Demolishing 38 Oxley Road now will rule out options

Allowing Mr Lee Hsien Yang to carry out immediate demolition works at 38 Oxley Road would “straightaway rule out options which can be considered”, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.

In a Facebook post on Oct 24, Mr Tong said: “We do not think that any option should be precluded, or closed off, at this stage.”

Mr Lee, the younger son of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, is the current owner of 38 Oxley Road and had applied to the authorities on Oct 21 for permission to demolish the house.

To demolish it, he requires approval for building works from the Building and Construction Authority, as well as planning permission from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Mr Tong noted that 38 Oxley Road has been the subject of some discussion recently, following the death of Dr Lee Wei Ling.

Dr Lee, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s daughter, died on Oct 9 at age 69. Her death has left the house uninhabited. Mr Lee Kuan Yew started renting the one-storey bungalow in the mid-1940s, purchased it later in 1965 and lived there until his death in 2015.

Mr Tong said: “There is, quite understandably, a range of different views amongst Singaporeans on the matter.
 
“It is important that we approach the matter with an open mind, as well as keep our options open. The passage of time will help us better appreciate the matter in its proper context, with the benefit of some hindsight.”

On Oct 24, the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced it would embark on a study of the site to determine if it “has national historical, heritage, and architectural significance as to be worthy of preservation” as a national monument.

Mr Tong said: “If a Preservation Order is made, all options will remain open, and this will give the Government time to consider the different options identified in the ministerial committee report, or any other option.”

A preservation order designates a building or a site as a national monument, and restricts the changes that can be made to it.

Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Law, said the study will be conducted by NHB’s Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, which comprises experts from various sectors.

“They will carefully assess the merits, if any, of such preservation, and make their professional recommendations,” he added.

In 2018, a ministerial committee led by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean recommended three options for the house, leaving the decision up to a “future government”.

They were: to preserve the property and gazette it for conservation or as a national monument; to retain the basement dining room, which has the most historical significance, and tear down the rest of the property; or to allow the property to be demolished fully for redevelopment.

In its report, the committee noted that the house was “where meetings took place that led to the formation of the first independent government for Singapore, and altered the destiny of the country”.

The basement dining room is of particular significance, as it was where the ruling People’s Action Party was formed in 1954.