The Public Service Division (PSD) is polling public officers about the ongoing dispute between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his siblings because, it said, the integrity of the public sector has been questioned.

The PSD said yesterday that "the allegations made go beyond private matters and extend to the conduct and integrity of the Government and our public institutions".

Its statement comes after screenshots of the poll were circulated on Facebook, with some people questioning the use of public resources to conduct a poll on "family matters".

PM Lee's siblings, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, have accused him of abusing his power and using a ministerial committee to harass them over their late father's house, a claim he has refuted.

Responding to media queries about the poll, the PSD said: "We are polling public officers to understand their sentiments on this issue as it involves the integrity of our public institutions, of which they are an important part."

It added that it periodically polls public officers on issues that matter to them as part of "stakeholder engagement".

One of the screenshots of the poll included a note to respondents that says participation is kept strictly confidential and individual responses are not identifiable.

Another screenshot depicts questions in the poll.

PM Lee had said earlier that he will deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament on July 3 to refute his siblings' "baseless accusations".

Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh