Tussle over Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley home continues

PETALING JAYA (April 4): The siblings of Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the declarations of a ministerial panel over the future of their late father’s house — 38 Oxley Road — were inaccurate, reported Free Malaysia Today.

Hsien Loong’s younger brother Lee Hsien Yang and sister Lee Wei Ling had criticised a report published by the committee on Monday (April 2) which said a future government should make the ultimate decision about the home’s fate — which is to either be fully or partially preserved as a national monument, or demolished.

The siblings want the home demolished, in accordance with what is allegedly stated in their father Lee Kuan Yew’s will.

“It is clear that our father was not endorsing alternatives to demolition. The committee’s statement does not accurately represent Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes,” they said in a joint statement on Facebook.

In another post on the social media platform, Wei Ling said: “Papa was as direct as me. He made absolutely clear what he wanted done with the house. He and Mama had long decided they wanted it demolished after they were gone.

“It would require unbelievable lack of intelligence or determined denial to not understand what Pa & Ma so unambiguously wanted.”

Hsien Yang currently owns the property while Wei Ling lives there.

In response, the committee said it will note their response and lodge them, along with previous statements, with the cabinet secretary, so that they “can be referred to by a future government”.

Meanwhile, Hsien Loong said in a Facebook statement that the committee was right to say that there was no need to decide what to do with the home, since his sister was still living there.

“I hope that when the time comes to decide on what to do with the house, this report will help the government of the day to make an informed decision that both respects my father’s wishes and is in the public interest,” he said.

The prime minister said he had recused himself from government discussions on the issue.