Singapore PM says in parliament his family feud is entirely baseless

SINGAPORE - Singapore's prime minister addressed his escalating family feud in a speech in parliament on Monday, saying his siblings' accusations that he had misused government power were "entirely baseless" but he would not sue them.

The family dispute has been a rare political dustup in the city-state led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father since its independence in 1965. Public accusations against Singaporean leaders are extremely rare, and both Lee and his father have won defamation lawsuits against their political opponents.

Singaporeans have latched onto the never-before-seen spectacle, standing in line to enter the parliament's public gallery on Monday.

Business executive Lee Hsien Yang and Doctor Lee Wei Ling, a famous neurosurgeon, have accused their brother of using the "organs of the state" against them to preserve a house belonging to their father, Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee Kuan Yew died in 2015. His seventh and final will indicated a family bungalow should be demolished once his daughter moves out.

Dr Lee and her brother have claimed that the prime minister secretly wanted the house preserved to "inherit the faith Singaporeans had in Lee Kuan Yew through the visible symbol of the house".

They alleged that their brother lobbied a committee and that his wife, Ho Ching, improperly obtained artifacts belonging to their late father.

"Their allegations are entirely baseless, but they have already damaged Singapore's reputation. Unrebutted, they can affect Singaporeans' confidence in the government," Lee Hsien Loong said.

Associated Press