SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is to address Parliament in a few hours in response to allegations of abuse of power hurled by his siblings – Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling.

The ongoing feud involving the Lee and siblings is centred on their late father Lee Kuan Yew’s house at 38 Oxley Road but it is no longer a family dispute but one in which the prime minister’s office and the government’s image is at stake, said the Straits Times.

Members of parliament have submitted their questions, said the daily, with five issues to look out for at today’s parliamentary debate:

1. Scope of the ministerial committee set up to study options for the house.

Shortly after Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the composition and responsibilities of the ministerial committee studying options for Kuan Yew’s house, Hsien Yang said the committee is fundamentally flawed.

The younger Lee siblings have charged that its formation and work have been “shrouded in secrecy”.

MPs said they will seek clarification on the committee and its terms of reference.

Teo is set to deliver a statement on the committee today.

2. Abuse of power related to handling of Kuan Yew’s items.

The Lee siblings have accused Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching, of removing several items found at the Oxley Road house and loaned them to the National Heritage Board (NHB).

These items were removed without permission and the loan to NHB was arranged through the Prime Minister’s Office

MPs are likely to ask if there are rules to prevent family members of political appointees from influencing civil servants.

They will also ask how Hsien Loong obtained a deed of gift given to the NHB by Kuan Yew’s estate.

3. Conflict of interest.

Hsien Yang has hit out at the secret nature of the ministerial committee on the Oxley Road house, saying there is conflict of interest as its members are subordinates of Hsien Loong.

The younger Lees have also zeroed in on Attorney-General Lucien Wong and his decisions related to Kuan Yew’s assets and estates.

Wong was Hsien Loong’s personal lawyer and made attorney-general in January.

4. Feud’s public fallout and Singapore’s reputation.

Singaporeans have expressed concern over the public nature of the Lee feud, saying that it has tarnished Kuan Yew’s legacy and memory.

Some MPs will likely raise the matter at today’s debate.

5. The whip was lifted today but will MPs ask the tough questions?

MPs must prove they can “ask good questions in the interest of Singaporeans, since they no longer have to speak along party lines”, Dr Norshahril Saat, a research fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, was quoted as saying. – July 3, 2017.