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Lee Wei Ling

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Chinese name, the family name is Lee (李).

Lee Wei Ling
李玮玲
Born
Lee Wei Ling

(1955-01-07)7 January 1955
Singapore
Died9 October 2024(2024-10-09) (aged 69)
Singapore
Alma materUniversity of Singapore (MBBS)
OccupationNeurologist
Parent(s)Lee Kuan Yew (father)
Kwa Geok Choo (mother)
FamilyLee Hsien Loong (brother)
Lee Hsien Yang (brother)

Lee Wei Ling (7 January 1955 – 9 October 2024) was a Singaporean neurologist. She was the director of the National Neuroscience Institute.

A prominent member of the Lee family, she was the younger sister of Lee Hsien Loong, the older sister of Lee Hsien Yang and the only daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding prime minister of Singapore.

Early life and career

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Lee was born on 7 January 1955.[1] She received a President's Scholarship in 1973, before studying in the medical faculty of the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore), where she graduated top of her class with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree before specialising in pediatrics.[2]

She began working in the pediatric ward at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and received board certification from the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.[3]

Personal life

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Lee Wei Ling was the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. She was the younger sister of Lee Hsien Loong and the older sister of Lee Hsien Yang.

Wei Ling enjoyed driving and admitted to speeding on a visit to New Hampshire in 1995; she was pulled over by highway police but was released by the sympathetic officer after discussing the caning of Michael Fay.[4]

In 2015, shortly after the death of her father, Lee Wei Ling published an autobiographical book, A Hakka Woman's Singapore, based on columns that she had previously written.[5] She publicly spoke against hero worship of the founding Prime Minister.[6] In 2016, an editor at The Straits Times accused Lee of plagiarism in an unpublished article.[7][8] Lee publicly supported freedom of speech[9] and stated that she would cease writing for the newspaper following the editorial dispute.[10]

In 2022, Lee Wei Ling reportedly sold a property worth S$50 million to Yonghong Shi, a cofounder of Haidilao.[11][12]

Administrator of Lee Kuan Yew's will

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Lee Wei Ling and her brother, Lee Hsien Yang, were the joint administrators and executors of Lee Kuan Yew's will.[13] However, they were in a dispute in 2017 with Lee Hsien Loong over their late father's will with regard to the house at 38 Oxley Road. They "felt threatened by Lee Hsien Loong's misuse of his position and influence over the Singapore government and its agencies to drive his personal agenda". They alleged that Hsien Loong used his father's legacy to improve Hsien Loong's reputation and that he thwarted the will of their father in order to use the house at 38 Oxley Road as a monument to their father, which was something that their father allegedly did not want. They also criticised the influence of Ho Ching over the government, and alleged that the Prime Minister harboured political ambitions for his son, Li Hongyi.[14] A special parliamentary session was held to clear the Prime Minister of any wrongdoings and the siblings agreed to keep the dispute private after the session.[15][16]

Illness and death

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In August 2020, Lee Wei Ling stated on a Facebook post that she had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that results in the weakening of certain muscles. Lee was known for her stoicism and stated that she would "endure" in the face of her condition.[17]

Lee died at her home on 9 October 2024, at the age of 69.[18] Her body was cremated at Mandai Crematorium, and her ashes will be scattered at sea.[19]

Publications

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  • Lee, Wei Ling; Yap, Koon Hong (2016). A Hakka woman's Singapore stories: my life as a daughter, doctor, and diehard Singaporean. Singapore: Straits Times Press. ISBN 978-981-4642-47-7.


Family tree of Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Bok Boon
1846–1920		Seow Huan Neo
1850–c. 1931
Lee Hoon Leong
1871–1942		Ko Liem Nio
1883–1959
Lee Chin Koon
1903–1997[20]		Chua Jim Neo
1907–1980
Lee Kuan Yew
1923–2015		Kwa Geok Choo
1920–2010		Dennis Lee Kim Yew
1925–2003[21]		Gloria Lee (Woo) Sau Yin
1926–2023[22]		Freddy Lee Thiam Yew
1927–2012[23]		Eleanor Ngo Puay Chin[22]Monica Lee Kim Mon
b. 1929 or 1930[24]		George Chan Chor Cheung[22]Dr Lee Suan Yew
b. 1933[25]		Pamela Chong[22]
Wong Ming Yang
1951–1982[26]		Lee Hsien Loong
b. 1952		Ho Ching
b. 1953		Lee Wei Ling
1955–2024		Lee Hsien Yang
b. 1957		Lim Suet Fern
b. 1958[27]
Li Xiuqi
b. 1981[28]		Li Yipeng
b. 1982[28]		Li Hongyi
b. 1987[28]		Li Haoyi
b. 1989[28]		Li Shengwu
b. 1985[28]		Li Huanwu
b. 1986[28]		Li Shaowu
b. 1995[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Lee Wei Ling: A prominent neurologist who didn't shy away from speaking out". CNA.
  2. ^ "To what end, all the President's Scholars?". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  3. ^ Tan, Judith; Yuen-C, Tham (9 October 2024). "Lee Wei Ling: Fearless fighter, friend of the underdog". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  4. ^ Lee, Wei Ling (2015). A Hakka Woman's Singapore (1st ed.). Straits Times Press. pp. 274–277. ISBN 978-981-4642-47-7.
  5. ^ "Lee Wei Ling's candid views make for a page-turner". The Straits Times. 27 September 2015. ISSN 0585-3923.
  6. ^ Lee, Justina. "Family feud over 'hero worship' erupts in Singapore". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  7. ^ Tan, Martino (9 April 2016). "Straits Times editor claims Lee Wei Ling plagiarised whole paragraphs for her unpublished commentary". mothership.sg.
  8. ^ "ST never brought up issue of plagiarism, Lee Wei Ling responds to ST's accusation - Singapore News". The Independent Singapore News. 9 April 2016.
  9. ^ Ungku, Fathin (15 August 2016). "Singapore parliament passes controversial contempt of court bill". Reuters.
  10. ^ "Lee Wei Ling: I will no longer write for SPH". Yahoo News. 1 April 2016.
  11. ^ Wong, Marcus (17 September 2022). "Lee Kuan Yew's Daughter Sells Bungalow for S$50 Million: ST". Bloomberg.com.
  12. ^ Tan, Fiona (17 September 2022). "Haidilao co-founder buys Lee Wei Ling's Good Class Bungalow at Cluny Hill for S$50 million". mothership.sg.
  13. ^ "Lee Kuan Yew's daughter Lee Wei Ling dies at 69". The Business Times.
  14. ^ Holmes, Oliver (14 June 2017). "Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong denounced by siblings". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  15. ^ Kotwani, Monica; Zhu, Melissa; See Kit, Tang (3 July 2017). "PAP MPs raise questions over Oxley Road dispute in Parliament debate". CNA. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  16. ^ Abu Baker, Jalelah; Chia, Lianne (3 July 2017). "'An ugly media circus': Workers' Party urges settlement of Oxley Road dispute in court". CNA. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Lee Wei Ling diagnosed with rare brain disorder with no cure, wishes it was a nightmare". AsiaOne. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Dr Lee Wei Ling, Lee Kuan Yew's daughter, dies at 69". The Straits Times. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Farewell to Dr Lee Wei Ling: Rain marks solemn tribute, echoing her father's funeral". The Online Citizen. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  20. ^ Chua, Alivin. "Lee Chin Koon". Singapore Infopedia.
  21. ^ "Kuan Yew's brother Dennis dies". Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  22. ^ a b c d "Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore, and his family, 1989 – BookSG". National Library Board, Singapore. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  23. ^ "Lee Kuan Yew bids farewell to brother". Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  24. ^ "The Lee Kuan Yew I remember: His sister Monica Lee, 85". Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  25. ^ Lee Kuan Yew (1998). The Singapore Story. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish.
  26. ^ Chua, Mui Hoong (19 October 2003). "From the archives: Private side of DPM Lee". The Straits Times. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  27. ^ Wong, Chun Han (14 July 2017). "Singapore, a Model of Orderly Rule, Is Jolted by a Bitter Family Feud". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g Stolarchuk, Jewel (4 October 2020). "Rare interview: Li Shengwu felt like the first grandson to Mr and Mrs Lee". The Independent Singapore. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
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