SINGAPORE: Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong confirmed in Parliament yesterday (9 Sept) that the Founders’ Memorial, slated to open its doors to the public in 2028, is expected to cost about $335 million.
He added that this figure was calculated based on the current outlook and estimates.
The memorial, designed to commemorate the founding fathers of Singapore and cover the country’s history from after World War II to its first few decades of independence, has begun construction with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony back in June.
Mr Tong said the memorial would encompass various facilities, including an exhibition hall, viewing gallery, outdoor amphitheatre, and educational and family spaces. In addition, a five-hectare public garden is planned as part of the memorial complex.
The Minister noted that the projected cost covers construction and renovation efforts for these elements. He added that the authorities are also calculating annual operating costs and finalizing an operational plan for the memorial.
A document released by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in March this year suggested a rough estimate of $235.6 million for the project. However, this recent update places the total expected cost significantly higher.
The cost projections have left some Singaporeans online asking if such expensive developments are truly a wise use of taxpayer funds. Some also pointed to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s aversion to monuments, casting doubts on the need for a founders’ memorial.
Back in 2016, Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s only daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, said he would have “cringed at the hero worship.” She added on Facebook:
“… in looking at acts of commemoration in general, I would ask how the time, effort and resources used to prepare these would benefit Singapore and Singaporeans.”
Asserting that “Papa was dead set against a personality cult and any hint of cronyism,” Dr Lee said:
“Papa’s focus never wavered. What he did was all for the welfare of the nation and its people. Yes, it is good that we remember history. But it would be even better if we honour Lee Kuan Yew by working for the well-being of Singapore and Singaporeans.
“Any veneration could have the opposite effect and lead future generations of Singaporeans to think that my father’s actions were motivated by his desire for fame, or creation of a dynasty.
He strove hard and determinedly in life to advance Singapore, and not for his place in history, or leaving a great legacy. He is a rare politician and leader, who did what he had to do with no thought to any gain for himself.”
Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, who transitioned from Prime Minister to Senior Minister this year, agreed in 2016 that their father “made it very clear throughout his life that he did not need and did not want any monument.”
Mr Lee Hsien Loong, however, mooted the idea of the Founders Memorial to commemorate his father and the team that led Singapore forward. He said, in 2016, “Indeed, Mr Lee himself had thought that there was value in such a memorial.”
Asserting that such a memorial “need not be a grand structure,” Mr Lee Hsien Loong said the development must stand for the ideals and values of Singaporeans.
Mr Lee said, at the ground-breaking ceremony in June:
“I hope this Founders’ Memorial will become a space where Singaporeans reflect on our ongoing nation-building journey, appreciate our precious inheritance from the founding generation, and resolve to continue building a harmonious and successful Singapore based on our foundational values and ideals for generations to come.”