LEE Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s late founding father Lee Kuan Yew, today claimed his father gave “express instructions” for his final will to follow his first, in which the former prime minister gave instructions for his home to be demolished after his passing.

The will and its contents, specifically on the fate of Lee’s home, have become the centre of a bitter feud between the three siblings.

“My father’s Final Will of December 2013 was a reversion to his 2011 will on his express instructions,” Hsien Yang said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

“The demolition wish in his 2011 will was introduced after Lee Kuan Yew’s meeting with Cabinet,” said the statement.

Current prime minister and Lee’s eldest son, Hsien Loong, issued a statutory declaration on Thursday where he raised serious doubts about whether his father was properly and independently advised on the contents of his last will before he signed it.

While Singapore’s Will’s Act states that one can only challenge a will within six months after it is probated, senior lawyers have said the will can still be challenged in court even though Lee’s will was probated in October 6, 2015,  the Straits Times said.

“If it’s after the six months, you have got to give special reasons and it is at the court’s discretion,” said Dr G. Raman, a veteran probate lawyer.

Hsien Loong’s statutory declaration to the ministerial committee tasked to look into options for Lee’s home at 38, Oxley Road was in response to his younger siblings’ release of a six-page statement on Tuesday which accused him of misusing “his position and influence over the Singapore government to drive his personal agenda”.

Hsien Yang and his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling also accused him of trying to capitalise on Lee’s legacy by failing to adhere to his wishes to demolish his Oxley Road house, as stated in his will.

Hsien Loong has brought into question the validity of the will due to what he claims was a conflict of interest as as Hsien Yang’s wife, Lee Suet Fern, had a role to play in drawing up the will.

Suet Fern, who was a partner in the law firm that had prepared Lee’s last will, announced yesterday she was stepping down as managing partner of her firm Morgan Lewis Stamford’s Singapore office.

Hsien Loong has said the reason why he did not raise his concerns regarding the will earlier was becaue he wanted to settle the matter within the family. – June 17, 2017.