Singapore PM Lee’s estranged brother to remain self-exiled in Europe, fears persecution
- Lee Hsien Yang had been considering running in the presidential election, but is close to giving up due to the latest wave of verbal attacks against him
- The younger son of Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew left last year amid investigations relating to judicial proceedings over his father’s will
The estranged younger brother of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he has effectively self-exiled in Europe and is “unlikely to return to Singapore” due to fear of political persecution.
Lee Hsien Yang said during a phone interview that he has been considering running in the presidential election that is to take place by September.
But the younger son of Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew alluded to being close to giving up on contesting the coming election due to the latest wave of verbal attacks against him.
“I left Singapore in June last year. I’m in Europe. I prefer not to identify more clearly where I am,” he said in the 45-minute interview.
The 65-year-old has been urged to run in the election by “many people, some I know very well, some who I don’t know”, adding that he takes those voices into account. But he said the attacks make the situation surrounding his potential candidacy “complicated”.
“I would put myself at risk if I were to return to Singapore at this time,” he said.
