Academics from prominent state-linked universities in China have weighed in on the Lee Family Feud over 38 Oxley Road, the home of the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The dispute between current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his younger sister Dr Lee Wei Ling and younger brother Lee Hsien Loong, has become a topic of public interest in China, particularly among government officials. This comes after shocking revelations released on a nearly daily basis from the prime minister’s younger siblings.
The key criticism of Singapore’s model of governance comes from a Confucian point of view.
One academic who specializes in Southeast Asia, Ju Hailong, expressed doubts on the ability of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to continue ruling Singapore: “This will definitely affect his political base, as ethnic Chinese hold the value that if a person cannot handle his family well then he loses the ability to run a country.”
Another academic, Zhang Mingliang from Jinan University also spoke on the Confucian concept of family harmony, stating that Lee’s image has been undermined after he could not maintain his own family’s harmony.
Even the State Council Information Office has criticized Lee for failing to uphold the Singaporean principles of integrity and meritocracy, values built up painstakingly by his father, pointing out that “even his closest family members distrust and openly accuse him.”
Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com
