The committee tasked by the government with looking into options for Lee Kuan Yew’s 38 Oxley Road home insist it is following his “thinking and wishes” with regards to the property.
This is in response to statements released by Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling earlier today condemning the committee for the options it had put forward and accusing it of misleading the public.
The committee said that it had considered:
“a. The Clause in Mr Lee’s Last Will with both parts read together;
b. Mr Lee’s letter to the Cabinet dated 27 Dec 2011;
c. Mr Lee’s application to (dated 29 Mar 2012), and approval from URA (dated 17 April 2012), for renovation/redevelopment plans for the Property.”
It also said that it had considered “other submissions from the Parties in their personal capacities” in putting forward its options for 38 Oxley Road.
The younger Lee siblings today accused the committee of disrespecting LKY’s will by putting forward options such as the conservation of the house as a national monument and allowing the public to view the dining of the house.
The Demolition Clause in LKY’s final will reads:
“I further declare that it is my wish and the wish of my late wife, Kwa Geok Choo, that our house at 38 Oxley Road, Singapore 238629 be demolished immediately after my death, or if my daughter Wei Ling would prefer to continue living in the original house, immediately after she moves out of the house. I would ask each of my children to ensure our wishes with respect to the demolition of the house be carried out.
If our children are unable to demolish the house as a result of any changes in the laws, rules or regulations binding them, it is my wish that the house never be opened to others except my children, their families and descendants.
My view on this has been made public before and remains unchanged.”
This is the committee’s statement:
1. We note Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) and Dr Lee Wei Ling’s (LWL) response to the Report, together with all its Annexes, that we issued yesterday.
2. These views expressed by Mr LHY and Dr LWL had already been carefully weighed by the Committee, together with other submissions from the Parties in their personal capacities, including those in the form of statutory declarations, and objective evidence in the form of documents signed by Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
3. As we have said, the Committee relied on three key objective documents from Mr Lee Kuan Yew which gave concrete expression to his thinking and wishes regarding the Property:
a. The Clause in Mr Lee’s Last Will with both parts read together;
b. Mr Lee’s letter to the Cabinet dated 27 Dec 2011;
c. Mr Lee’s application to (dated 29 Mar 2012), and approval from URA (dated 17 April 2012), for renovation/redevelopment plans for the Property.
4. The Report laid out the options for the property, ranging from preservation at one end, to demolition and redevelopment at the other. As we noted in our Report, there is no need to decide now. The various options in the Report are meant to help a future government make an informed and considered decision when the need arises.
5. Both Mr LHY and Dr LWL’s earlier statements, as well as their response dated 3 April 2018, will be lodged with the Cabinet Secretary, together with this statement, so that these too can be referred to by a future government.
