February 2012.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Richard Perez-Pena. Times Co. Settles Claim in Singapore, The New York Times, 25 March 2010.
  11. ↑ Alex Kennedy. NY Times pays damages to Singapore leaders.
  12. ↑ New York Times to pay damages to Singapore leaders.
  13. ↑ Stop suing journalists: RSF tells Singapore leaders, Bangkok Post, 26 March 2010.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Brook, Stephen. Financial Times apologises to Singapore PM over nepotism claims, The Guardian, 18 October 2007.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 PM Lee discusses the issue of nepotism, Asiaone, 16 April 2010.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Excerpts of Singapore PM Lee's interview by Charlie Rose – 14 Apr 2010. sporenewsalternative (16 April 2010).
  17. ↑ Singapore Answered Charge of Nepotism, The New York Times, 22 February 1996.
  18. ↑ Joshua Berlinger and Euan McKirdy (20 June 2017). Singapore PM apologizes for family feud. CNN.
  19. ↑ Singapore PM hits back at siblings over abuse of power claims, 3 July 2017.
  20. ↑ Chandran, Nyshka. Singapore's PM opens himself up to debate amid abuse of power claims, CNBC, 20 June 2017. (in en)
  21. ↑ Seow, Joanna. Oxley Road: PM Lee addresses allegations of abuse of power through Ministerial Committee, The Straits Times, 3 July 2017. (in en)
  22. ↑ Singapore, the Nation That Lee Kuan Yew Built, Questions Its Direction – The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 March 2015.
  23. ↑ Sim, Royston. Oxley Road dispute: Lee Kuan Yew's final will 'accepts' Oxley house demolition may not take place, says Indranee Rajah, The Straits Times, 23 June 2017. (in en)
  24. ↑ Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong says wants to avoid legal action against siblings. CNBC (3 July 2017).
  25. ↑ Lee Hsien Loong refutes siblings' charges of abuse of power over Oxley house, The Straits Times, 4 July 2017.
  26. ↑ Lee Kuan Yew's thinking on 38, Oxley Road, The Straits Times, 4 July 2017.
  27. ↑ Singapore's PM: I am fulfilling my father's dying wishes for 38 Oxley Road, South China Morning Post, 4 July 2017.
  28. ↑ Hsien Yang's objection to Oxley house plan a 'complete surprise', Today, 4 July 2017.
  29. ↑ Oxley Road: Lees' public feud takes conciliatory turn; Lee Hsien Yang and Wei Ling say they accept offer to settle dispute in private, The Straits Times, 6 July 2017.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Singapore prime minister sues independent news website for defamation (en-GB) (11 September 2019).
  31. ↑ Singapore's prime minister personally sues critic for sharing article on Facebook, South China Morning Post, 5 December 2018.
  32. ↑ PM Lee Hsien Loong in High Court for start of four-day defamation hearing against blogger Leong Sze Hian, The Straits Times, 6 October 2020.
  33. ↑ Court of Appeal throws out blogger Leong Sze Hian's counterclaim against PM Lee, The Straits Times, 27 September 2019.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Singapore PM suing blogger for defamation says legal action key to protecting government's clean reputation, South China Morning Post, 6 October 2020.
  35. ↑ PM Lee's libel hearing against blogger Leong Sze Hian begins with Leong's lawyer Lim Tean arguing there is no need to sue his client, The Straits Times, 6 October 2020.
  36. ↑ PM Lee's libel suit adjourned after Leong Sze Hian decides not to take the witness stand, The Straits Times, 7 October 2020.
  37. ↑ Blogger Leong Sze Hian ordered to pay PM Lee $133,000 for defamation over sharing of article, The Straits Times, 24 March 2021.


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