Singapore PM suing blogger for defamation says legal action key to protecting government’s clean reputation

Lee Hsien Loong was questioned for four hours on the first day of a defamation trial against Leong Sze Hian, a critic of the ruling PAP’s economic policies

The PM initiated the legal action in December 2018 after Leong shared an article on Facebook suggesting he was linked to Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives at the High Court for a defamation hearing against blogger Leong Sze Hian on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:01pm, 6 Oct 2020Updated: 10:02pm, 6 Oct 2020

Singapore leaders’ track record of taking legal action against those who falsely impugn them has been vital to the government maintaining its clean reputation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday as he took the stand in a defamation suit against a vocal critic.

In the first day of a four-day trial in the country’s High Court, Lee was questioned for four hours by Lim Tean, the lawyer for veteran blogger and politician Leong Sze Hian.

The case attracted more than the usual attention after Lim, who heads the opposition group Peoples Voice that Leong is affiliated with, was arrested last week for failing to appear before investigators in a separate criminal case.

Lim – released on bail – later claimed the arrest was politically motivated ahead of Leong’s trial, drawing a sharp rebuff from authorities.

Lee initiated the defamation action in December 2018 after Leong shared an article a month earlier on Facebook that suggested the prime minister was involved in Malaysia’s multibillion dollar financial scandal at the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state investment fund.