SINGAPORE: A correction direction has been issued to Mr Lee Hsien Yang over comments he made on Facebook about the Ridout Road state properties rented by two ministers, as well as the inflated SPH circulation numbers.
Mr Lee’s Facebook post on Jul 23 contained untrue statements, the Ministry of Law said in a media release on Tuesday (Jul 25).
Under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), he will be required to carry a correction notice on his Facebook post stating that it contains false statement of facts, and include a link to the government’s clarification.
COMMENTS ON RIDOUT ROAD RENTALS
Mr Lee, the brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, alleged in his Facebook post that the state paid for the renovations of the two Ridout Road bungalows because they were leased by ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan.
“The identity of the tenants had no bearing on the decision on the works to be carried out on the properties,” the Ministry of Law reiterated on Tuesday.
“The post omits important information that the works done were in keeping with the Singapore Land Authority’s (SLA) practice, and were assessed to be necessary in the circumstances, as explained by Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong in parliament on Jul 3, 2023.“
SLA, which comes under the Ministry of Law, is responsible for maintaining conserved state properties, which include the two bungalows at 26 Ridout Road and 31 Ridout Road.
“SLA has spent similar, or even larger, amounts on other black-and-white bungalows, consistent with conservation requirements, the ministry said.
In the case of 26 and 31 Ridout Road, most of the costs incurred were for works that external consultants had determined to be necessary, in light of the condition of the properties and to comply with the relevant conservation requirements.
“The remaining costs were incurred as part of the usual works done before the commencement of a tenancy to ensure that the property is habitable,” the ministry added.
Addressing Mr Lee’s suggestion that trees at the two properties were felled because they were leased by Mr Shanmugam, who is the Law and Home Affairs Minister, and Dr Balakrishnan, the Foreign Affairs Minister, SLA said the allegations are untrue.
Mr Tong had explained in parliament the reasons for cutting down the trees, which included structural defects and termite infestations that pose safety concerns.
The decision to fell several trees with a girth size of more than 1m was made following inspections by independent arborists, Mr Tong added in his ministerial statement on Jul 3.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had been tasked to investigate whether there was any misconduct related to the transactions on 26 and 31 Ridout Road. It found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan.