Lee Hsien Yang (LHY), the son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has publicly addressed the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) decision to commission a new study on whether 38 Oxley Road should be preserved.
In a Facebook post on Friday morning (25 Oct), LHY directly addressed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, urging him to take responsibility for honouring his father’s last wishes and to proceed with the demolition of the house, as outlined in Lee Kuan Yew’s will.
“PM Lawrence Wong, the decision on 38 Oxley Road is your responsibility. In Lee Kuan Yew’s will, he wished for his house to be demolished ‘immediately after’ Wei Ling was not there. The time for that decision is now,” LHY wrote, referring to the passing of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on 9 October 2024.
LHY also recalled Wong’s previous involvement in decisions regarding his father’s legacy. He highlighted Wong’s role as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in 2015, during which Wong oversaw the National Museum’s exhibition of Lee Kuan Yew’s furniture and artefacts. At the exhibition, Wong had stated, “Honour not just one man, but our founding generation of leaders, and aim to be faithful to the ideals and values that our leaders lived by and fought for.”
LHY questioned whether the current handling of 38 Oxley Road aligns with those ideals, particularly with the ongoing efforts to build a Founders’ Memorial, a project Wong also supports.
“PM Wong, you were also on the Ministerial Committee which from 2016 to 2018 took many hours of ministers’ time to consider options for Lee Kuan Yew’s home,” LHY wrote, reminding Wong of the extensive deliberations already undertaken on the matter.
LHY expressed frustration at the ongoing delay, noting that nearly a decade had passed without a resolution on 38 Oxley Road.
“This is your responsibility. You have had nine years to consider. Further delay would trample on the last wishes of Lee Kuan Yew, whom you claim to honour. Please lead,” LHY concluded.
LHY’s application and family legacy
LHY filed an application for demolition with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on 21 October 2024, following an earlier Facebook post on 15 October where he said, “To honour my parents’ last wishes, I am applying to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road and thereafter build a small private dwelling to be held within the family in perpetuity.”
He added, “I am the sole legal owner of 38 Oxley Road. After my sister’s passing, I am the only living executor of my father Lee Kuan Yew’s estate. In his will, he wished for the house to be demolished ‘immediately after’ Wei Ling moved out of the house. It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Context of the debate
The fate of 38 Oxley Road has long been a contentious issue, particularly within the Lee family and among Singapore’s political leadership. In his final will, Lee Kuan Yew made it clear that the house should be immediately demolished once Dr Lee no longer lived there.
Despite this, members of the People’s Action Party (PAP), including senior cabinet members, attempted to halt plans for demolition, citing the need to study various options, particularly in light of the public dispute between LHY, Dr Lee, and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2017.
Publicly, however, PAP leaders have made their intention clear—they wish to preserve the house due to its symbolic value as the residence of Singapore’s founding prime minister, even though Lee Kuan Yew had expressed a preference for its demolition.
This has led to a prolonged debate between the family and the government, with LHY and his sister Dr Lee—even in her passing—arguing in favour of respecting their father’s wishes.
NHB’s new study raises further concerns
The NHB’s decision to launch a new study on the preservation of 38 Oxley Road has added fuel to the controversy. The move comes despite a comprehensive 2018 report that had already examined the house’s potential historical and architectural significance.
This has led to scepticism about the necessity of yet another study, with pundits suggesting that it may be a delaying tactic by the government to avoid making a final decision that goes against popular opinion ahead of the upcoming General Election.
Political implications
Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong in 2024 as Prime Minister, now faces the responsibility of addressing this sensitive issue.
Wong’s leadership will be scrutinised not only for how he navigates the wishes of the Lee family but also for how he manages the delicate balance between heritage preservation and personal legacies.
As the debate intensifies, LHY’s public appeal to Wong places pressure on the government to resolve the matter.
With the upcoming General Election scheduled by November 2025, the issue of 38 Oxley Road is likely to become even more politically charged, testing the leadership’s ability to make a decisive and transparent resolution.
For now, LHY has made his stance clear: the time for a decision is now, and further delays would dishonour the wishes of Singapore’s founding prime minister.
