The Singapore government plans to gazette the 38 Oxley Road site, the family home of the country’s founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, as a national monument. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said on Monday (Nov 3) that the decision came after reviewing recommendations from the National Heritage Board (NHB) and its Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, which found the site “worthy of preservation.”
If the site is preserved and later acquired, it could be turned into a public space, possibly a heritage park. This means the site will not be redeveloped for residential, commercial, or private use.
“Regardless of the option taken, the government will respect Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes, and will remove all traces of Mr Lee’s and his family’s private living spaces from the buildings,” NHB and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said in a joint statement.
This update comes more than a year after Mr Lee’s son, Lee Hsien Yang, applied to demolish the house on Oct 21 last year. The government had said then that it would assess if the site deserved preservation as a national monument.
NHB and SLA explained that preservation doesn’t necessarily mean keeping the buildings in their current form. “The relevant authorities have not had the chance to assess the state of the buildings and structures within the site. If access is obtained, the authorities will undertake a detailed study to consider how to proceed,” they said.
A final decision on the site’s future will be made “well within this term of government,” which began in May this year.
The site’s owner, 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, has been given written notice of the intent to preserve the property and has until November 17 to submit any objections. Records show Mr Lee Hsien Yang is the sole shareholder, while his son, Li Huanwu, is listed as a director.
In a Facebook post shortly after 11pm on Monday, Mr Lee Hsien Yang criticised the government’s move, saying it had “chosen to trample on Lee Kuan Yew’s unwavering wish to demolish his private house.”
“He regarded his whole house as private and wanted it demolished in its entirety,” he wrote. “The Founders Memorial is already a huge and expensive monument. Lee Kuan Yew was opposed to monuments. The PAP disrespects Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy and values by choosing to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a monument.”
NHB and SLA said Mr Neo will review any objections before making a final decision. There have been no past cases of objections to a gazette.
If the government proceeds with acquiring the site, compensation will be determined under the Land Acquisition Act, based on the market value at the time of acquisition. A private professional valuer will be appointed to ensure fairness.
Public servants from related agencies recused themselves from the assessment to avoid conflicts of interest, as did Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who informed the Cabinet of his recusal in 2015.
The 38 Oxley Road house holds deep historical value. Built in the late 19th century, it was where key discussions took place that led to the formation of the People’s Action Party, Singapore’s ruling party since 1959.
“The site bore witness to discussions and pivotal decisions that shaped the course of Singapore’s history to become an independent nation,” said Mr Neo. “The intention to gazette the site as a national monument recognises its historic significance and national importance. This will preserve a key part of our independence journey for future generations.”
