SINGAPORE - The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said on Monday (July 17) it is looking into a recent Facebook post put up by Mr Li Shengwu, the son of Mr Lee Hsien Yang and nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
In a private post, which was uploaded on Saturday, Mr Li, 32, shared a Wall Street Journal article on the recent Oxley Road dispute, titled "Singapore, a model of orderly rule, is jolted by a bitter family feud".
He also commented on Singapore's court system.
The AGC said in a brief statement on Monday morning that it is aware of Mr Li's post and is looking into the matter.
In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon responding to AGC's statement, Mr Li said he was "somewhat surprised" that his last post - which was shared on "friends only" privacy settings - was enough to trigger a response.
He added: "I'm surprised that the Singapore government is so petty. Would they also like to trawl my private Facebook feed for seditious vacation photos?"
Mr Li's aunt, Dr Lee Wei Ling, also commented on the matter in a Facebook post on Monday, saying that she was surprised at the AGC's "negative reaction to a private post".
"Is there a government servant whose duty is to follow the Facebook activity of all people related to Hsien Yang and I, including our private musings. What Shengwu posted is a common topic amongst Singaporeans who are well informed," she wrote.
She asked: "Is this not an example of 'Big Brother' government," using the famous phrase from George Orwell's 1984 novel to refer to an authoritarian government which exercises total control over its citizens.
Senior Minister of State for Health and Communications and Information Chee Hong Tat was quoted by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao on Monday as saying that he was "disappointed" with Mr Li's actions.
Mr Chee, who was the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Principal Private Secretary from 2008 to 2011, added: "Is this respecting Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his values? I don't understand why he continues to launch online attacks, after his father already said he was going to stop doing so."
Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee had been embroiled in a public dispute with PM Lee over the fate of their father's Oxley Road home since mid-June.
The dispute prompted PM Lee to deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament on July 3 to address their allegations that he had abused his power.
The feud, which made international headlines, took a conciliatory turn on July 6, after PM Lee's younger siblings said they accepted his desire to settle their quarrel in private and will stop posting evidence against him online as it was hurting Singapore's reputation.
