Lee Kuan Yew’s second son, Lee Hsien Yang, was granted asylum by the UK and may be deprived of his citizenship if he has not returned to Singapore for 10 consecutive years_2

In a recent interview, Lee Hsien Yang, the son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, shared that he has received political asylum in the United Kingdom, securing a five-year refugee status. Media reports indicate that under Singapore law, citizens over the age of 18 who have not returned to the country for a continuous period of ten years can have their citizenship revoked.

According to a report by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reveals that as of June 2024, 40 Singaporeans have obtained asylum in five countries, including the United States, where the highest number—12 individuals—have been granted refuge, including Yew Pong Shan in 2017.

Lee Hsien Yang took to Facebook to announce that, under the Refugee Convention, he is now recognized as a political refugee. UK authorities have determined that he faces a well-founded fear of persecution and cannot safely return to Singapore.

Since the passing of his father, Lee Kuan Yew, in 2015, Lee Hsien Yang has had public disputes with his brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and his sister, Lee Wei Ling, over the management of their father’s former residence, which has attracted considerable media attention and led to a notable estrangement among siblings.

Legal expert Chen Youli, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore, commented that Lee Hsien Yang’s political asylum status does not affect his citizenship unless he remains abroad for more than a decade without returning to Singapore.

The BBC reported that Lee Hsien Yang provided them with documents, including a letter confirming the approval of his asylum application, which indicates that the British government has granted him five years of refugee status.

In response to media inquiries, the Singapore government emphasized that Lee Hsien Yang’s claims of his family being victims of unfounded persecution are baseless, declaring that he and his wife are not subject to any legal restrictions and are free to return to Singapore.

Additionally, Tan Chuan-Jin, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law, announced on Facebook that the National Heritage Board will study the historical, cultural, and architectural significance of the Lee family’s former home at 38 Oxley Road as part of future considerations.

Recently, Lee Hsien Yang expressed his intention to demolish the Oxley Road residence in order to honor his parents’ wishes, planning to build a small private residence that will remain in the family’s name.