‘I hope one day, these passions will subside’: Singapore PM seeks reconciliation with siblings

Premier Lee Hsien Loong denies deceiving his father, Lee Kuan Yew, about family home on Oxley Road, as he urges Lion City to move on from saga: ‘This is not a soap opera,’ he tells parliament

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Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00pm, 4 Jul 2017Updated: 11:00pm, 6 Jul 2017

A teary eyed Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday told lawmakers he hoped to one day reconcile with his estranged younger siblings who accused him of abusing his power, but warned their bitter public feud was unlikely to end any time soon.

In a round-up speech following a two-day parliamentary debate on the allegations made by Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, the premier said comments by him and his ministers from the despatch box showed beyond doubt he had committed no wrongdoing.

“I hope one day, these passions will subside, and we can begin to reconcile. At the very least, I hope my siblings will not visit their resentments and grievances with one generation onto the next generation,” Lee told lawmakers.

WATCH: Singapore PM says siblings’ charges ‘baseless’

His eyes reddened and his voice choked with emotion as he spoke about “a difficult ... long road” towards rapprochement with his siblings. Other MPs from his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) were also seen wiping away tears as he spoke.

The three are the children of the country’s revered independence leader Lee Kuan Yew. The premier warned it was likely his two siblings’ attacks against him would continue in the near term.

The feud over the fate of their family home at 38 Oxley Road – Lee Kuan Yew’s home of seven decades – erupted into a national debate last month after the two younger siblings went public with stunning accusations that their brother had used his executive powers to get his way over the property.

Singapore PM misled Lee Kuan Yew on family house: brother

“I hope this two-day debate has cleared the air and will calm things down,” Premier Lee said.