SINGAPORE, May 23 -- Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng apologized to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday over a blog post that Lee's lawyer described as "serious libel."

Ngerng said that he "unreservedly apologizes" to Lee for the distress and embarrassment caused to him by an allegation that Lee misappropriated money paid by Singaporeans to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board.

"I admits and acknowledges that this allegation is false and completely without foundation," the 33-year-old blogger said in a written apology posted on his web page.

Lee issued a legal request to Ngerng through his lawyers on Monday, asking the blogger to remove the article on CPF money, which Lee's lawyers said had been "published maliciously."

"This is a false and baseless allegation and constitutes a very serious libel against our client, disparages him and impugns his character, credit and integrity," said the letter dated May 18.

The blogger published a photocopy of the letter on his website.

He is asked to remove the blogpost, publish an apology on the homepage of his blog for as long as the offending blog post was left online, and pay for the damages and legal costs.

Ngerng, who had appeared at a protest in May, alleged that he had "advocated for a fairer and more equal Singapore where every Singaporean and every person in Singapore can be taken care of and protected by our country."

Lee has issued lawyers' letters to bloggers who made false allegations in the past. The bloggers often complied with the request to remove the articles and apologized.