Preserving 38 Oxley Road: Lee Hsien Yang says PAP govt 'trampling on' Lee Kuan Yew's demolition wish

Hours after the Singapore government announced its intention to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument, the current owner of the unit Lee Hsien Yang has responded on Nov 3, saying the decision "tramples on" Lee Kuan Yew's "unwavering wish" to demolish the house "in its entirety".

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Lee Hsien Yang said that his father was opposed to monuments, adding that the move "disrespects Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy and values".

Lee also acknowledged that the plan to preserve 38 Oxley Road "effectively rejects" his demolition application made in October last year.

Earlier in the day, the government announced the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board's finding that the site is "of national significance, with great historic merit" and "worthy of preservation".

As part of the process, Lee has been given 14 days until Nov 17 to submit any objections, said the National Heritage Board and Singapore Land Authority in their joint statement.

Last month, Lee took to Facebook to ask the government "how long more" it would take to make a decision on his request to demolish the house, a week after his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling died on Oct 9 that year.

In its response dated Oct 25, 2024, the government said that Lee was creating "false urgency" for the demolition of 38 Oxley Road amid claims that he knew were inaccurate. 

A government spokesperson also reiterated that Lee and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, had misled the late Lee Kuan Yew on the execution of his will and that the duo had lied under oath, adding that findings by the Court of Three Judges in November 2020 and a disciplinary tribunal in February 2020 had determined that the two presented an "elaborate edifice of lies... both on oath... and through their public and other statements".

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editor@asiaone.com