Lee Hsien Yang's claims of political persecution without basis: Government

Statements that Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his family are victims of "unfounded" persecution are without basis, said the Singapore Government in response to queries from British newspaper The Guardian.

- Ng Wei Kai

In a story published on Oct 22, The Guardian reported that Mr Lee had been granted asylum in the UK in August 2024, after fleeing what he described as "a campaign of persecution". He had applied for asylum in 2022.

In the Guardian report, Mr Lee said that Singapore's Government had turned on him after he endorsed the opposition, and that despite its economic prosperity, "there's a dark side to it, that the Government is repressive".

In a social media post at 1pm Singapore time, about two hours before The Guardian published its story, Mr Lee, the younger son of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, said he is now a political refugee in the UK.

He remains a Singapore citizen and "hope(s) that some day it will become safe to return home", he added.

In a statement to The Guardian, which it also released to the Singapore media on Oct 22 - before the report was published - the Singapore Government addressed statements by Mr Lee and questions from the publication. The questions were also released to the Singapore media.

The Guardian raised several statements in its e-mail that the Government rebutted.

ON LEE HSIEN YANG'S ALLEGATIONS OF PERSECUTION