Li Shengwu recounts govt harassment, urges the public to fight instead of relying on others for justice

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POLITICS​

Li Shengwu recounts govt harassment, urges the public to fight instead of relying on others for justice​

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Singaporean economist Li Shengwu shared his personal experiences with government harassment. He recounted how his uncle, former PM Lee Hsien Loong, allegedly used police investigations and criminal prosecutions to suppress political opponents. Li warned that democracy and the rule of law are fragile, urging others to fight for justice rather than rely on others.

Published

1 day ago
on

23 January 2025
By

The Online Citizen

SINGAPORE: In a recent interview with The New York Times, Singaporean economist Li Shengwu shared his experiences of Singapore government harassment and his views on political suppression.

On 22 January, The New York Times published a video titled “How Tyranny Begins“ on its website. The video features interviews with four individuals from around the world who have left their countries due to alleged government repression.

The video was released just days after Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as U.S. President on 20 January. Critics have raised concerns about Trump’s hostility towards academia, certain media outlets, and minority groups in the U.S.

In the interview, Li, grandson of Singapore’s founding father late Lee Kuan Yew and the eldest son of Lee Hsien Yang, recounted how his uncle, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, allegedly used police investigations and criminal prosecutions to suppress or exile political opponents, citing examples of malicious prosecutions against opposition leaders.

“When it becomes too obvious to prosecute someone for being an enemy of the state, they fabricate something else,” Li told The NY Times.

Li, 39-year-old and now living in self-imposed exile, has faced a series of confrontations with Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) following a contempt of court charge over a private Facebook post he made in 2017.

The Singapore government had previously denied Li’s accusations, stressing that AGC application to the High Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him follows a well-established legal process, with clear laws and procedures applied to all cases of contempt. In 2017, Chiang Li Lin, press secretary to then-PM Lee claimed that the AGC had informed Li that if he apologised for his comments, the proceedings against him would be withdrawn. However, Li chose not to apologise.

The AGC’s action against Li stemmed from Li’s private FB post in which he stated that “the Singapore government is very litigious and has a pliant court system.” The AGC later warned Li that he had made “false and baseless allegations” regarding the judiciary’s independence, demanding that he “purge the contempt” by deleting the post and issuing an apology.

In August 2018, the AGC initiated committal proceedings against Li for contempt of court. Li was found guilty in July 2020 and chose to pay the S$15,000 fine, explaining that he did so “to buy some peace and quiet.”

Li criticises appointment of his uncle’s personal lawyer as Attorney General​

Li also criticised the appointment of his uncle’s personal lawyer Lucien Wong as attorney general, a move he deemed politically motivated.

Lucian Wong was reappointed to a third term as AG in January 2023 despite being the age of 72, an age significantly beyond the traditionally recommended retirement age of 60 for this role.

During the debate on the 38 Oxley Road issue in July 2017, Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim questioned whether Wong, in his capacity as AG, was essentially serving as PM Lee’s personal lawyer in his private dispute with his siblings.

Similarly, former WP chief Low Thia Khiang underscored the importance of public perception of independence and impartiality when it comes to such high-profile appointments.

Although Minister Indranee Rajah, from the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the Prime Minister consulted with the Chief Justice, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the incumbent AG during Lucien Wong’s appointment, and that due process was observed with no issues in the current appointment, the perception of a conflict of interest still lingers in the public’s view.

Li: Democracy and rule of law is more fragile than Americans think​

In the interview, Li discussed how tyranny doesn’t always begin with tampering with election results but often through retribution as a prevalent tactic.

He warned Americans that democracy and the rule of law are more fragile than they may realise and advised: “It is better to fight. It is better to refuse rather than give in and hope that somebody else will serve as the check and balance for you.”

Notably, Li’s parents, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, are now political refugees in the United Kingdom. LHY sought asylum, citing fears of persecution due to ongoing legal actions against him and his family, which stemmed from a public dispute with his brother Lee Hsien Loong.