'Persecuted' son of Singapore founder gains UK asylum

The lad of modern Singapore's laminitis has gained asylum successful the UK pursuing claims of persecution amid a high-profile household feud.

Lee Hsien Yang has agelong alleged helium faces oppression backmost location from the Singapore authorities that was led for 20 years by his brother, Lee Hsien Loong.

The authorities denies these claims and says helium is escaped to return.

Both men are sons of the revered person Lee Kuan Yew who died successful 2015. Since past the brothers person been locked successful a years-long dispute implicit their father's house, which has spiralled into a vicious nationalist household battle.

Lee Hsien Yang showed the BBC immoderate documents including a missive stating his assertion for asylum was successful. The missive besides stated the UK authorities had fixed him "refugee status" for 5 years arsenic it accepted helium had the "well-founded fearfulness of persecution and truthful cannot instrumentality to your state Singapore".

Mr Lee, who lives successful London, said his woman had besides been granted asylum.

A Home Office spokesperson said it is "longstanding authorities argumentation that we bash not remark connected idiosyncratic cases".

The BBC has independently confirmed Mr Lee's asylum presumption but not different details.

"Everything the Singapore authorities has said is afloat nationalist and indispensable surely person been taken into relationship erstwhile the exile presumption was granted," Mr Lee said.

"I sought asylum extortion arsenic a past resort. I stay a Singapore national and anticipation that immoderate time it volition go harmless to instrumentality home."

As a subordinate of what has been seen arsenic Singapore's "first family", and the erstwhile main of Singapore's largest telecommunications company, Mr Lee was precise overmuch a portion of the country's constitution until helium fell retired with his brother.

Since past helium has joined an absorption governmental enactment and go a vocal professional of the Singapore government, roles which helium has "every intention" of continuing portion based successful the UK, helium said.

Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, arsenic good arsenic 1 of their sons, person lived overseas for respective years successful self-imposed exile. They person been taxable to investigations and ineligible enactment brought connected by the authorities which they accidental is portion of a signifier of persecution.

Along with his precocious sister Lee Wei Ling, Mr Lee has agelong accused their member Lee Hsien Loong of capitalising connected their father's bequest to physique a governmental dynasty.

They person besides alleged their member abused his powerfulness during his clip arsenic premier minister, and said they feared helium was utilizing the "organs of the state" against them.

Lee Hsien Loong stepped down arsenic PM earlier this year and remains successful furniture arsenic a elder minister. He and the Singapore authorities person strenuously denied specified claims.

On Tuesday the authorities released a connection saying allegations that Lee Hsien Yang and his household are victims of persecution were "without basis" and that they look "no ineligible restraints".

"They are and person ever been escaped to instrumentality to Singapore," the connection added.

Lee Hsien Loong's property caput said helium had nary comment.

The Lees' years-long quality implicit their household location began with the decease of Lee Kuan Yew, the country's archetypal premier curate and wide considered the designer of modern Singapore.

It centres connected 38 Oxley Road, a tiny and nondescript location sitting connected a quiescent thoroughfare successful Singapore's downtown that is estimated to beryllium worthy tens of millions of Singapore dollars.

The statesman, who was famously averse to the thought of a cult of property built astir him, had stated successful his volition that helium wanted his location to beryllium demolished either aft his decease oregon aft his girl moved retired of the home.

Lee Hsien Loong, who was premier curate astatine the time, said the location would beryllium preserved for the clip being, portion his siblings insisted it should beryllium knocked down instantly successful accordance to their father's wishes.

Following his sister's decease earlier this period from a encephalon disease, Lee Hsien Yang has present applied for the demolition of the location and, successful its place, the operation of a "small backstage dwelling" that would beryllium owned by the Lee family.