SINGAPORE, Nov 9 — Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has responded to allegations made by Lee Hsien Yang last month, in which he accused the island nation of growing more repressive.

Media outlet CNA reported Wong as saying Lee’s comments would not distract the Singapore government from focusing on the key issues affecting Singaporeans.

“Where Mr Lee Hsien Yang is concerned, he has made allegations which the government has responded fully to. I cannot control what he says or does,” Wong was quoted as saying during a press conference yesterday.

He reiterated that there are no legal restrictions preventing Lee, his wife Lee Suet Fern, or their son from returning to Singapore.

Lee and his wife have been living abroad since 2022 after opting not to attend a scheduled police interview regarding potential offences related to the will of his father, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee, who sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 2022, has made several claims of political persecution in Singapore, which the government has firmly denied.

Yesterday, Wong said that Lee’s actions would not divert his team’s attention from vital national matters.

“Whatever his actions, they will not distract me and my team from focusing on the core issues that are important to Singaporeans, which means taking care of Singaporeans’ livelihoods, advancing our standards of living, and making sure that we continue to build a better future for ourselves,” he said.

In interviews with The Associated Press and The Guardian last month, Lee alleged that Singapore has become increasingly repressive, claiming that the country still enforces measures from his father’s time in office.

On October 22, he announced via social media that he had sought asylum in the UK, citing “attacks” by the Singapore government as his reason for fleeing.

The Singapore government responded on October 31, describing Lee’s actions as a “personal vendetta” and accusing him of launching an international smear campaign against his family and the nation.

When asked if the asylum issue had strained relations between Singapore and the UK, Wong said that decisions on political asylum were for the UK government to make.

He added that during a recent meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the topic was not discussed.