‘Period of calm’ would be useful in deciding on fate of 38 Oxley Road
Still image taken from video of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Chean speaking at Parliament.
SINGAPORE — No decision is required of the current Government regarding 38 Oxley Road as long as Dr Lee Wei Ling resides there, but the Cabinet will consider “if it is useful to put out a range of possibilities, to let the public ponder on the matter without having to arrive at any decision”, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on Monday (July 3).
“Emotions on these issues are still very strong, not just within the family, but also among some Singaporeans. Emotions have sadly been heightened again by this public disagreement. A period of calm would be useful for reflection,” said Mr Teo, who is chairing the committee to assess the heritage value of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s family home and explore options for it.
“With the passage of time, I hope that we will be able to arrive at a wise decision on this matter in an informed and considered way that takes into account the significant public interest to preserve the heritage of our young nation, while respecting Mr Lee’s personal wishes for the house.”
Mr Teo said that “even if this Government were to take a position today, it would not bind a future Government at the time when that future government has to make a decision and implement it”.
Reiterating that he personally does not support “options at either end of the range”, Mr Teo noted that preserving the house for visitors on one hand would be “totally against the wishes of Mr and Mrs Lee Kuan Yew”.
On the other, demolishing it and putting the site out for redevelopment would “not only result in the loss of a historically significant property, but also allow this very history to be exploited for private profit”.
Among various “intermediate options” the committee has been studying include demolishing the above-ground portion of the house while keeping the dining room at its basement with an appropriate heritage centre attached.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang has indicated agreement to some of these options, said Mr Teo.
While he urged Members of Parliament to “leave enough room” for private issues to be ironed out within the Lee family, Mr Teo said: “But we must not shy away from dealing decisively with the public issues which go to the heart of our system of clean and honest Government for the good of Singapore.
“We must keep our public institutions neutral and not have allegations hurled at our public officers without basis… We do not bend to the private demands of individuals, no matter who they are, or what family connections they can claim. This is the foundation which Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team built our Singapore for all of us,” he added.
