Ministers Shanmugam and Balakrishnan successfully obtain judicial orders after defamation claims regarding rental of bungalows.

Singapore’s High Court has granted injunctions against Lee Hsien Yang, a prominent figure in the ongoing family dispute, after he posted defamatory allegations on Facebook about two government ministers. The injunctions were secured by Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan following a post made by Mr. Lee on July 23, which accused them of corrupt actions related to the rental of black-and-white bungalows at Ridout Road.

Justice Goh Yihan, in a judgment released on November 27, ruled in favor of the ministers, restraining Mr. Lee from publishing or disseminating further defamatory statements. The court also ordered hearings to assess damages for the defamation, and Mr. Lee was instructed to cover the ministers’ legal costs.

This legal action follows an investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which cleared the ministers of any wrongdoing. Despite this, Mr. Lee’s post continued to generate public attention, prompting the legal action from the ministers. The court ruled that because Mr. Lee failed to file a notice of intention to contest the claims, the defamation allegations remained uncontested.

Both ministers had previously sent legal letters to Mr. Lee, requesting an apology and retraction of his statements, as well as a charitable donation in damages. This legal development marks a significant moment in the ongoing dispute, with the injunctions reinforcing the ministers’ stance against defamatory content.