‘My father’s wish was crystal clear’: Lee Hsien Yang decries loss of family home as Government takes possession of 38 Oxley Road

SINGAPORE: Lee Hsien Yang has criticised the Government’s acquisition of his family’s former home at 38 Oxley Road, describing the move as a rejection of his late father Lee Kuan Yew’s long-stated wish that the property be demolished.

In a Facebook post on Friday (July 31), the youngest son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister said the Government had “seized control” of the property, marking the end of his family’s ownership of the historic site.

“Today, the PAP government has seized control of 38 Oxley Road. My father’s wish was crystal clear: demolish his home. Wei Ling and I sought to honour his wish, as the executors of his will,” Lee Hsien Yang wrote.

He added: “The compulsory acquisition of his home is a repudiation of his values and a flagrant disregard for his long-held wish. No amount of sophistry can disguise this fact.”

His remarks came after the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced that the Government had completed the acquisition process and formally took possession of the site on July 31.

In a joint statement, the agencies said NHB will carry out a detailed study of the property and examine possible ways of turning it into a public space while taking into account Lee Kuan Yew’s desire for privacy.

The agencies said that, in the meantime, maintenance works will be carried out where necessary and that the public will not be allowed access to the site.

Officials from NHB have already been seen within the compound following the transfer of possession.

When asked about the compensation paid for the acquisition, an SLA spokesperson said the agency does not disclose such information. As with all land acquisitions, details of the compensation awarded are provided only to the landowner.

The acquisition follows earlier Government decisions concerning the property. On Jan. 29, the site was formally gazetted for acquisition, with SLA and NHB stating at the time that bringing the property under public ownership would ensure it could not be redeveloped for residential, commercial or other private purposes.

The property had already been gazetted as a national monument on Dec 12, 2025. More than a month earlier, on Nov. 3, the Government announced both its intention to grant the site monument status and to acquire it in order to safeguard and preserve it.

The last private owner of the property was Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

For years, 38 Oxley Road has been at the centre of a highly publicised dispute within the Lee family. Lee Hsien Yang and his late sister Lee Wei Ling had maintained that their father wanted the pre-war, single-storey bungalow demolished after his death. They also alleged that Lee Hsien Loong wanted the house preserved for political reasons, contrary to Lee Kuan Yew’s stated wishes.

The Government, however, has said it intends to preserve the site for public benefit.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo has previously said that, once acquired, the property is intended to be developed into a publicly accessible space, with a heritage park among the possible uses being considered.