David Neo: 38 Oxley Road set for national monument status, with plans for heritage park

SINGAPORE: Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo announced on 3 November 2025 that the Singapore government intends to gazette 38 Oxley Road—the family home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew—as a national monument. He stated that the decision follows recommendations from the National Heritage Board (NHB) and its Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, both of which assessed the property as worthy of preservation.

'Balancing heritage with privacy'

David Neo said the decision reflects a careful balance between preserving a site of deep historical importance and respecting the wishes of Lee Kuan Yew for privacy. According to a joint statement by the NHB and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), if preserved and acquired, the site may be converted into a public space such as a heritage park. This would prevent redevelopment for private residential or commercial use. “Regardless of the option taken, the government will respect Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes, and will remove all traces of his and his family’s private living spaces from the buildings,” the agencies said.

Assessment and decision timeline

The authorities noted that preserving the site does not necessarily mean keeping the existing buildings intact. “The relevant authorities have not yet assessed the structural condition of the buildings. Once access is obtained, a detailed study will be undertaken to determine how to proceed,” the NHB and SLA explained. A final decision on the site’s long-term future will be made within the current government term, which ends in 2029. All possibilities remain open, including options outlined in a 2018 ministerial committee report—such as full or partial demolition.

Ownership and potential objections

The owner, 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, has received formal notice of the intended preservation order and may file objections by 17 November 2025. Corporate records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority list Lee Hsien Yang as the sole shareholder, with his son Li Huanwu as director. David Neo will review any objections before issuing a final preservation order. There have been no previous instances where objections halted a gazette process. Should the government acquire the property, compensation will follow the Land Acquisition Act, based on market value as of the acquisition date. A professional private valuer will be appointed to determine this value.

Ensuring impartiality in deliberations

To prevent conflicts of interest, public servants serving on the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board recused themselves from discussions regarding 38 Oxley Road. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son, had also recused himself from all government decisions concerning the property, informing Cabinet of his decision on 15 April 2015.

A decade after Lee Kuan Yew’s passing

The decision to gazette the site comes nearly ten years after Lee Kuan Yew’s death in March 2015. Built in the late 19th century, 38 Oxley Road holds deep historical resonance. Its basement dining room served as the venue for early meetings that led to the formation of the People’s Action Party in 1954, Singapore’s ruling party since independence. David Neo described the site as “bearing witness to pivotal discussions and decisions that shaped Singapore’s journey to nationhood”. “The intention to gazette the site as a national monument recognises its historic significance and national importance,” he said. “This will preserve a key part of our independence journey for future generations.”

Longstanding debates over the property’s fate

The NHB first announced in October 2024 that it would study the site’s eligibility for preservation. The review was undertaken by the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board, comprising heritage and architectural experts. Preserving the property was among several options proposed in the 2018 ministerial committee report that examined the issue in depth. However, the decision has reignited longstanding debate within the Lee family and among Singaporeans.

Lee Hsien Yang moves to fulfil his late father’s will, seeking to demolish 38 Oxley Road following Dr Lee Wei Ling’s passing

In a Facebook post marking the first anniversary of his sister Lee Wei Ling’s death in October 2025, Lee Hsien Yang reiterated that both she and their father had wished for the demolition of the house after it was no longer inhabited. Following his sister’s passing on 9 October 2024, Lee applied for permission to demolish the house. NHB responded that a further assessment was required, estimating several weeks for completion. He referenced earlier deliberations dating back to 2010, noting that a ministerial committee had already studied the matter between 2016 and 2017. Lee Wei Ling had lived in the house until her death, fulfilling a condition in her father’s final will dated 17 December 2013, which stipulated that demolition should follow once the property ceased to be used as a residence. Her will, consistent with her parents’ wishes, was granted probate, and Lee Hsien Yang proceeded with a demolition application on 21 October 2024. In his public posts, Lee Hsien Yang argued that prolonged indecision undermined both legal clarity and his father’s expressed wishes. As executor of Lee Kuan Yew’s estate, he said he had a duty to uphold those directions “to the fullest extent of the law”. Responding to suggestions that he intended to sell the property, he affirmed that the site would “remain within the family in perpetuity”, and that a small private home might be built on the land if demolition were allowed. Then-Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong had announced the heritage study in October 2024, stating that “no option should be precluded” while the matter was under review. Critics, including Lee Hsien Yang, have questioned the timing and necessity of successive heritage assessments, pointing out that a ministerial committee had already addressed the issue in 2018. On the tenth anniversary of his father’s death in March 2025, he again called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to “honour Lee Kuan Yew’s final wish” and to “stop kicking the can down the road”. The government has maintained that all options remain open pending comprehensive evaluation. The final decision on 38 Oxley Road is expected “well within this term of government”, according to the Culture, Community and Youth Ministry.