SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was set to face questions at a special sitting of parliament on Monday over whether he had abused his power in a dispute with his brother and sister over what to do with their late father’s house.
The bad blood between the heirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, has gripped the country since mid-June, when the younger siblings launched a series of attacks on their elder brother in social media postings.
Monday’s parliamentary session is extraordinary for Singapore, a small but wealthy island state that prides itself on being a rock of stability in Southeast Asia.
The prime minister will make an official statement about the matter before taking questions. Prime Minister Lee’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) controls 83 of the 89 elected seats in parliament, and lawmakers submitted their questions in writing at the end of last week.
In a rare move, the prime minister removed the Party Whip for the debate, allowing PAP lawmakers to question their own cabinet regardless of the party line.
The prime minister’s younger brother and sister, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, allege Lee Hsien Loong has abused his power in the dispute over the old family home at 38 Oxley Road, and fear that he would use the organs of the state against them.
Lee Hsien Yang said he and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, would be leaving Singapore because they felt closely monitored and hugely unwelcome.
The prime minister has consistently denied the allegations, and said he was very disappointed that they have chosen to publicize private family matters.
The accusation of abuse of power prompted Prime Minister Lee to call for the special sitting of parliament in order to defend the integrity of his government.
Lee Hsien Yang has said that parliament is an inappropriate forum for airing the dispute, as his brother will be legally protected by “parliamentary privilege” to say what he wants.
Lee Hsien Yang and his sister, Lee Wei Ling, say they want to honor their father’s wishes for the house to be demolished, once Lee Wei Ling vacates the property, rather than be turned in to some kind of museum.
Prime Minister Lee has questioned the will, while a government committee, from which has recused himself, considers whether the old family home should eventually be turned into a heritage site.
Singapore PM to face questions in parliament over family feud
Singapore PM to face questions in parliament over family feud
Trump discussing how to acquire Greenland; US military always an option, White House says
- Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States
- Strong statements in support of Greenland from NATO leaders have not deterred Trump
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his team are discussing options for acquiring Greenland and the use of the US military in furtherance of the goal is “always an option,” the White House said on Tuesday.
Trump’s ambition of acquiring Greenland as a strategic US hub in the Arctic, where there is growing interest from Russia and China, has been revived in recent days in the wake of the US arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States.
The White House said in a statement in response to queries from Reuters that Trump sees acquiring Greenland as a US national security priority necessary to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.”
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” the White House said.
A senior US official said discussions about ways to acquire Greenland are active in the Oval Office and that advisers are discussing a variety of options.
Strong statements in support of Greenland from NATO leaders have not deterred Trump, the official said.
“It’s not going away,” the official said about the president’s drive to acquire Greenland during his remaining three years in office.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said options include the outright US purchase of Greenland or forming a Compact of Free Association with the territory. A COFA agreement would stop short of Trump’s ambition to make the island of 57,000 people a part of the US.
A potential purchase price was not provided.
“Diplomacy is always the president’s first option with anything, and dealmaking. He loves deals. So if a good deal can be struck to acquire Greenland, that would definitely be his first instinct,” the official said.
Administration officials argue the island is crucial to the US due to its deposits of minerals with important high-tech and military applications. These resources remain untapped due to labor shortages, scarce infrastructure and other challenges.
Leaders from major European powers and Canada rallied behind Greenland on Tuesday, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people.
