Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared yesterday that it is not the house at 38, Oxley Road he is trying to protect, but the legacy of his late father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Wrapping up his ministerial statement on a dispute involving him and his siblings, he said: "The legacy of Mr Lee is much more than an old house. Mr Lee's legacy is Singapore and the values that we uphold."
He said this was what he wanted to defend by addressing allegations of abuse of power by his siblings in Parliament, adding that he and his colleagues were in politics to uphold this legacy to keep Singapore successful.
When the dust has settled on the dispute, people must know that the Government in Singapore operates transparently, impartially and properly, he said.
He also expressed hope that they would see the Government is able to withstand intense and sustained attacks on its reputation and integrity and emerge not just untainted, but strengthened.
PM Lee said Singapore has built a fair society in which everyone is equal before the law.
This was the ethos put in place by the founding prime minister himself, and he, most of all, would have understood that even his wishes were subject to the rule of law, PM Lee added.
"We have built something special in Singapore. A cohesive, multiracial, meritocratic society. A fair and just society, where the same rules apply to everybody. Whether you are a minister, or an ordinary citizen. Whether you are the prime minister, or the children of the founding prime minister. You are not above the law," he said.
"This is the 'house' that Mr Lee built, not 38, Oxley Road."
He added: "When Mr Lee was asked what were the most important things to him in life, he said 'my family and my country'. It pains me that this episode has put both under a cloud, and done damage to Singapore."
