Leaving Singapore: a look at Lee Hsien Yang and 6 others who chose asylum

The younger Lee alleged that then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong was misusing his power to scuttle their efforts to demolish the family home, in line with their father’s wishes.

Lee Hsien Yang joined the opposition Progress Singapore Party in 2020 and has been vocal in his criticism of the government, landing him in court over suits filed by cabinet ministers and falling foul of the country’s fake news law.

He and his wife lawyer Lee Suet Fern left Singapore in 2022 after deciding not to attend a scheduled police interview over potential offences of giving false evidence in judicial proceedings regarding Lee Kuan Yew’s will.

According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN’s Refugee Agency, the number of asylum seekers from Singapore has grown in recent years. Between January and June this year, there were 322 asylum seekers, up from 299 last year, 117 in 2022 and 100 in 2021.