Dispute over 38 Oxley Road
The family home has been in the public eye since the elder Lee passed away on March 23, 2015. Dr. Lee continued to live there after his brothers moved away.
In June 2017, Lee Hsien Yang and Dr. Lee took to social media to accuse then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of lying about his father’s identity for political gain and of wanting Elder Lee to demolish his family home.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee claimed they felt threatened by trying to fulfill their late father’s wish to have the house demolished. They also accused Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his influence within the government to advance his personal agenda.
The story subsequently made headlines in some of the world’s biggest newspapers, leading to Lee Hsien Loong issuing a ministerial statement in parliament addressing the allegations on July 3, 2017.
The committee was chaired by Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, and included ministers on Oxley Route 38, including the then Minister for Culture, Communities and Youth Grace Foo, Minister for Justice K Shanmugam and Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong. The committee will later consider the fate of the house.
In April 2018, the commission published its final report containing three recommendations on this issue. The idea is to preserve the entire house, save only the historic basement dining room, or allow it to be demolished.
Mr Teo previously said: “In arriving at our view of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes, we rely on the objective evidence before us and the efforts that Mr Lee Kuan Yew himself made during his lifetime to realize his wishes. I had particular confidence in the important concrete steps taken.”
“This includes the demolition clause in Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s will, his letter to ministers dated 27 December 2011, and his submission to the URA for approval of 38 Oxley Road in March 2012. It included renovation and redevelopment plans.
The report did not make any recommendations and noted that “no decision had to be made regarding the property” when Dr Lee was still living there.
“The various options set out in the report are intended to assist future governments in making informed and considered decisions where appropriate,” the report said.
