Wei Ling slams AGC’s complaint to Law Society about preparation of Lee Kuan Yew’s will
UPDATE: This story has been updated to add more details about the drafting of Lee Kuan Yew’s will
Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of the late Lee Kuan Yew, has slammed the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for its complaint to the Law Society of Singapore over the preparation of her father’s will.
In her first Facebook post in nine months, Wei Ling revealed on Sunday night (6 January) that the AGC had lodged more than 500 pages of complaint against Hsien Yang’s wife Lee Suet Fern and her alleged role in the drafting of the will.
Hsien Yang has maintained that his father’s final will was drafted by lawyer Kwa Kim Li – which she has denied – and that Stamford Law Corporation, his wife’s law firm at the time, did not draft any of his father’s wills. Instead, Suet Fern merely facilitated the witnessing and signing of the final will, he added.
Referring to her elder brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Wei Ling noted that “AGC’s complaint repeats allegations that were made years ago by Hsien Loong through his personal lawyer” Lucien Wong.
According to AGC, Wong, who is now the Attorney-General, has recused himself from the complaint, said Wei Ling. “As far as we know, this is an unprecedented use of such legal process involving a private will,” she added. Her post was shared by Hsien Yang a few minutes later.
Noting that the late Lee’s estate secured probate for the will in 2015, Wei Ling pointed out, “Lee Kuan Yew, a highly regarded lawyer, never complained about his will.”
She further noted, “No beneficiary (of the will) has complained to the Law Society, not even Hsien Loong.”
“Why is this being initiated now, and by the AGC, after all this time? Our view is that this action is wholly without merit.”
The long-running Lee saga
It is the latest development in the long-running Lee saga, which first erupted on 14 June 2017 when Wei Ling and Hsien Yang issued a joint statement of “no confidence” against Hsien Loong. They claimed to be threatened by his pursuit of a personal agenda over the Oxley property.
The younger Lee siblings maintained that their late father wanted their former family home at 38 Oxley Road to be demolished upon the passing of the former prime minister and his wife Kwa Geok Choo. They also accused the PM of plotting to keep the house in order to build a political dynasty.
In its 3 April 2018 report, a Ministerial Committee tasked with making recommendations on the fate of the house outlined three options: retain the house by gazetting it as a national monument or for conservation, retain the historically significant basement dining room and tear down the rest of the house, or fully demolish the property.
In a Facebook post on the same day, Wei Ling said, “Papa was as direct as me. He made absolutely clear what he wanted done with the house. He and Mama had long decided they wanted it demolished after they were gone. It would require unbelievable lack of intelligence or determined denial to not understand what Pa & Ma so unambiguously wanted.”
The case against Li Shengwu
Over the course of several months in 2017, Wei Ling had also shared several posts in relation to her nephew Li Shengwu, who is the eldest son of Hsien Yang. Shengwu is currently facing contempt of court proceedings by AGC over a Facebook post that allegedly questioned the independence of Singapore’s judiciary.
In her post on Sunday, Wei Ling said, “The AGC has also been relentless this past one and a half years pursuing a prosecution of Li Shengwu for a private Facebook post.
“At the same time, the AGC has not prosecuted any party who shared or published his private post.”
Related stories
Lee Kuan Yew never ‘accepted’ Ministerial Committee’s options for Oxley Road home: Hsien Yang
Lee Hsien Yang refutes PM’s claim of role wife played in Lee Kuan Yew’s last will
An ‘insult’ to suggest Lee Kuan Yew did not understand his own will: Hsien Yang
Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Wei Ling say they have ‘no confidence’ in Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong
Ministerial panel reveals 3 broad options for 38 Oxley Road house
PM Lee in Parliament: Allegations of abuse of power by my siblings are ‘entirely baseless’
Li Shengwu’s appeal against a court order to serve him papers in the US to be heard
