SINGAPORE – Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has denied claims by his sister accusing him of abusing his power over the anniversary of the death of their father, the city state’s founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew.

In a statement on Facebook, Mr Lee said, “I am deeply saddened by my sister Dr Lee Wei Ling’s claim that I have abused my power to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing in order to establish a dynasty. The accusations are completely untrue.”

The prime minister added, “The first anniversary of a person’s passing is a significant moment to remember him and reflect on what he meant to us. The more so with Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The Cabinet had discussed how we should mark the occasion. My advice was that we should leave it to ground-up efforts. Groups should keep their observances in proportion, and focused on the future.”

On Sunday, Mr Lee’s sister, Lee Wei Ling, reportedly uploaded a Facebook post saying the government was trying to use the first anniversary of the death of Lee Kuan Yew to “hero worship” him.

She continued to say in the post, which has since been removed, “HL has no qualms about abusing his power to hv (sic) a commemoration just one year after LKY died” and that “if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY’s daughter will not allow LKY’s name to be sullied by a dishonourable son.”

Lee Wei Ling, a doctor, had regularly published her columns expressing personal views about Singapore and her father in the Straits Times in past years.

Lee Hsien Loong and his People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled the city-state since its independence in 1965, won a convincing general election victory last year, months after the founding prime minister died in March 2015.

“The idea that I should wish to establish a dynasty makes even less sense. Meritocracy is a fundamental value of our society, and neither I, the PAP, nor the Singapore public would tolerate any such attempt,” he said.

– with other agencies