KUALA LUMPUR: After much controversy, it now appears that 38, Oxley Road in Singapore may remain intact.
A spokesperson for the republic's Ministry of Digital Development and Information said that Lee Hsien Yang's assertion—that the former family home should be immediately demolished in accordance with his father's will—is inaccurate.
According to The Straits Times, the spokesperson said Hsien Yang "knows that what he is saying is false" and that he is "attempting to create a false sense of urgency by calling for the immediate demolition of the property".
While founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew expressed in his will a preference for the house to be demolished, he had also acknowledged that it might be preserved.
Questions regarding the house's future resurfaced after the recent passing of Kuan Yew's daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, who was also the younger sister of Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Dr Lee had lived in the house until her death on Oct 9.
Lee Hsien Yang, their younger brother, called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to address the issue in a Facebook post on Oct 25.
In his post, Hsien Yang stated that their father's will specifies that the house should be demolished "immediately after" Wei Ling ceased residing there.
In its statement, the government cited a letter written by Lee Kuan Yew to the Cabinet on Dec 27, 2011.
In it, he acknowledged that Cabinet members had unanimously agreed that the house should not be demolished.
"I have reflected on this and decided that, if 38 Oxley Road is to be preserved, its foundation must be reinforced, and the entire building refurbished. It should then be leased out for people to live in, as an empty building will soon deteriorate," he wrote.
In March 2012, he submitted renovation and redevelopment plans for the property and received approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
The government, however, is keeping its options open—considering both demolition and the preservation of all or part of the property—and is leaving the final decision to current and future generations of Singaporeans.