Singapore must expose festering wound to public scrutiny

Ordinarily, the terms of a will are of significance only to an inner circle of family members. In most cultures, it is bad form to pry into such matters, just as it is unseemly for those involved to turn a family squabble over a legacy into a Facebook campaign. Indeed, after Singapore’s founding father and his wife repeatedly espoused the importance of family ties during their lifetimes, it is heart-wrenching to behold the way in which his family is being torn asunder by his will.
In the case of Lee, the nation also has to bear witness to the wretched spectacle of his legacy besmirched by accusations made by, of all people, his own children. He had long fretted that the labours of his pioneer generation of leaders and Singaporeans might be undone by a rogue government, or incompetent or corrupt leaders. He surely cannot have contemplated the possibility that his own family members might play leading roles in such a dismal scenario.
The allegations that have been made are serious, at once personal and political in nature. They call into question the integrity of key members of the government. Already dragged into the feud are Lee’s son – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a ministerial committee and organs of the state. Sweeping and unsubstantiated statements have been made about dishonesty, spying, threats, abuse of power and fears over the “future of Singapore”. 
Unsurprisingly, these have been reported widely by international media and have become rich pickings for assorted bloggers.
Bewildered citizens are asking whether the determination to tear down a single ageing house should be done with a wrecking ball that harms the entire country. It is no ordinary house, having borne witness to the struggles of the nation’s founding fathers. While most would want to honour Lee’s wishes that it be torn down after his passing, many might wonder at the manner in which his children are now seeking to honour those wishes. While Lee during his lifetime was unwavering in not wanting the house turned into a monument, he also seemed to recognise that government processes to weigh his wishes against the national interest of preserving a part of its heritage could not be summarily set aside if Singapore was serious about upholding the rule of law.
The charges must be addressed fully by the government. It has chosen to do so in parliament, echoing the way Lee himself chose to clear the air in 1996 over alleged corruption in the Hotel Properties saga. In like manner, there must now be an open discussion of the accusations made. Singaporeans will want to get to the bottom of this mess in the hope that a self-inflicted wound might be healed.