Lee Hsien Yang Responded to Minister Shanmugam’s & Vivian’s Demand for Apology & Damages

Lee Hsien Yang Responded to Ministers

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know about the Ridout Road saga; the spin-off of the saga involves PM Lee’s brother, Lee Hisen Yang. The two ministers who rented the colonial houses in Ridout Road, Minister for Home Affairs and La K. Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, have issued legal letters in response to accusations made by Lee Hsien Yang.

Lee Hsien Yang has since responded…on Facebook (again).

Lee Hsien Yang Responded to Minister Shanmugam’s & Vivian’s Demand for Apology & Damages

In a Facebook post, Lee Hsien Yang said, “Shanmugam and V Balakrishnan are wrong about what I said. My post did not assert that Shanmugam and V Balakrishnan acted corruptly or for personal gain by having SLA give them preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval and also having SLA pay for renovations for them. My post simply stated facts that were already widely published in the Singapore and international media.”

He then added, “My post was made in the UK. If K Shanmugam and V Balakrishnan believe that they have a real case, then they should sue me in the UK.”

Simply put, he didn’t withdraw his allegations, nor make an apology. As for damages, he didn’t address it.

According to the two ministers, they said that if Lee Hsien Yang didn’t meet their demand, they will sue him.

What is the Post?

On 23 July 2023, Lee Hsien Yang made a post on Facebook alleging that the ministers had leased state-owned mansions, overseen by one of their agencies. He claimed they had trees felled and received state-funded renovations. Additionally, he raised concerns about SPH Media, suggesting they had inflated their circulation numbers while receiving substantial taxpayer funds.

The authorities were swift in their response, invoking the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) against his post, deeming the allegations untrue.

While Lee Hsien Yang complied with a correction notice for the post, he subsequently reiterated his stance in a new post, standing by his initial claims.