Lee Hsien Yang has publicly challenged the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) long-standing claims of exceptional competence and efficiency.
In a Facebook post published on 18 April, Lee criticised what he described as a breakdown in accountability and performance in recent years.
Lee is the youngest son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
He wrote, “Singaporeans need leadership that insists on efficiency and delivery. We want accountability when things go wrong. PAP’s ‘ownself check ownself’ is not working.”
His remarks come just ahead of the commencement of campaigning for Singapore’s 14th General Election on 23 April, with voters set to head to the polls on 3 May.
Lee challenges ruling party’s claim to world’s highest political salaries amid performance concerns
Lee questioned whether today’s PAP still possesses the calibre to justify what he described as “the highest salaries in the world.”
He added, “Is the PAP of today exceptional, with unmatched competence and delivery? After all, that is their justification.”
Citing several recent public sector failures, Lee argued that the government’s reputation for efficiency has been eroded.
Among the incidents highlighted was the recent unmasking of large numbers of NRICs (National Registration Identity Cards), which left Singaporeans vulnerable to scams and fraud.
Scammers, according to Lee, have used these exposed identity numbers to impersonate officials and deceive citizens.
He criticised the government’s reaction as being marked by “denial, deflection and defence,” followed by a shift of responsibility to citizens.
Government agencies, he said, framed the exposure as a “miscommunication” between the Ministry and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).
“Where is accountability?” Lee asked. “What is being done going forward to protect sensitive data?”
He also referenced persistent issues with the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
From 25 to 30 September, MRT services were severely disrupted between Jurong East and Buona Vista, affecting 500,000 daily journeys out of a total 2.8 million.
This came shortly after a fare hike, sparking public outrage and raising questions about the reliability of public transport and the competence of transport authorities.
Lee further criticised the government’s flood management, noting that despite major investments in infrastructure, flash floods have continued.
He argued that poor planning for population growth and insufficient climate resilience measures have left Singapore vulnerable.
“These floods remind older Singaporeans of a time before an earlier PAP fixed flooding,” he remarked.
Critics mock flawed SimplyGo rollout as “SimplyGostan”
Lee highlighted the SimplyGo system rollout, which has been sarcastically dubbed “SimplyGostan” by critics. The system faced strong backlash after users complained they could no longer view their card balances upon entry.
Following negative feedback, the government committed another S$40 million to reinstate the older system.
Similarly, the S$500 million ERP 2.0 system drew criticism for delays, design flaws, and privacy concerns related to its On-Board Units and monitoring features.
The system, initiated in 2013 and initially planned for 2020, is now targeted for completion by the end of 2025.
Lee also revisited the controversial use of TraceTogether data, which was initially promised to be used solely for Covid-19 contact tracing but was later accessed by law enforcement agencies.
He referenced the public outcry that led to the cancellation of the Allianz acquisition of NTUC Income and the unauthorised clearance of parts of Kranji Forest, which came to light only after discovery by a private citizen.
These events, Lee argued, show a troubling pattern of inadequate oversight and weak institutional checks.
On 13 April, in a separate post, Lee called for greater political diversity and representation in Parliament.
He argued that Singapore needs new voices, ideas, and approaches, not more of the same. Lee stressed the importance of robust, dynamic decision-making in an unpredictable world.
LHY in 2019: “Today’s PAP is no longer the PAP of my father. It has lost its way”
LHY, who has been living in exile in the United Kingdom since being granted asylum in 2024, cited political persecution in Singapore as the reason for his move. His wife, Lee Suet Fern, also joined him in seeking asylum.
LHY left Singapore in 2022 after a series of legal and governmental actions were taken against him and his family.
Lee Suet Fern faced disciplinary proceedings and was suspended for 15 months from practising law due to allegations of misconduct linked to the handling of the late LKY’s will.
Their son, Li Shengwu, was fined for contempt of court following a private Facebook post.
In October 2024, Lee revealed, “I sought asylum protection as a last resort.”
“I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will become safe to return home.”
A long-time critic of the PAP, Lee’s political stance has grown increasingly aligned with alternative movements such as the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), founded by former PAP Member of Parliament Tan Cheng Bock. He joined PSP during the 2020 General Election.
In his 2019 Facebook post, he asserted that the PAP of today had strayed from the values and principles once held by his father, Lee Kuan Yew.
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