Singapore’s affluent veneer hides repression and corruption, says son of its modern-day founder

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s youngest son, who fled to Britain to seek asylum from what he describes as a campaign of persecution, says the city-state has become much more repressive and that corruption has worsened in the decade since his father died. Lee Hsien Yang said in an interview with The Associated Press that he is just the most prominent example of a growing number of Singaporeans fleeing abroad to seek protection from their own government. Lee cited a tightening of laws on security and rights of assembly and a sharp increase in asylum seekers from Singapore over the past decade. The Singapore government reacted strongly, accusing Lee of turning a personal vendetta into an international smear campaign against the country.