It’s been nine months since she last posted on Facebook, but Lee Wei Ling — the daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the sister of the current one — issued a new round of criticism over how the state is dealing with her father’s will.
The latest development in the long-running public spat within Singapore’s first family arrived last night when Wei Ling revealed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) recently lodged a complaint (more than 500 whopping pages of it) to the Law Society over the preparation of her father’s will. The AGC was not happy with how her sister-in-law — Lee Hsien Yang’s wife Lee Suet Fern — had composed the will.
“As far as we know, this is an unprecedented use of such legal process involving a private will,” she wrote.
The dispute between PM Lee and his younger siblings erupted in public back in 2017, when Wei Ling and Hsien Yang accused their brother of abusing his power to decide the fate of their dad’s 38 Oxley Road house, as well as wanting to build a “political dynasty”.
The siblings insist on the house being demolished, as stipulated in Lee Kuan Yew’s will. PM Lee disagrees, questioning the circumstances of how the demolition clause was inserted. Lee also believes their dad would be just fine with 38 Oxley Road being preserved — as long as it’s for heritage reasons.
Now, Wei Ling believes that the AGC is joining the fight against her and Hsien Yang. “The AGC’s complaint repeats allegations that were made years ago by Hsien Loong through his personal lawyer,” she wrote, referring to Attorney-General Lucien Wong, who had been PM Lee’s personal lawyer prior to his appointment. According to Wei Ling, the AGC has claimed that Wong has recused himself from the case.
‘Professional misconduct’
In a statement released today, AGC confirmed that it did lodge a complaint, accusing Suet Fern of “professional misconduct” for putting herself in a position of conflict.
“Ms Lee appears to have prepared the Last Will of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and arranged for Mr Lee Kuan Yew to execute it, despite the fact that her husband, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, is one of the beneficiaries under the Last Will,” AGC wrote.
According to them, Hsien Yang’s share seemed to have increased under the last will — a will that was said to have been drafted by his own wife.
Both Hsien Yang and Suet Fern have denied that Lee Kuan Yew’s will was drafted by the latter, maintaining that she merely facilitated the witnessing and signing of the final will.
“Where a person intends to make a significant gift by will to any member of the lawyer’s family, the lawyer must not act for the person and must advise him to obtain independent advice in respect of the gift. This rule applies even if the lawyer is related to the person making the gift,” AGC said.
AGC added that it has written to Suet Fern several times since October last year to clarify her position, but have yet to receive answers.
No complaints before
Wei Ling wrote that her own father didn’t object to his final will when it was completed years before his death.
“Lee Kuan Yew, a highly regarded lawyer, never complained about his will,” she noted, adding that no beneficiary has ever complained to the Law Society, including PM Lee.
“Why is this being initiated now, and by the AGC, after all this time? Our view is that this action is wholly without merit.”
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