Still a family matter? PAP weighs in with new microsite on "38 Oxley Road"

It's clear as day what this has become.

Jeanette Tan | June 23, 2017, 12:33 PM

We're two days past the one-week mark since the two younger siblings from Singapore's most powerful family decided to drop a six-page bomb on Google Drive, circumventing mainstream press and process, and kickstarting an epic fight on Facebook.

And over the past week, on the part of the ruling People's Action Party's supporters, we've mostly seen attempts to play down what's been happening online as a family dispute, which we should leave to the three Lee siblings to sort out among themselves privately.

Take these posts from pro-PAP page "Fabrications about the PAP", for instance:

Screenshot from FATPAP's Facebook page

Screenshot from FATPAP's Facebook page

Yet, folks around Facebook have recently discovered the presence of a dedicated page that's appeared on the PAP's website — called, aptly, "38 Oxley Road".

Here's what it looks like:

Screenshot from PAP website

It features articles covering responses to the ongoing saga by PAP politicians who have so far commented, such as K Shanmugam, Teo Chee Hean, Goh Chok Tong, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and of course, PM Lee Hsien Loong.

You can even click the nifty "38 Oxley" logo at the top right-hand corner to navigate to this main landing page — such attention having been paid to this.

What caught our attention, though, was a one-minute video they put up:

To save you the time of watching it, we decided to help transcribe what the female voice recited in helpful words that appear on-screen, with parts the party wished to highlight in bolded text:

Mr Lee's will has been selectively quoted by others.

The first half of the demolition clause has often been highlighted. but there is also a second part which Mr Lee wanted:

"If our children are unable to demolish the house as a result of any changes in the law, rules or regulations binding them, it is my wish that the House never be opened to others except my children, their families and descendants." - Last Will

"Cabinet members were unanimous that 38 Oxley Road should not be demolished as I wanted. I have reflected on this and decided that if 38 Oxley Road is to be preserved, it needs to have its foundations reinforced and the whole building refurbished." - December 2011

Mr Lee clearly recognised that the house could be preserved.

And then, a title that poignantly appears next to the late Lee's face: "What Mr Lee Kuan Yew actually said about 38 Oxley Road".

 

Still a family matter?

We must admit, we're kind of confused now — should Singaporeans be treating this as a family matter and urging the Lees to take this offline, and perhaps off legal correspondence, or should we be sitting up and paying attention to this?

After all, emeritus senior minister Goh Chok Tong says it's a private matter, and even the super-popular DPM Tharman has waded in to assure Singaporeans not to stress out over this.

But PM Lee is taking this to Parliament on July 3, while other high-level ministers like K Shanmugam and DPM Teo Chee Hean have had to wade into the fray.

And now, this.

We don't know what to think any more.

 

Keep up with the Lees by clicking on this nifty banner:

Top photo: Screenshot from PAP YouTube video

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