Govt will consider LKY's wishes, public interest: MND on Lee Hsien Yang applying to demolish 38 Oxley Rd

The government has taken note of Lee Hsien Yang's intention to apply for the demolition of 38 Oxley Road, and will "carefully consider" issues related to the property.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in an Oct. 15 statement that it would take into account the wishes of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, public interest, and "any applications with regard to the property".

This comes after the younger Lee announced in a Facebook post the same day that he would apply to demolish the family home at 38 Oxley Road.

His sister, Lee Wei Ling, had died at home on Oct. 9.

Honour his parents' last wishes

In his Facebook post, Lee Hsien Yang had explained that he was the sole legal owner of 38 Oxley Road.

He added that he would apply to demolish the family home and subsequently construct a small private dwelling, to be held within the family in perpetuity.

Upon his sister's death, he had also become the only living executor of his father's estate.

He also referred to his father's will, in which he had wished for the house to be demolished "immediately after" his daughter moved out of the house.

"It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law," Lee Hsien Yang wrote.

Statement from the late Lee Wei Ling

On Oct. 9, Lee Hsien Yang posted a statement from his late sister, saying it was their parents' wish for the house to be demolished.

Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling had previously appealed for the house's demolition in 2015.

In 2016, a ministerial committee was set up to consider various options for 38 Oxley Road.

In a 2018 report, the committee concluded that while Lee Kuan Yew's preference was for 38 Oxley Road to be demolished, he was also prepared to accept options other than demolition, provided certain conditions were met.

Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling have disputed the findings of the ministerial committee, referring back to Lee Kuan Yew's last will.

However, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he believed it was necessary to look beyond the will to establish their father's thinking and wishes regarding the house.

Then, in 2020, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, the wife of Lee Hsien Yang, was found guilty by a Disciplinary Tribunal, of grossly improper professional conduct in the handling of the last will of Lee Kuan Yew.

The tribunal said Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern had "misled" Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee Wei Ling disagreed with the tribunal's report, saying she felt her father “knew full well what he was doing”.

Meanwhile, Lee Hsien Yang had previously denied that Lee Suet Fern was ever Lee Kuan Yew's lawyer.

Top image from Mothership