Update | Father of Singapore blogger critical of Lee Kuan Yew apologises for son’s behaviour
Teenage blogger charged with wounding religious feelings, other offences over video in which he called late leader a 'horrible person'
The father of teenage Singaporean blogger Amos Yee has tearfully apologised for the behaviour of his son, who was charged with offences yesterday over an expletive-laden online critique of Lee Kuan Yew and Christianity.
Yee was charged with offences including obscenity and hurting religious feelings over the YouTube video, in which he described Lee, the country's late founding leader, as a "horrible person" who was, like Jesus Christ, "power hungry and malicious". Yee was arrested on Sunday, the day of Lee's funeral.
The slight student with a thick mop of hair smiled and fidgeted as charges were read to him yesterday in a district court. He was released by the court on S$20,000 (HK$113,000) bail.
Outside the courtroom, his teary-eyed father clasped his hands and told reporters: "I would like to take this opportunity to say very sorry to PM Lee."
But his son later smiled and waved to reporters as they left the court building.
The controversial video has been taken down from the teenager's YouTube page but other people have reproduced it in part or in full.
Yee, who at 16 is old enough to be tried as an adult, was already known in the local YouTube community for humorous postings and a bit role as a child actor in a comedy movie called We Not Naughty.