PUBLISHED ONNovember 06, 2025 10:36 AMBYKoh Xing YingThe dining room of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's home at 38 Oxley Road is a space within the site that would be considered "less private", said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo in Parliament on Thursday (Nov 6).
Neo was responding to questions posed by MPs following his ministerial statement on the Government's intention to preserve the site.
MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC Ang Wei Neng had sought clarification on Neo's statement that the Government would remove all traces of the Lee family's "private living spaces from the interior of the house".
In particular, he asked if the basement dining area would be considered part of this "private space".
Neo, in his response, had stated that the dining room would be one that would be considered "less private".
"There are spaces within the buildings that have been widely documented in different forms of media in the past, and all these were done prior to Mr Lee's passing, the basement dining room being one of them that we would consider less private," said Neo, providing details for the first time on what could be retained, or not, within 38 Oxley Road.
He had earlier highlighted in his ministerial statement that the basement dining room was where key meetings took place in Singapore's political history
Neo explained that other spaces, such as bedrooms that are not associated with historically significant events, will be reconfigured or removed.
"It will range from removing furnishings, fixtures or any objects still left to potentially tearing down such spaces — while taking into consideration issues like structural integrity and safety. The exact nature of the removal will be determined subsequently," he said.
Neo stressed that these measures are not exceptional, noting that all historic sites generally undergo some degree of adaptive reuse to ensure they remain beneficial and relevant to current and future generations of Singaporeans.
He cited examples such as the former Supreme Court, the National Gallery Singapore, and the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, all of which had their interiors "significantly altered" while their exteriors were preserved.
In his clarification on what the demolished site could offer in terms of visitor experience, Neo said it would provide a unique sense of being in the very place where historic events took place.
"We have a very precious few sites where there is a confluence of people, events and place. Founders' Memorial is recreated on reclaimed land. It is not the same space where the events took place... it is not the same space where the struggles took place," he said.
"There will not be that same sense of authenticity... This site is unique, [and it] behoves us to preserve it."
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xingying.koh@asiaone.com
