38 Oxley Road
| 38, Oxley Road | |
|---|---|
 Furniture from 38 Oxley Road, National Museum of Singapore | |
| General information | |
| Address | 38 Oxley Rd, Singapore 238629 |
| Country | Singapore |
| Current tenants | Dr. Lee Wei Ling |
Number 38, Oxley Road was the residence of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew from the 1940s until his death in 2015.[1] The house is an eight-bedroom two-story bungalow located near Orchard Road. It was constructed in the late 19th century and lacks a foundation. In 2017 it became central to a dispute in Singapore between the prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his sibling over its use and demolition. The first meeting of the People's Action Party occurred in the basement.[2][1]
History
The area in which the house was located was named after British doctor Thomas Oxley who owned a nutmeg plantation on the location in the late 1890's. The area was acquired by a Jewish merchant named Manasseh Meyer. In 1950, Lee Kuan Yew moved into the house along with his wife Kwa Geok Choo. The meetings of the PAP were regularly held in the basement in 1954.[2] The building continued to serve as the residence of Lee Kuan Yew throughout his tenure as prime minister and incumbent prime minister Lee Hsien Loong was raised here.[2]
In an interview in 2011, Lee Kuan Yew expressed that he wanted his house demolished after his death or kept a closed residence for his family and descendants. A clause calling for the demolition of the house after his daughter moved out was included in the final will. Following his death, his heirs agreed to donate the value of the property to charity and demolish the building.[3]
After Lee Kuan Yew's death, the house was inherited by his eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong as part of his one third equal share of the estate. According to Lee Hsien Loong, his siblings expressed displeasure over this and had threatened public controversy over his election campaign. Lee Hsien Loong then offered to sell the house to his sister, Lee Wei Ling for a nominal $1, if her siblings would pledge any future sale proceeds to charity. The offer was rejected. Subsequently, his brother Lee Hsien Yang took up an alternative offer to purchase it at market valuation, plus donating 50% of the value to charity. Lee Hsien Loong sold the house to his brother under those terms and donated all proceeds to charity.
The house was subject to a government deliberation of whether to conserve the house for historical reasons. Lee Kuan Yew had met with Cabinet prior to his death and made known his preferred conditions if the house was to be preserved. He had also amended two versions of his will to remove a previous demolition clause - his original wish for the house to be demolished. In a final will, to reinstate an equal share among his children, the demolition clause was found to be added back without evidence of any instruction or discussion.
In 2017 controversy arose when Lee Hsien Loong's siblings alleged that he had abused his office to prevent the demolition and that he wished to move into the house to cement the connection between him and his father. They further claimed that he had used state authorities to harass them and they had to flee the country. These claims were denied by Lee Hsien Loong who expressed disappointment at his family for publicizing what he called a "family matter".[4]
References
- 1 2 Tan, Judith (March 27, 2015). "Modest home rich memories". The New Paper. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- 1 2 3 Chng, Henedick (June 14, 2017). "Here's a Timeline of LKY's Oxley Road House over it's More Tan 100-Year History". Mothership. Moterhsip. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ↑ "PM Lee Hsien Loong Details 'deeply troubling' way Lee Kuan Yew's Will was Made". Straits Times. June 16, 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ↑ Wee, Eugene; Nadarajan, Ben (June 16, 2017). "Points of contention over Oxley Road house". The New Paper. Singapore Press Holdings, Ltd. Retrieved 15 June 2017.