ESM Goh to MPs: Clear PM Lee of allegations or censure him

Singapore

EMERITUS Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Tuesday called for a "clear conclusion" at the end of the two-day debate on the 38 Oxley Road saga, calling on lawmakers to either clear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the allegations by his siblings, or censure him.

He also stated his position once again that a minister should take legal action whenever he feels a baseless accusation has been made against him.

Speaking in Parliament on the second day of the debate, Mr Goh - Singapore's second prime minister from 1990 to 2004 - reaffirmed his "full confidence" in the integrity of PM Lee.

Mr Goh told the House that he has known and worked closely with PM Lee for over 30 years, having first brought him into politics in 1984. PM Lee served as Mr Goh's deputy for 14 years and has been Prime Minister for the last 13 years.

"I have stated clearly my position on the integrity of the PM and the government. As prime minister, I investigated (then-senior minister) Lee Kuan Yew and (then-deputy prime minister) Lee Hsien Loong in 1996 over their purchase of apartment units in Nassim Jade. My judgment and integrity were at stake then as today, when I state my conclusion on the PM's character and integrity," said Mr Goh.

On Monday, PM Lee explained why he chose not to sue his two younger siblings, Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, despite their "baseless accusations" against him and the government.

PM Lee admitted that while he felt he had a strong case, he preferred not to sue because this would "drag out the process for years" and "further besmirch" their parents' names.

"I can well understand (PM Lee's) dilemma. Being the eldest in the family, he must harbour hopes of reconciliation, however remote it seems now, even at a cost to his own political standing," said Mr Goh.

"Indeed, I have urged him as well as Lee Hsien Yang to sort out their differences, misunderstanding, and reconcile. It is surely not worth the feud being passed on to the next generation."

Mr Goh stressed that his main concern was neither the fate of 38 Oxley Road nor the ongoing family feud, as these are "far removed" from the daily concerns of Singaporeans.

He spoke of his worry about the "wilful attack" on the integrity of Singapore's leaders and the "insidious corrosion" of public faith in the country's institutions.

"The nub of the issue for us in Parliament is integrity and trust in the Prime Minister and our system of government. Absent these, Singapore will descend to a third-world country," he warned.

Having followed the issue closely, Mr Goh said he has concluded that the real issue is neither money nor Mr Lee Kuan Yew's family home.

He questioned the agenda of Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and wondered if they were merely whistleblowing in a "noble effort to save Singapore, or waging a personal vendetta without any care for the damage done" to the nation?

"I have kept my ears open. From what Lee Hsien Yang and his wife are freely telling many others, it is clear that their goal is to bring Lee Hsien Loong down as PM, regardless of the huge collateral damage suffered by the government and Singaporeans," said Mr Goh.

Now that the Oxley Road dispute is no longer a "cynical parlour game", Mr Goh said the debate had to end with a definitive conclusion - Parliament has to either clear PM Lee over the allegations that he had abused his power, or the House has to censure him.

As he wrapped up his speech, he appealed to the "emotions and sensibility" of the Lee siblings to stop trying to drag one another down and to move on from this episode.

"Stop your family quarrel, sort out any misunderstandings and reconcile, and if that is not immediately possible, at least stop making things worse," he said.

"Keep the quarrel private and seek mediation or arbitration to resolve your differences. No one doubts your deep filial piety. Hsien Loong, Wei Ling, Hsien Yang, your parents were proud of you."

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