The late Lee Kuan Yew’s 93rd birthday would have fallen on Sept. 16, 2016.

Lee Wei Ling, daughter of Singapore's first prime minister, posted a Facebook note sometime before midnight reflecting on her father's legacy and his last wishes:

In the post, Lee wrote that her father's explicit wish was to have his Oxley Road house demolished after his death as he made it a point to include it in his will before he passed away.

This, she wrote, is the last thing Singaporeans could do for him after all his contributions to the country.

Lee's reiteration of the rationale for demolishing the Oxley Road property again now is a resurfacing of a long-standing issue.

After Lee Kuan Yew's passing on March 23, 2015, a debate has ensued with regards to the merits of preserving his Oxley Road home for posterity and to what extent can the government exercise its powers in preserving the property.

Heritage and legal experts weighed in on the issue as early as April 2015, saying that the law allows the government to protect the house by preserving it as a national monument.

The National Heritage Board can ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth to gazette bungalow that is more than 100 years old under the Preservation of Monuments Act.

This is provided the property fulfills criteria such as having historic, cultural, traditional, archaeological, architectural, artistic or symbolic significance, and being of national importance.

It was noted that this Act trumps Lee's wish in his will for the house to be demolished after his death, or immediately after his daughter who lives there, moves out

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.