Lee Hsien Yang dismisses remarks about using politics for 'personal problems'

Singapore

LEE Hsien Yang, the estranged younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, maintained on Sunday that his entrance into opposition politics was not driven by "personal problems".

"You know, I have spoken up about my personal problems without being in politics. The party's position is clear and I have no need to use the party to be my mouthpiece for anything," said Mr Lee Hsien Yang.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a Progress Singapore Party (PSP) walkabout at Tanglin Halt Market.

The younger Mr Lee and his sister Lee Wei Ling have been embroiled in a public rift with PM Lee - also secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party - over the fate of their late father Lee Kuan Yew's family home at 38 Oxley Road.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang, 62, was officially unveiled as a PSP member last week, amid public speculation that he could join the ranks of the new opposition party that was launched in August last year. While he was not formally presented as a candidate for the July 10 election, he has been accompanying party colleagues on walkabouts and openly endorsing the opposition on social media.

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PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock, along with prospective candidates Abas Kasmani and Michael Chua, were also present on Sunday at the walkabout at Tanglin Halt, which is part of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) that the party plans to contest in. The quartet was accompanied by over 20 supporters who donned PSP polo T-shirts.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang also called out the alleged unfairness of the upcoming polls ­- a sentiment that several of his party colleagues have also expressed.

"The rules are constructed in a way in which we don't even know what the rules were, and then at the last minute, the opposition is told, please submit your rally speeches ahead of time. I'm not sure what the purpose of this is. Are they going to say you can't say certain things?" he said.

"Even before (the pandemic), many people have highlighted that the elections in Singapore are conducted in a way that's different from anywhere else, and stacked it against the alternative parties. We hope that people can see through this, and that they recognise that the game is an uneven playing field. And that they will compensate for it in the way they respond, and in their vote."

Due to restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19, there will be no physical rallies or large gathering in the run up to this year's polls. Instead, livestreaming venues will be provided each day for online rallies from July 1 to July 8 in three-hour blocks.

Each candidate is also allowed to pre-record three-minute speeches that will be aired on national television from July 3 to July 7.

Lamenting the limitations behind these broadcasts, Dr Tan said: "You can hardly say a few words and it's ended. And the worst thing, which caught my attention, is that I've got to submit my script a day or two in advance. They will know what I'm going to say." (see clarification note)

"I don't know how they are going to make Singapore believe that this is a fair election. But never mind, we will never run away. We will take the high ground and will still continue to campaign to the best of our abilities."

On Sunday, government fact-checking site Factually clarified that political parties need not submit their scripts for Internet campaigning activities, including online rallies.

They do, however, need to submit their scripts ahead of the recording of party political broadcasts to national broadcaster Mediacorp. This is to ensure that contents do not contain libellous statements or statements that may cause racial or religious tensions. This arrangement has been in place since the 1980s, according to Factually.

Dr Tan said his party is working towards stripping away the PAP's long-held legislative supermajority, something which other opposition parties have consistently tried but failed to do.

With its intention to field 24 candidates in nine constituencies, the PSP's game plan for the coming polls is widely regarded as the most ambitious among the opposition parties.

Clarification note: The latest version of this article includes a clarification from government fact-checking site Factually regarding the submission of scripts.

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