Where does Lee Hsien Loong stand on the future of 38 Oxley Road as the government revisits the issue?

As the National Heritage Board (NHB) initiates a study to assess the historical significance of 38 Oxley Road, the former home of Singapore’s late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, questions arise about Lee Hsien Loong’s current position on its future.

The NHB’s review follows a formal application by Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest of the siblings, to demolish the property following Dr Lee Wei Ling’s death on 9 October 2024.

In a statement on 15 October, Lee Hsien Yang reiterated his commitment to his father’s last will, stating that he had a “legal and moral duty as the sole living executor” to carry out Lee Kuan Yew’s wish for the house’s demolition once Dr Lee vacated it.

However, as public debate resurfaces, Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, has remained silent on the issue following his 2023 retirement as Prime Minister, leaving his position open to interpretation and leading some to question whether his priorities may have shifted post-retirement.

In 2015, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, then Prime Minister, along with his siblings Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, supported demolishing the house in line with their father’s wishes.

“Most importantly, how we honour Mr Lee must be faithful to the ideals he lived by and fought for… It was not monuments but ideals that were his chief concern, the ideals upon which he built Singapore,” he said in Parliament.

He added, “As a son, I would like to see these wishes [for demolition] carried out.”

However, this family pledge among Lee Kuan Yew’s three children has been overshadowed by a public feud that erupted in 2017 and remains unresolved. Dr Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang accused Lee Hsien Loong of abusing his powers as Prime Minister to influence decisions on the family home—a charge Lee Hsien Loong has consistently denied.

In his 2017 Ministerial Statement, Lee Hsien Loong said, “I have recused myself from all Government decisions relating to 38 Oxley Road… From that point on, I have been out of the loop whenever the Government handles matters concerning the house. I play no part in any of the discussions or decisions.”

However, he distanced himself from his siblings’ position, which differed from his own stance in 2015, stating: “My father’s primary wish on the house has always been clear—he always wanted it knocked down… Where my siblings and I differ is on whether my father was prepared to consider alternatives should demolition not be possible.”

In emphasising that no one is above the law, Lee also stated, “The legacy of Mr Lee is much more than an old house… That in Singapore, even Mr Lee’s house and Mr Lee’s wishes are subject to the rule of law”—a position echoed by supporters advocating for the house to be gazetted in light of NHB’s latest statement.

In multiple Facebook posts, Dr Lee alleged that her eldest brother’s actions contradicted their father’s wishes, a claim she reiterated until her final days. Referring to him as a “dishonourable son,” she argued he had failed to honour Lee Kuan Yew’s explicit instructions for 38 Oxley Road.

This dispute created a lasting rift among the siblings, with no known family gatherings or reunions since.

Dr Lee’s recent funeral further highlighted this estrangement; Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching, attended only as members of the public. While some viewed their absence from family roles in the arrangements as unfortunate, both were later seen attending a wedding on the same day, appearing at ease—further fueling public speculation about the fractured family ties.

On 24 October 2024, in response to Lee Hsien Yang’s demolition request, the NHB announced its intention to conduct a thorough heritage review, keeping open the option of designating the property as a national monument.

Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth, stated that “no option should be precluded or closed off,” underscoring the need to evaluate the site’s legacy in light of its historical significance to Singapore’s founding years. This review will be led by NHB’s Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, which will ultimately recommend a course of action to the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth.

The current review takes place against the backdrop of a 2018 ministerial committee report, commissioned during Lee Hsien Loong’s tenure as Prime Minister, which examined various options for 38 Oxley Road, including partial preservation and full demolition.

The committee refrained from making a recommendation while Dr Lee was still living in the property, deferring the decision to future administrations.

This was the same context in which Lee Hsien Loong stated in Parliament in 2015 that the decision should be left to “the government of the day” once his sister vacated the house, emphasising his wish to remain impartial as both a son and head of government.

The Singapore government has repeatedly pointed out that while Lee Kuan Yew’s will unambiguously requested demolition, he did acknowledge in a letter to the Cabinet— written after meeting with People’s Action Party ministers on 21 July 2011—that if preservation became unavoidable, the property should be properly maintained rather than neglected.

However, his 2013 will clearly stated his preference for demolition.

Perhaps to illustrate his intent and dismay over the pressure upon him, Lee Kuan Yew removed Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching as executors of his will on 23 July 2011, two days after the Cabinet meeting, leaving the responsibility solely to Dr Lee and Lee Hsien Yang, two of the original four executors in his first will (dated 7 December 1995).

He also specifically included a paragraph in his second will (dated 20 August 2011) calling for the immediate demolition of his house following his death or immediately after Dr Lee moved out.

For Lee Hsien Yang, the demolition application represents the culmination of years of public debate and family tension. “It has been nine years,” he recently noted, alluding to his brother’s 2015 statement in Parliament and the 2018 ministerial committee’s decision to defer the issue.

NHB’s current review, which revisits issues examined in 2018, has raised eyebrows, as it replicates work already done and revisits the 2018 ministerial committee findings, which concluded that the decision should be left to a future government.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who was part of the ministerial committee, has not commented on the matter; instead, an unnamed government spokesperson responded to Lee Hsien Yang’s application, accusing him of creating “false urgency” over the demolition of 38 Oxley Road, indicating a continued reluctance to address the issue directly

Members of the public have consistently supported respecting Lee Kuan Yew’s last wish. A 2015 YouGov poll revealed that 77% of the 1,000 respondents favoured demolishing the house in accordance with his wishes. Of those in favour, 61% felt it was important to honour his wishes, while 39% cited the need to respect his privacy.

More recently, nearly 2,000 comments were posted on a Mothership Facebook post, with a clear majority expressing support for demolishing the house.

Many speculate that the government may be postponing a controversial decision that opposes the majority’s views ahead of the upcoming general election, expected by November 2025.

Whether or not Lee Hsien Loong will eventually voice his opinion remains uncertain. Wong’s silence also raises questions about the nature of the leadership transition and whether he is simply positioned as a “seat warmer” in Lee’s shadow.

The issue continues to evoke strong feelings among Singaporeans, who wish to see Lee Kuan Yew’s final wishes fulfilled and to put an end to the prolonged family dispute that has embarrassed the country for years.