On the 10th anniversary of the death of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, his youngest son, Lee Hsien Yang, renewed his call for the government to allow the demolition of the family home at 38 Oxley Road.
In a statement posted on Facebook on 23 March 2025, he cited his father’s repeated and publicly expressed wish that the property be torn down after it was no longer inhabited.
“PM Lawrence Wong, honour Lee Kuan Yew’s final wish. Stop kicking the can down the road,” he wrote.
This latest appeal comes months after the passing of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on 9 October 2024. She had lived in the property until her death, fulfilling the condition Lee Kuan Yew outlined in his final will dated 17 December 2013.
Following her death, Lee Hsien Yang submitted a formal application to demolish the house on 21 October 2024.
In response, the government initiated a new heritage study through the National Heritage Board (NHB) to assess whether the property should be preserved as a national monument.
The study aims to assess whether the property merits preservation as a national monument.
Announced on 24 October 2024 by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, the study has effectively delayed a decision on demolition.
Minister Tong said that “no option should be precluded” and urged Singaporeans to keep an open mind as the matter is assessed.
The review is being carried out by NHB’s Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, which will submit its recommendations to the ministry.
Yet, questions have been raised about the timing and purpose of this renewed assessment.
The site was previously evaluated by a 2018 ministerial committee, which considered a wide range of options—including demolition, partial preservation, and conversion into a heritage site—but refrained from making a specific recommendation.
That committee’s conclusion was that a future government would be responsible for determining the property’s fate, taking into account both public interest and Lee Kuan Yew’s stated preferences.
Critics argue that revisiting this issue now, years after the committee’s work and just months before a potential general election—speculated to be held in May 2025—suggests the government is reluctant to make a politically sensitive decision.
Some observers believe the People’s Action Party (PAP) government may prefer to delay a final determination until after the polls to avoid polarising voters.
Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has addressed these speculations directly.
In his Facebook post, Lee Hsien Yang stated, “If the PAP government intends to trample on Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes and preserve his house, they should just do so. If not, they should permit demolition.”
He added that continued delay undermines “respect, integrity, and honouring a man who shaped our nation.”
Lee Hsien Yang is the current owner of 38 Oxley Road and has stated that, if demolition is approved, he intends to build a small private home on the site to be held within the family.
As the sole surviving executor of his father’s estate, he said he is duty-bound to ensure Lee Kuan Yew’s final wishes are fulfilled “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Both Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, were granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 2024, citing political persecution in Singapore.
The symbolic and political weight of 38 Oxley Road continues to stir public interest. The house, once home to Singapore’s founding prime minister, also served as the site of formative political meetings that led to the birth of the PAP.
While Mr Lee Kuan Yew initially acknowledged that preservation might be necessary if legally required, he ultimately reinstated the demolition clause in his final will.
His daughter, Dr Lee, also publicly supported the demolition.
The delay and ambiguity surrounding the site’s future continue to fuel debate—not only about how Singapore should balance historical legacy with private wishes, but also about perceived hypocrisy in invoking Lee Kuan Yew’s name while disregarding his clear intent.
In the same post, Lee Hsien Yang wrote: “Lee Kuan Yew believed in looking forward, not back. He wanted his home at 38 Oxley Road demolished. He viewed preserving [it] as against the principles he stood for—a pragmatic, forward-thinking Singapore, unshackled to the past.”
Critics argue that continued delay by the government—while citing respect for Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy—runs contrary to the very values he sought to uphold.
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