Remember the family drama behind what should be done with Lee Kuan Yew's house?

Questions surrounding the drama include: Should it be preserved or should it be torn down? Should Lee Kuan Yew's wish for privacy be respected? Will we lose an important piece of our history if we tear it down?

Fate of house

It's been a quiet few months on that front and now the Ministerial Committee deciding on 38 Oxley Road house's fate has finally released a report with a few options for the property.

Option 1: Retain the property

The authorities will either gazette and preserve the house as a National Monument, or gazette it for conservation.

Both of these choices will also include steps to "significantly address Mr Lee Kuan Yew's concerns about privacy".

Option 2: Retain the dining room and demolish the rest of the property

The dining room of the house to be gazetted as a National Monument and will be "integrated with an alternative use for the site (e.g. park, heritage centre)".

The report noted that the "privacy of Mr and Mrs Lee Kuan Yew would be respected" with the demolition of the rest of the property.

Option 3: Allow the property to be fully demolished and allow re-development

There are two possible outcomes for redevelopment. Either the owner demolishes it for residential use, or the State acquires the site for alternative use after demolition.

The report noted that this option "could result in the loss of a historically significant property, and the potential of that history being leveraged for commercial profit."

Who will decide on the which option to take?

According to the report, the report itself is "meant to help a future government make an informed and considered decision when the need arises."

The report does not state what it considers a "future government" though.

What considerations went into this report?

The report addresses the Committee’s three terms of reference.

First, the committee studied whether 38 Oxley Road had architectural, heritage and historical significance.

Second, the report stated that "it is the Committee's view that while Mr Lee Kuan Yew's preference was for the Property to be demolished, he was prepared to accept options other than demolition, provided that suitable arrangements were made to ensure that: (i) the Property was refurbished, and kept in a habitable state; and (ii) the family's privacy was protected."

Third, the report was to lay out plans and options for 38 Oxley Road to serve as "drawer plans" for a future government.

The report was then considered and approved by Cabinet, without Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's involvement. PM Lee had earlier recused himself from all Cabinet discussions regarding 38 Oxley Road.

Where do the Lee siblings figure in all this?

The committee invited all three of Lee Kuan Yew's children -- Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Wei Ling, and Lee Hsien Yang, to make representations.

The report has been sent to all three Lee siblings at the same time today.

Practical knowledge for everyone:

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