Gerald Giam: Should the public know the price for 38 Oxley Road?

SINGAPORE: In Parliament last week, Workers’ Party (WP) MP Gerald Giam raised the question of whether the public should know the price of 38 Oxley Road, the home of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. It was announced on 3 November that the property would be preserved as a national monument.

On 6 November, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo answered questions raised regarding the matter.

“Will an independent valuation of the Oxley Road site be carried out before acquisition, and will the government commit to releasing the full valuation report and providing transparency on the acquisition cost to the public purse?” asked Mr Giam (Aljunied).

Mr Neo said that the acquisition of the property would be carried out in accordance with established processes. He added that compensation would be made under the Land Acquisition Act and that the owner, occupiers, or any other interested parties would be given the opportunity to submit their claims to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for determining the compensation amount.

Aside from this, a professional private valuer would be appointed to assist the SLA in determining the market value of the land, with the claims submitted also taken into consideration.

Moreover, Mr Neo added that if any person was dissatisfied with the compensation amount, a notice of appeal could be filed with the Land Acquisition Appeals Board. This would all be taken as part of the due process outlined under the Land Acquisition Act.

The Acting Minister answered several questions regarding the issue, including those concerning how it differs from the Founders’ Memorial, which costs S$335 million and is set to open in 2028.

Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Eileen Chong, also from the WP, asked what additional heritage value the monument at 38 Oxley Road would have, “beyond the sense of space… that would not be more effectively delivered at the S$335 million Founders’ Memorial.”

Mr Neo underlined that the Founders’ Memorial would not have the same “sense of authenticity” that an experience at 38 Oxley Road would have.

The late Prime Minister Lee’s younger son, Lee Hsien Yang, wrote a social media post on 3 November stating that the decision to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a monument “disrespects Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy and values.”

He had announced on October 15, 2024, that he would apply to obtain permission from the authorities to demolish his father’s home, adding that he also planned to build a small private home on the lot, which he intended to be held within the family in perpetuity. /TISG

Read also: David Neo: Founders’ Memorial does not share same sense of place as 38 Oxley Road