Mr Lee Hsien Yang has said that he “would consider” running for president, as “a lot of people” want him to run.
The younger son of founding father Lee Kuan Yew is currently not in Singapore amid a police investigation into him and his wife.
Source: Progress Singapore Party on Facebook
Thus, he also said that he’s unsure whether he will return to Singapore.
In a phone interview released on Friday (3 Mar) night, Mr Lee reportedly told Bloomberg that “a lot of people” had approached him over the upcoming Presidential Election.
These people “really want” him to run, he said, adding,
It’s something I would consider.
Explaining the possible reasons behind their desire, he noted,
There is a view that depending on who they float, if I were to run, they would be in serious trouble and could lose.
The Presidential Election is expected to happen by September this year, as President Halimah Yaacob started her six-year term in September 2017.
News about Mr Lee’s interview with Bloomberg came shortly after the police investigation into him and his wife was revealed in Parliament on Thursday (2 Mar).
At the time, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said the couple was under investigation for possible offences of lying under oath during judicial proceedings.
The Court of Three Judges and a disciplinary tribunal had found that they had lied under oath in 2020 proceedings over Mrs Lee’s involvement in preparing and executing the last will of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Speculation over Mr Lee entering politics has occurred before, especially when he joined the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) just before the 2020 General Election (GE2020).
However, he decided not to contest in GE2020 though he was seen on walkabouts with the party.
At the time, he explained his decision not to run by saying that Singapore’s political leadership needs to be more than about one family or man, adding,
I believe Singapore does not need another Lee.
However, it’s unclear how Mr Lee would run for president if he isn’t physically in Singapore.
He and his wife have been living in Europe for months, according to Bloomberg.
They left Singapore after the police asked them to attend an interview in June 2022, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) told The Straits Times (ST).
The couple agreed to come but asked to reschedule. They then failed to show up and sent an e-mail to say they wouldn’t take part after all.
They haven’t returned to Singapore since then, SPF said.
Mr Lee declined to reveal to Bloomberg exactly where he and his wife were.
On the possibility of their return to Singapore, Mr Lee said he was unsure about that due to the investigation against them.
Specifically, he was quoted as saying that he couldn’t be sure “what the chances are that I will return to Singapore in the foreseeable future”.
In a Facebook post on Friday (3 Mar) night, former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng foresaw two problems should Mr Lee launch a run for president.
Source: Calvin Cheng on Facebook
Firstly, he’s under police investigation. Secondly, he’s already been found by a court to have lied under oath.
In Mr Cheng’s eyes, this means it’s unlikely that the Presidential Elections Committee will certify him eligible to run since a candidate must have integrity, good character, and a good reputation.
Thus, Mr Cheng urged Mr Lee to return to Singapore to cooperate with the investigation and run for election if found innocent.
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Featured image adapted from Progress Singapore Party on Facebook.
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