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Workers' Party concerned about allegations of PM Lee abusing power

This article is more than 12 months old

The Workers' Party yesterday voiced its concern over allegations that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had abused his power, in its first comments about the dispute between PM Lee and his siblings over their father's Oxley Road house.

In a Facebook post, the party shared seven parliamentary questions its MPs have filed to "clear the air" on the allegations levelled against PM Lee by Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang.

This comes a day after PM Lee said he would deliver a ministerial statement when Parliament sits on July 3 to refute their "baseless accusations" and urged MPs to scrutinise the matter.

The WP said it believes the family issues surrounding the house at 38, Oxley Road should be resolved privately or in court.

"We are only concerned with the allegations of abuse of power and the harm these have caused to confidence in Singapore and our political institutions," the party said.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling had released a statement last Wednesday accusing PM Lee of misusing his power in a bid to preserve their father's house, among numerous other allegations.

Among the WP questions was one by Aljunied GRC MP Pritam Singh, who asked if the Government would agree to convene a Special Select Committee of Parliament, comprising MPs from all parties with public hearings that are broadcast live, to look into the allegations of power abuse.

This is to allow PM Lee's "accusers to present all the relevant evidence to Parliament", said Mr Singh, who is the party's assistant secretary-general.

Mr Chen Show Mao wanted to know if there are mechanisms to prevent and detect situations where organs of state are used by ministers to gather information for personal purposes, to advance personal interests or punish critics.

Former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock also weighed in on the matter in a separate post on Facebook yesterday, saying that Parliament is not the right place to settle family disputes.

"It is an institution to make laws and debate national issues. Family disputes should be settled in courts. In Parliament, MPs have no details of the case and only hear PM telling his side of the case. Wrong platform," he wrote.

The Singapore Democratic Party also issued a statement yesterday saying the saga goes “well beyond a private family quarrel”.

It called for an official Commission of Inquiry to be convened to look into the dispute.

WORKERS’ PARTYLee Hsien LoongLee Hsien Yang