London: Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, announced on Tuesday that he has become a political refugee under the U.N. Refugee Convention. In a Facebook post, Lee, who is estranged from his brother and former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, revealed that the United Kingdom has recognized that he faces “a well-founded risk of persecution and cannot safely return to Singapore.”
“I sought asylum protection as a last resort. I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will become safe to return home,” he stated.
The Singapore government dismissed Lee’s persecution claims as “baseless and unfounded”, according to ChannelNewsAsia, which cited a response to the Guardian newspaper. The British high commission in Singapore has not yet commented on the matter.
Lee Hsien Yang and his sister, the late Lee Wei Ling, who passed away on October 9, have had a contentious relationship with their brother Lee Hsien Loong, who served as prime minister from 2004 until May 2023. The siblings have been embroiled in a public dispute regarding the fate of their father’s home following his death in 2015, leading to their estrangement.
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In his statement, Lee Hsien Yang revealed that he sought asylum protection in 2022, citing ongoing government persecution against him and his family, which prevented him from attending his sister’s funeral. Recently, he indicated plans to apply for the demolition of Lee Kuan Yew’s home, aligning with what he claims were his father’s wishes.
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The Singapore government responded, stating that it would address matters related to the property in due course.
