The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore stated on May 17 that Lee Hsien Yang’s passport remains valid and has never been seized. This statement was issued in response to media queries following a disciplinary tribunal for Kwa Kim Li, the lawyer of Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
According to a report released by the disciplinary tribunal on May 5, Lee Hsien Yang had applied to provide evidence via video link, stating that his “passport was currently being held by immigration authorities in connection with an immigration issue”. The tribunal noted that Lee Hsien Yang’s legal counsel declined to explain why the passport was handed over or when that occurred, despite repeated requests from the tribunal.
Nevertheless, the tribunal eventually allowed Lee Hsien Yang to provide evidence via video link. It was added by the tribunal that Kwa would not be prejudiced by cross-examining Lee Hsien Yang over video link.
In terms of background, the tribunal found that Kwa had misled Lee Kuan Yew’s children, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, in her email responses to their queries. Kwa was also found to have failed to safeguard Lee Kuan Yew’s confidentiality while managing his will. She was ordered to pay a penalty of S$13,000 and to bear the costs and disbursements to Lee Hsien Yang and The Law Society of Singapore.
In July 2022, Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, left Singapore after declining to attend a police interview relating to allegations of lying in judicial proceedings about the late Lee Kuan Yew’s will. Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling are the brother and sister of the current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and Lee Kuan Yew is their father
