Singapore’s plan to preserve the late Lee Kuan Yew’s historic home at 38 Oxley Road as a national monument has reignited a deeply personal and political family dispute, thrusting the city-state’s founding legacy back into the national spotlight. The government’s announcement on November 3, 2025, that it intends to gazette the property for preservation was met with both official praise and fierce opposition from Lee’s youngest son, Lee Hsien Yang, who accuses authorities of disrespecting his father’s final wishes.
The two-story, eight-bedroom bungalow, built in 1898 and nestled in a prime area of Singapore’s city center, is more than just a family residence. According to the National Heritage Board (NHB), it is a site of “national significance, with great historic merit, and worthy of preservation.” Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo explained in a public statement, “This will preserve a key part of our independence journey for future generations.” The house bore witness to pivotal discussions that shaped Singapore’s transformation from colonial backwater to global economic powerhouse.
But this preservation effort has come at a cost—namely, the eruption of a long-simmering family feud that has played out in Singapore’s public sphere for years. Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Lee Kuan Yew, condemned the government’s plan in a Facebook post on November 4, 2025, writing, “The PAP government has chosen to trample on Lee Kuan Yew’s unwavering wish to demolish his private house. He regarded his whole house as private and wanted it demolished in its entirety.” He further accused the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) of disrespecting his father’s legacy and values.
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s revered founding prime minister, led the country for 31 years and was known for his pragmatic, often unsentimental approach to governance. In his later years, he was adamant that his home not be turned into a monument. In his final will, he called for its demolition after it was no longer inhabited. This wish, Lee Hsien Yang insists, was clear and unwavering. After the passing of his sister, Lee Wei Ling, on October 9, 2024—who had been living in the house—Lee Hsien Yang submitted an application to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to demolish the property, seeking to fulfill his father’s will dated December 17, 2013.
The government, however, took a different view. On November 3, 2025, Lee Hsien Yang received formal notice of the government’s intention to preserve the site, and he now has until November 17, 2025, to submit any objections. Minister Neo has stated that every objection will be considered before a final decision is made. Should a preservation order be issued, the government intends to acquire the property and convert it into a public space—possibly a heritage park—while promising to remove traces of private living spaces to respect Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes as much as possible.
The roots of the dispute stretch back a decade. After Lee Kuan Yew’s death in 2015, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son and then-prime minister, inherited the property but transferred ownership to Lee Hsien Yang at market value later that year. The house, which also served as the early headquarters of the People’s Action Party, became the subject of a bitter public spat among the three siblings—Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Hsien Yang, and the late Lee Wei Ling—over whether the house should be demolished or preserved for posterity.
Lee Hsien Loong’s position has been complicated by his dual role as both a son and a senior government official. In a statement to Parliament in 2017, he explained, “I was conflicted, being my father’s son and the inheritor of the house, and also the Head of the Government. It was not proper for me to take part in any decisions on 38 Oxley Road.” He formally recused himself from all government discussions and decisions regarding the property, with then-Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean taking over the matter. This recusal was officially recorded in the Cabinet minutes, and since then, Lee Hsien Loong has declined to comment further on the issue, stating through his press secretary, “SM Lee has recused himself from the matter since 2017. He has no comment to add.”
This silence has not gone unnoticed. Netizens have taken to social media, particularly on Mothership’s Facebook page, to criticize Lee Hsien Loong’s lack of public comment. One user wrote, “If no comment, leave it to the rightful owner to decide and not the government to debate on it.” Another remarked, “What comment need he make? His wishes have already been executed.” Some were more cynical, suggesting political motives behind the preservation: “What a good exit to make himself look good—but who is really behind it to preserve it as an LKY monument for the party’s benefit?”
Others questioned the necessity of another memorial, pointing to the $350 million Founders’ Memorial already under construction at Marina Bay. “The government is already building a $350 million Founders’ Memorial in Marina Bay—why do we need another at Oxley Road?” one commenter asked. There were also calls for compromise, with some suggesting the house be demolished and a public park built in its place, thus respecting Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes while still honoring his legacy.
The government’s approach attempts to walk this fine line. While the intention is to preserve the historic structure and convert it into a public space, officials have stressed that they will “respect Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes by removing traces of his and his family’s private living spaces.” Whether this will satisfy the family—or the public—remains to be seen.
The saga has also been complicated by ongoing investigations into Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, who were granted asylum in the United Kingdom after claiming persecution in Singapore. The couple faces allegations of providing false evidence in judicial proceedings related to Lee Kuan Yew’s will, adding another layer of legal and political drama to the already fraught situation.
At its heart, the Oxley Road dispute is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about how a nation remembers its founding father, the tension between private wishes and public interest, and the political and personal struggles that can arise even in the most storied of families. As Acting Minister David Neo put it, the site “bore witness to discussions and pivotal decisions that shaped the course of Singapore’s history to become an independent nation.” But for many Singaporeans, and for the Lee family itself, the question remains: how best to honor that legacy—by preserving the home, or by letting it go?
As the government weighs objections and prepares for a final decision, the fate of 38 Oxley Road hangs in the balance—a powerful symbol of both Singapore’s past and its ongoing debates about heritage, memory, and the meaning of respect.
