SINGAPORE, June 27 — Senior Minister of State (Finance and Law) Indranee Rajah yesterday questioned Lee Hsien Yang’s demand for “an immediate commitment” by the Government to the demolition of the house on 38 Oxley Road, pointing out that letting the property stand, for now, does not go against the wishes of the late Lew Kuan Yew.
The late founding Prime Minister had in his final will indicated his wish for the house to be demolished upon his death, or when his daughter Dr Lee Wei Ling moves out.
Dr Lee is currently living in the century-old house, and has plans to do so for the foreseeable future.
“That being the case, the matter may well not need to be decided for another 20 - 30 years. It can be decided by a future government,” Indranee wrote in a Facebook post yesterday, the third time she is weighing in on the public dispute between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his siblings over the fate of their family home.
She added: “So there is nothing for the government to decide now. The real question therefore is why Lee Hsien Yang is asking for an immediate commitment on demolition now? What is the urgency?”
In a joint statement on June 14, Dr Lee and Lee Hsien Yang said they felt “threatened” in their attempt to carry out their late father’s wish to demolish their family home, and accused PM Lee of misusing his authority to block their efforts. PM Lee has denied the allegations.
The dispute between the Lee siblings has also sparked a range of related questions, including the circumstances surrounding the drafting of the late Lee’s seventh and final will, the interpretation of the so-called demolition clause in the document, as well as the possible range of options for the property.
In her two earlier posts, Indranee raised questions about the identity of the lawyer who prepared the final will, and pointed out that demolition was not the only outcome the former Prime Minister considered for the home he had lived in since 1945.
In her latest post on Monday, she sought to address four financial questions surrounding the dispute.
First, Indranee pointed out, PM Lee no longer has any financial interests in the property after selling it to Lee Hsien Yang. PM Lee has donated the entire proceeds of the sale to charity, while his brother has also donated half of the sale value of the house to charity.
Second, she cited experts quoted in media reports as saying that the 1,120.5 sqm property could be worth around S$24 million (RM74.14 million).
Third, she laid out four possible options for the house - demolition, preservation, conservation, and compulsory acquisition.
Demolishing the house would eliminate the three other options, but would “would clear the way for the owner to appeal for re-zoning and/or increase in plot ratio and eventual redevelopment”, wrote Indranee.
“If re-zoning or increased plot ratio is granted, the land value will increase well beyond the market value for a two-storey property.
“In that event, one can expect many developers to line up to buy the property.
“For example, if a 20-storey luxury condominium can be built on the site, with one condo unit per floor, all with the address of 38 Oxley Road, it could be marketed as a unique trophy address.”
The fourth financial question surrounding the dispute, the minister said, surrounds the demand for the Government to demolish the house on 38 Oxley Road right away.
“That is a good question. The government has the same question,” wrote Indranee.
“Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted Dr Lee Wei Ling to stay in the house as long as she wanted.
“The government has publicly stated that it will respect those wishes and does not intend to do anything until Dr Lee leaves.
“Letting the house stand for now does not go against those wishes.”
Dr Lee and Lee Hsien Yang have not responded to Indranee’s latest comments. But in a post on Sunday evening, Dr Lee accused PM Lee and his Cabinet of trying to sway public opinion on the late Lee’s wishes for the Oxley Road house and that the “people of Singapore will through” this attempt.
Ms Indranee concluded her post by elaborating on an option for the Oxley Road house first disclosed by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who chairs a ministerial committee weighing the range options for the property.
This option involves demolishing the house but keeping the basement dining room where key historical meetings took place, and attach a heritage centre to the site. The house is the birthplace of the ruling People’s Action Party.
“This would substantially fulfil Lee’s wish. His ands Lee’s privacy would be respected. Pictures of the basement were already made public during Lee’s time and are widely available. Nothing of the private spaces would be seen,” wrote Indranee.
“At the same time, the history and heritage would not be lost and the crucible where the hopes and dreams of a nation were forged can be kept to inspire many more generations to come.”
She added: “These options need to be thought through deeply and carefully. The Ministerial Committee has tasked relevant agencies to study the range of possible options that a future government can consider at the appropriate time, after Dr Lee Wei Ling is no longer there.” — TODAY
