SINGAPORE: The youngest son of Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of Singapore, claimed that he was granted asylum in Britain because of persecution at home, where a property dispute has sparked a bitter family feud.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Lee Hsien Yang stated that he would seek asylum in 2022 “as a last resort” in response to government attacks on him. Lee, 67, wrote, “Under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, I am a political refugee from Singapore.”
I cannot safely return to Singapore because I face a legitimate threat of persecution. The Lees are Singapore’s closest royalty, and their conflict over whether to tear down the one-story house or keep it has made news and gossip.
Lee Hsien Yang and his sister wanted to tear down the bungalow where the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in charge of Singapore since 1959, was founded.
Their siblings accused their older brother, former premier Lee Hsien Loong, of trying to use their father’s legacy for political gain because he wanted to keep the property. Lee Hsien Yang had stated that he felt unsafe returning to Singapore for her funeral after Lee Wei Ling, who was living at the disputed property at the time, passed away from an illness on October 9.
