Singapore took formal possession of 38 Oxley Road on July 31, 2026, acquiring the historic family home of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. The government plans to study options for turning the site into a public space, drawing immediate fierce opposition from the late leader’s son, Lee Hsien Yang.
The property transfer ended years of intense public debate and sibling conflict over what should become of the pre-war bungalow. The Singapore Land Authority and the National Heritage Board announced in a joint statement that the government completed the acquisition process took possession of the site on July 31.
While authorities have not publicly disclosed the compensation awarded for the property, the acquisition follows a structured legal path that began late last year. The site was gazetted a national monument on Dec 12, 2025, a move preceded weeks earlier by the government’s stated intention to safeguard and preserve the historic structure.
Future Plans for a Public Space and Privacy Guarantees
The National Heritage Board will now conduct a detailed study of the property to determine how best to develop it into a public area, such as a heritage park accessible to citizens. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo outlined the government’s goal to create a public space while respecting the private wishes of the nation’s founding leader.
Authorities have emphasized strict privacy safeguards for the family. The government previously committed to removing all traces of their private living spaces from the interior of the house.
“Under no circumstances will the interior of the house as Mr Lee knew it be displayed, recorded, remodelled or duplicated elsewhere.”
National Heritage Board and Singapore Land Authority, Joint Statement via Mothership
In the interim, the property will remain closed to the public. Officials noted that necessary maintenance work will be carried out as required, and the acquisition legally prevents the land from being redeveloped for residential, commercial, or other private uses.
Family Conflict and Lee Hsien Yang’s Sharp Opposition
The acquisition marks the latest chapter in a bitter, long-running dispute among the children of Lee Kuan Yew. The property’s last owner was Lee’s younger son, Lee Hsien Yang, who is the younger brother of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Alongside his late sister Lee Wei Ling, Lee Hsien Yang previously argued that Senior Minister Lee wanted the bungalow preserved for political gain, directly contradicting their father’s explicit wish to have the building demolished.
Senior Minister Lee previously refuted those accusations during a ministerial statement in Parliament, where he raised grave concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the preparation of their father’s final will. Following the government’s formal possession of the home, Lee Hsien Yang took to social media to condemn the government’s action.
“The compulsory acquisition of his home is a repudiation of his values and a flagrant disregard for his long-held wish. No amount of sophistry can disguise this fact.”
Lee Hsien Yang, Son of Lee Kuan Yew, via The Straits Times
In his Facebook post, titled with a reference to Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, Lee Hsien Yang asserted that the PAP government has seized control of 38 Oxley Road, maintaining that his father’s desire for demolition was crystal clear.
Historical Significance and Prior Committee Findings
The bungalow at 38 Oxley Road served as the residence of Lee Kuan Yew from the 1940s until his death in 2015. It was also the venue for foundational meetings among Singapore’s early political leaders that helped shape the nation’s independence movement.
An official ministerial committee report published in 2018 previously examined the property’s future. That report found that while Lee Kuan Yew preferred the building to be demolished, he had also been prepared to accept other options if suitable arrangements were made.
What Lies Ahead for the Oxley Road Site
With the physical transfer of the property complete, public access remains barred while heritage officials examine the site’s architecture and layout. The National Heritage Board and the Singapore Land Authority will evaluate multiple development paths, taking into consideration the options originally outlined by the 2018 ministerial committee.
No timeline has been established for when the detailed study will conclude or when construction on the planned public heritage space might begin.
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