The saga, which has involved salvo after salvo being fired from both sides, shows no sign of respite.
Dr Lee Wei Ling took to Facebook again on Saturday afternoon to respond to a Straits Times article published the same day that claimed she had plagiarised her column.
The article was penned by the newspaper’s associate editor Ivan Fernandez, who had edited Dr Lee’s work since last November.
Dr Lee, who is the daughter of former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, said: “There were 5 subsequent emails with regards to this draft, never did Ivan bring up the issue of plagiarism.”
In his article, Mr Fernandez had pointed out that her latest unpublished column had “several issues of serious journalist concern” with one of them being plagiarism.
He also said that it pained him “when she also alleged that those who edited her columns had been ‘commanded to edit certain issues out, and they are to (sic) timid to disobey, and too embarrassed by their timidness to tell me the truth'”.
Without any sign of backing down, Dr Lee further continued with this sentiment in her most recent Facebook post.
She said: “Given that my article was posted on Facebook on 1st April, and this is 9th April, I wonder whether the powers that be had instructed SPH to criticise me and accuse me of plagiarism.”
She also carried on with her emphasis of wanting “to stop any attempts at hagiography at the first anniversary of my father’s death.”
I read in today’s Straits Times, that my previous editor, Ivan Fernandez accused me of plagiarism with regards to how…
Posted by Lee Wei Ling on Saturday, 9 April 2016
Comments on her Facebook post have been mixed.
Some netizens such as James Lim said to let the issue go as she has already made her point.
“Dr Lee, you have made your a point that some of us are in agreement – that LKY would not want such an elaborate first anniversary commemoration. Please let this issue with SPH go. The editors have their jobs to do and you have views to share,” said the comment on Dr Lee’s post.
Others urged her to carry on the fight and to keep writing.
“No!!!! Please, never stop fighting! Everyone in Singapore is paying attention!”, said commentor Ng Yi-Sheng.
spanaech@sph.com.sg
