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Straits Times spins story about LHY into one that he is never returning to Singapore

The Straits Times article on Lee Hsien Yang’s recent Facebook post is focused on the ongoing police investigation into him and his wife. The article also mentioned Lee Hsien Yang’s guilty verdict for lying under oath and his intention to run for the upcoming presidential election. However, the article did not include LHY’s accusations against the government and PM LHL, alleging attacks on him and his family for standing up for his father’s promise to ensure that their family house at 38 Oxley Road is demolished after his death.

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2 years ago

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SINGAPORE — A Straits Times article, entitled “Lee Hsien Yang hints at never returning to Singapore, says he is unlikely to see his sister again”,  reported on Tuesday (7 Mar) that Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) in his recent Facebook post, expressed the possibility of never returning to Singapore amid an ongoing police investigation into him and his wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern (LSF).

LHY is the younger son of Singapore’s first prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew and the brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (LHL).

The ST article, which does not have a byline, reported how LHY revealed the deteriorating health condition of his sister, Dr Lee Weiling, who was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in August 2020.

The Straits Times report highlighted that Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean had informed Parliament last Thursday about the ongoing police investigations into LHY and his wife for possible offences of lying under oath.

It noted that the couple had left Singapore after refusing to attend a police interview that they had initially agreed to, according to Mr Teo’s written reply.

Police stated that LHY and his wife left Singapore after being engaged in June 2022 and have not returned, wrote ST.

The report also mentioned the Court of Three Judges and a disciplinary tribunal finding the couple guilty of lying under oath during the disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee over her handling of the last will of Lee Kuan Yew, who died in 2015.

It goes on to state how LSF had been referred to a disciplinary tribunal by the Law Society over her role in the preparation and execution of Lee Kuan Yew’s last will, which differed from his sixth and penultimate will in significant ways.

Among the differences was a demolition clause related to the demolition of his 38 Oxley Road house after his death, which had not been in the sixth or penultimate will but was in the last, noted ST.

The report goes on to state how LHY revealed his intentions to run for the upcoming presidential election in an earlier phone interview with Bloomberg News.

“It’s something I would consider.” However, the ongoing investigation may affect his candidacy. “What the chances are that I will return to Singapore in the foreseeable future,” said LHY to Bloomberg.

ST, as with other mainstream media in Singapore, then went on about how several lawyers and law academics said the finding by the disciplinary tribunal and Court of Three Judges that LHY had lied under oath might affect his chances of candidacy.

Glossed over details from ST report

However, in its report, ST skips out how LHY has accused the government, under the leadership of LHL, of attacking him and his family for standing up for his father’s promise by writing, “Mr Lee repeated allegations he had previously made on the matter, including of harassment, surveillance, and smear campaigns.”

In his Facebook post, LHY wrote, “Yet another attack has just been launched, re-litigating the same issues that were raised by Lee Hsien Loong after probate of Lee Kuan Yew’s will, at the ministerial committee in 2016/2017, in Parliament in 2017, and in disciplinary proceedings in 2019/2020. I have now been condemned in Parliament and the press without due process.”

He went on to question how there could be fair and proper investigations or a fair trial in what is clearly a politically motivated prosecution.

LHY also accused LHL of misusing state resources to pursue his private agenda and called for leaders who put the country’s needs ahead of their own interests.

No reference was made to LHL in ST’s report.

LHY’s post also revealed the personal toll this dispute has taken on him and his family. He mentioned his sister Wei Ling’s serious illness and the campaign of harassment and surveillance they have faced.

“Wei Ling never married, and it fell on my shoulders to look after her after our father passed away in 2015. In 2019, she was diagnosed with a serious illness. I was so glad that just before COVID-19 in 2020, I was able to take her to Machu Picchu, a place she had always wanted to visit. She is now extremely unwell, and it pains me beyond words that I am unlikely ever to be able to see my sister face to face again,” he wrote.

LHY also revealed that he and his family had been subjected to a campaign of harassment, surveillance, and smear campaigns. He expressed his lack of confidence in the system, stating that after what he had been through, he had no faith in the Singaporean government and its system of checks and balances — a point that ST took note of at the end of its report.

SMT to be funded up to S$900 with taxpayers’ money

The Singapore government reaffirmed its decision to fund SPH Media Trust (SMT), a newly set-up not-for-profit media entity that includes media publications such as the Straits Times, The Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Shin Min Daily News, Berita Harian, and Tamil Murasu.

Speaking in Parliament in January this year, Mrs Josphine Teo, Minister for Communication and Information, said there is no change to the Government’s commitment to fund SMT up to S$900 million over five years.

She told the Parliament that there is a need to preserve local news in the public interest amid severe disruption in the media industry and that circulation numbers of the SMT’s publications were not a key consideration in assessing the funding required for SMT’s transformation.

Mrs Teo emphasised the importance of local news outlets as they give voice to the Singapore identity and Singaporean perspectives, and also provide information that people can trust to be accurate and objective.

It has become even more important to ensure their survival at a time when the Internet has made it exceedingly easy for all kinds of information to reach and influence domestic audiences, Mrs Teo said.

This was said by Mrs Teo in her speech responding to questions filed by Members of Parliament who were concerned over the scandal faced by SMT after Wake Up Singapore (WUSG) exposed firings and penalties imposed on staff over the misrepresentation of circulation figures on 8 January.

SPH Media, through a report by the Straits Times, acknowledged that some inconsistencies in the reporting of the data were discovered during a review of internal processes in March 2022, which looked at a period from September 2020 to March 2022 which resulted in a discrepancy of between 85,000 and 95,000 daily average copies across all titles, which represents 10 to 12 per cent of the reported daily average circulation.

This included the reporting of circulation data, lapsed contracts that continued to be counted into circulation data and also copies that were printed, counted for circulation and then destroyed, as well as the double-counting of subscriptions across multiple instances. There was also a project account which was injected with additional funding over a period of time to purchase fictitious circulation.

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TJC issued 3rd POFMA order under Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) was issued its third POFMA correction order on 5 October 2024 under the direction of Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods about death penalty processes. TJC has rejected the government’s claims, describing POFMA as a tool to suppress dissent.

Published

5 days ago

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6 October 2024

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The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an advocacy group opposed to the death penalty, was issued its third Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction on 5 October 2024.

The correction was ordered by Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, following TJC’s publication of what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) alleges to be false information regarding Singapore’s death row procedures and the prosecution of drug trafficking cases.

These statements were made on TJC’s website and across its social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

In addition to TJC, civil activist Kokila Annamalai was also issued a correction direction by the minister over posts she made on Facebook and X between 4 and 5 October 2024.

According to MHA, these posts echoed similar views on the death penalty and the legal procedures for drug-related offences, and contained statements that the ministry claims are false concerning the treatment of death row prisoners and the state’s legal responsibilities in drug trafficking cases.

MHA stated that the posts suggested the government schedules and stays executions arbitrarily, without due regard to legal processes, and that the state does not bear the burden of proving drug trafficking charges.

However, these alleged falsehoods are contested by MHA, which maintains that the government strictly follows legal procedures, scheduling executions only after all legal avenues have been exhausted, and that the state always carries the burden of proof in such cases.

In its official release, MHA emphasised, “The prosecution always bears the legal burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and this applies to all criminal offences, including drug trafficking.”

It also pointed to an article on the government fact-checking site Factually to provide further clarification on the issues raised.

As a result of these allegations, both TJC and Annamalai are now required to post correction notices. TJC must display these corrections on its website and social media platforms, while Annamalai is required to carry similar notices on her Facebook and X posts.

TikTok has also been issued a targeted correction direction, requiring the platform to communicate the correction to all Singapore-based users who viewed the related TJC post.

In a statement following the issuance of the correction direction, TJC strongly rejected the government’s claims. The group criticised the POFMA law, calling it a “political weapon used to crush dissent,” and argued that the order was more about the exercise of state power than the pursuit of truth. “We have put up the Correction Directions not because we accept any of what the government asserts, but because of the grossly unjust terms of the POFMA law,” TJC stated.

TJC further argued that the government’s control over Singapore’s media landscape enables it to push pro-death penalty views without opposition. The group also stated that it would not engage in prolonged legal battles over the POFMA correction orders, opting to focus on its abolitionist work instead.

This marks the third time TJC has been subject to a POFMA correction direction in recent months.

The group was previously issued two orders in August 2024 for making similar statements concerning death row prisoners.

In its latest statement, MHA noted that despite being corrected previously, TJC had repeated what the ministry views as falsehoods.

MHA also criticised TJC for presenting the perspective of a convicted drug trafficker without acknowledging the harm caused to victims of drug abuse.

Annamalai, a prominent civil rights activist, is also known for her involvement in various social justice campaigns. She was charged in June 2024 for her participation in a pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana. Her posts, now subject to correction, contained information similar to those presented by TJC regarding death penalty procedures and drug-related cases.

POFMA, which was introduced in 2019, allows the government to issue correction directions when it deems falsehoods are being spread online.

Critics of the law argue that it can be used to suppress dissent, while the government asserts that it is a necessary tool for combating misinformation. The law has been frequently invoked against opposition politicians and activists.

As of October 2024, Minister K Shanmugam has issued 17 POFMA directions, more than any other minister. Shanmugam, who was instrumental in introducing POFMA, is followed by National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who has issued 10 POFMA directions.

Major media outlets, including The Straits Times, Channel News Asia, and Mothership, have covered the POFMA directions. However, as of the time of writing, none have included TJC’s response rejecting the government’s allegations.

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Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

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7 days ago

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4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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