SINGAPORE: An e-book titled The Battle Over Lee Kuan Yew’s Last Will contains several inaccuracies “calculated to mislead” and that are “completely at odds” with court findings, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean said on Thursday (Mar 2).
The e-book, written by local author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh and published in July last year, is about the debate over the late prime minister’s will and home at 38 Oxley Road, which led to disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee Suet Fern, the wife of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s son Lee Hsien Yang.
The examination of the case against Mrs Lee was done by the Court of Three Judges (C3J), the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession, in November 2020 and a Disciplinary Tribunal (DT) in February 2020. She was found guilty of professional misconduct.
“The book is not credible, as it totally ignores the facts and findings which had been established, after an objective and thorough examination of the case,” said Mr Teo, who was the chair of a Ministerial Committee that had been set up to look into what should be done with the property after Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death.
“It is clear that the assertions in his book are calculated to mislead, as they are completely at odds with the findings and conclusions of the Court of Three Judges and the Disciplinary Tribunal,” he added.
The senior minister was providing a written response to Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim’s parliamentary question on whether the book accurately represents the circumstances surrounding the signing of the late Mr Lee’s will.
TODAY has reached out to Mr Vadaketh for comment.
In his answer to Mr Zhulkarnain's question, Mr Teo laid out several examples of inaccuracies in the book:
What the courts found
On whether Mrs Lee made an "innocent mistake"
On Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s act of cutting out Ms Kwa Kim Li, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s long-time lawyer, from communications with the latter
On Mr Lee Kuan Yew's will
On Mr Lee Kuan Yew's discussions with Ms Kwa about reinserting a clause into the will
This story was originally published in TODAY.
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The e-book, written by local author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh and published in July last year, is about the debate over the late prime minister’s will and home at 38 Oxley Road, which led to disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee Suet Fern, the wife of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s son Lee Hsien Yang.
The examination of the case against Mrs Lee was done by the Court of Three Judges (C3J), the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession, in November 2020 and a Disciplinary Tribunal (DT) in February 2020. She was found guilty of professional misconduct.
“The book is not credible, as it totally ignores the facts and findings which had been established, after an objective and thorough examination of the case,” said Mr Teo, who was the chair of a Ministerial Committee that had been set up to look into what should be done with the property after Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death.
“It is clear that the assertions in his book are calculated to mislead, as they are completely at odds with the findings and conclusions of the Court of Three Judges and the Disciplinary Tribunal,” he added.
The senior minister was providing a written response to Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim’s parliamentary question on whether the book accurately represents the circumstances surrounding the signing of the late Mr Lee’s will.
TODAY has reached out to Mr Vadaketh for comment.
Related:
INACCURACIES IN THE BOOK
In his answer to Mr Zhulkarnain's question, Mr Teo laid out several examples of inaccuracies in the book:
What the courts found
- In his book, Mr Vadaketh wrote that they have been “cleared of all suspicion of improper motives or manipulations vis-a-vis Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his will”.
- But the Court of Three Judges and Disciplinary Tribunal in fact said otherwise, that the pair have not been cleared of all impropriety and had lied under oath and acted dishonestly.
On whether Mrs Lee made an "innocent mistake"
- Mr Vadaketh wrote that Mrs Lee made an “innocent mistake” in sending Mr Lee Kuan Yew a different version of the will.
- But the Court of Three Judges and the Disciplinary Tribunal had found that she had acted with "complete disregard" for Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s interests, Mr Teo noted.
- Mr Teo said: “This was improper, unacceptable, and grossly negligent – it was no innocent mistake.”
On Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s act of cutting out Ms Kwa Kim Li, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s long-time lawyer, from communications with the latter
- Mr Vadaketh suggests that Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s exclusion of Ms Kwa from communications with Lee Kuan Yew on the will was not “shady behaviour”.
- But the Court of Three Judges and Disciplinary Tribunal found that Mr Lee Hsien Yang could not have known that the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew would agree to exclude Ms Kwa, as she was the solicitor who had attended to all of his previous wills.
- The late Mr Lee also evidently wanted her to be involved in the execution of his will, Mr Teo said.
On Mr Lee Kuan Yew's will
- Mr Vadaketh wrote that Mr Lee Kuan Yew signed the will that he wanted to sign.
- But the Court of Three Judges and Disciplinary Tribunal found that he signed a will which was not what he had wished to sign.
- He did so as he was misled by Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs Lee, Mr Teo noted.
On Mr Lee Kuan Yew's discussions with Ms Kwa about reinserting a clause into the will
- Mr Vadaketh wrote in his book that the will was based on Mr Lee Kuan Yew's orders and suggests that he had made a conscious decision to include the Demolition Clause in it.
- However, the Court of Three Judges and the Disciplinary Tribunal found that he did not have discussions with Mr Kwa about reinserting the clause.
- Mrs Lee did not tell Mr Lee Kuan Yew that the clause was reinserted into his will.
This story was originally published in TODAY.
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