Government’s Intention to Preserve the Site of 38 Oxley Road

Introduction

• A Notice of Intention was issued on 3 November 2025 to the owner and occupier of 38 Oxley Road, stating that the Government intends to preserve the site under the Preservation of Monuments Act, or “PMA” for short.

• As outlined in the joint NHB and SLA media release on 3 November 2025, the Government intends to acquire the site of 38 Oxley Road under the Land Acquisition Act, if a Preservation Order is made.

• In my Statement today, I will explain the Government’s fuller considerations for making this move, and set out the next steps forward.

Preserving National Monuments is Critical to National Identity

• Sir, history gives a nation its soul. Our history is an integral part of our identity as Singaporeans. Current and future generations of Singaporeans need to know where we came from, the challenges we have overcome together, and the sacrifices our forefathers have made to build Singapore. When we are grounded in our history and we share a strong identity, we will build our future purposefully, as one people, one nation, one Singapore.

• Historic sites, buildings and structures connect us to our past and to our heritage. They bear witness to historic events that shaped our nation; and allow us to be in the same space as the people who played key roles in shaping our history.

• NHB is the government body charged with the role of preserving these historic sites and buildings under the PMA.

  • It ensures that our National Monuments remain in our urban fabric and are present in our collective memory, as physical representations of key milestones in Singapore’s historical development.

  • We have gazetted historic buildings as National Monuments, like The Former Parliament House and The Former City Hall.

• As a young nation, we have 76 National Monuments in Singapore. They collectively convey different aspects of the Singapore story and identity.

  • Some represent our religious diversity, while others are important civic and cultural buildings.

  • Most have their roots from the colonial period.

  • Only a precious few, like the ones I shared earlier, embody Singapore’s struggle for self-determination after the Second World War, and our aspirations as a newly independent nation post-1965.

  • We therefore need to carefully steward monuments that reflect this phase in our national history, and protect this cultural inheritance for our future generations. They collectively connect Singaporeans with our Singapore Story.

• In land scarce Singapore, preservation is something we enter into only after a rigorous assessment process administered by NHB.

  • NHB conducts thorough research on the history and significance of the identified site, including the events and people associated with the site, as well as their impact on the trajectory of Singapore’s history.

  • This research is then assessed by the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board or “PSM AB” for short. And this is an independent board, consisting experts in fields relevant to National Monuments such as history and architecture.

  • The PSM AB considers the merits of each case holistically and objectively, based on its historical significance, architectural and design merit, and authenticity.

  • If the PSM AB finds the identified building or site to be worthy of preservation and NHB supports the assessment, NHB will submit its recommendation to Minister/CCY for decision.

  • If the Minister/CCY agrees with the recommendation, a Notice of Intention will be issued to notify the owner and occupier of the site of the Government’s intention to preserve the building or site.

  • And as stated under the law, the owner and occupier will be provided a reasonable period to submit any objections to the intended preservation. NHB will consider all objections received, and make further recommendations on whether to proceed with this preservation. Thereafter, the government will make a final decision on whether to proceed with the preservation.

The Site of 38 Oxley Road

• Let me now address the site of 38 Oxley Road. The matter has received considerable attention over the years, and extensive discussions in this House.

• I will not recount the background in detail. But let me do a quick recap of the salient points:

  • First, it was Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s preference for the house on 38 Oxley Road to be demolished. It was also Mdm Kwa’s wish for the family’s living spaces to remain private.

  • Second, Mr Lee understood that he had to abide by the processes and the systems that he had built, and that the government has a duty and a responsibility to consider the public interest and not just those of private individuals. That was why in 27 Dec 2011 he had written to Cabinet and he had stated that “if 38 Oxley Road is to be preserved, it needs to have its foundations reinforced and the whole building refurbished. It must then be let out for people to live in. An empty building will soon decline and decay.” In Mar 2012 he had also applied to URA to renovate the house – this would have kept the structure of the original house and added other spaces to it.

  • Third, there was no need to make any decision on 38 Oxley Road prior to this, as Dr Lee Wei Ling was residing in the house. The Government had made it very clear that we would not do anything to affect her right to live in the house. But after Dr Lee Wei Ling passed away in Oct 2024, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (“URA”) received a demolition application for the building at 38 Oxley Road. Hence, NHB launched a formal assessment of the Site, in line with established processes under the Preservation of Monuments Act 2009, to determine if it is worthy of preservation.

Assessment of 38 Oxley Road

• NHB and the PSM AB have since completed the process to determine the Site’s eligibility and suitability for preservation under the PMA, and NHB has made its recommendation to me, as Acting Minister/CCY.

• For this case, public officers on the PSM AB recused themselves during the assessment, to ensure that the Site was considered independently.

• The PSM AB have assessed 38 Oxley Road to have strong national significance worthy of preservation as a National Monument. They note that:

  • The Site bore witness to pivotal events in the 1950s that marked Singapore’s transition from a colony to an independent nation. Impactful and consequential decisions were taken there.

  • The site also served as the venue for conversations, activities and decisions of our founding leaders, which profoundly influenced the trajectory of Singapore’s independence movement and our subsequent national history.

    • It was the gathering point for activists and trade unionists who came to seek help and legal consultations with Mr Lee.

    • It also hosted regular meetings, often in the basement dining room, where key individuals such as Dr Goh Keng Swee, Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr S Rajaratnam and Mr K.M. Byrne discussed the feasibility of forming a political party to contest the Legislative Assembly elections. These meetings progressively grew to include other individuals involved in the anti-colonial struggle, such as Mr Lim Chin Siong and Mr Fong Swee Suan, who later split away to form the Barisan Sosialis. Prominent Malayan leaders like Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tan Cheng Lock also visited the site for discussions.

    • The Site witnessed discussions where these key individuals formulated their vision, plans and values for Singapore, leading to the formation of the People’s Action Party and its landslide victory in the 1959 Legislative Assembly elections, resulting Singapore’s first fully-independent government.

    • This makes the Site a unique and foundational part of the story of Singapore’s independence.

  • Hence, the PSM AB concluded that the Site is of national importance with great historic merit. If preserved, the Site would allow current and future generations of Singaporeans to reflect upon these significant events, and the ideals and the values that have shaped Singapore.

Potential uses for the Site

• In my capacity as Acting Minister/CCY, I have received the recommendations and I agree with them. It is the confluence of people, place, and events that gives a site its historical significance. We have very few such sites in Singapore, where there is such a confluence. 38 Oxley Road is one of them. As a young nation, we need to retain this unique site, for it bears witness to the birth of independent Singapore, and to key moments in our history.

• Preserving and acquiring the Site means that it cannot be redeveloped for residential, commercial or other private uses. Preserving the site means we will be able to avoid a situation where private parties attempt to purchase 38 Oxley Road in future just to have an address that is associated with Mr Lee’s residence. I am sure all of us in this House, and the vast majority of Singaporeans would want to make sure that situation does not happen.

• I would also like to clarify that the Government’s considerations were for the entire Site, and not for the buildings or structures within it. If the Site is to be eventually preserved and acquired, the Government’s thinking is for it to be developed into a public space, such as a heritage park, so that Singaporeans can have access to it, and it can be a part of our shared memories.

• Preserving the Site does not obligate the Government to keep the buildings and structures within the Site in their current condition. In fact, the relevant authorities have not had the chance to enter the Site to assess the conditions of the buildings and the structures. That is a key reason why we are opting to preserve the Site rather than just the specific buildings and structures.

• If access to the Site is obtained, the Government will undertake a detailed study of the buildings and the structures within the Site. We will take into account factors like their existing condition, and weigh the potential benefit of retaining them against the cost. The Government will consider all options, including those proposed by the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley Road in 2018, which include partial or full demolition of the buildings and structures.

• Regardless of the option taken, the Government will respect Mr Lee and Mdm Kwa’s wishes to protect their family’s privacy, by removing all traces of their private living spaces from the interior of the house. Under no circumstance will the interior of the house as Mr Lee and Mdm Kwa knew, be displayed or recorded or remodelled or duplicated elsewhere.

• In fact, many other countries around the world have preserved and converted sites associated with their nation’s independence as spaces for public education and appreciation.

  • For example, there is the Gandhi Ashram in India. This marks the site where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1930, and was the centre of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance movement against British colonial rule of India.

  • There is also the Independence National Historical Park in the United States which includes buildings that witnessed the country’s key historic milestones like the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

• In many such instances, they have made changes to the sites, including modifying or adapting the original buildings with new interpretive structures to better enable the public to experience the site as a park or a heritage space. That’s why we are keeping an open mind as to the treatment of the buildings and the structures within the Site. We will keep all options open, and strive for a solution that will unite us as a country, rather than allow this to become a point of contention or division in our society.

• If 38 Oxley Road is indeed preserved and acquired, the Government fully intends to conclude its plans on the exact use and configuration of the Site, including the treatment of the buildings and structures on the Site, well within this term of Government. In the interim, there will be no public access to 38 Oxley Road.

Effecting the Preservation of 38 Oxley Road

• Mr Speaker, let me now explain the next steps.

• Following the service of the Notice of Intention, due process under the PMA will be accorded to the owner and any occupier.

  • In line with existing practice, a notice period of 14 calendar days will be provided for them to submit objections to the NHB.

  • NHB will then submit any objections received, and their recommendations, to me, in the capacity as Acting Minister/CCY, to decide whether to proceed with the preservation of the Site.

  • All objections submitted and recommendations made will be considered objectively and fairly as part of due process.

• If, having heard and considered the objections, the decision is to proceed with the preservation, a Preservation Order will be made. The Government will then commence the process for the acquisition of the Site, as part of the plans to eventually make it accessible to the general public.

  • Such acquisition will be done in accordance with established processes, and compensation would be made in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act

    • The owner, any occupiers and any other persons interested will be given the opportunity to submit their claims to Singapore Land Authority, or SLA, to determine the compensation.

    • A professional private valuer would also be appointed to assist SLA in determining the market value of the land, taking into consideration any claims submitted.

    • If the owner or any person interested is not satisfied with the compensation awarded, a Notice of Appeal can be filed with the Land Acquisition Appeals Board.

  • If preserved, the acquisition will allow the Government to take all necessary steps to safeguard the Site and preserve it in keeping with its historic significance and national importance.

• Mr Speaker, allow me to continue in Mandarin:

• 国家认同感是一个国家的基石。身为一个年轻的国家，我们的根更要扎实。 而国家历史，就是我们的根。National identity is the bedrock of a nation. Especially for a young nation like Singapore, we must ensure that this and future generations are deeply rooted in our history and our sense of self.

• 政府保护的并非是任何一座建筑，政府保护的是见证我们独立之路重要篇章的一个地点。我们纪念的并非只是一位领袖。 我们纪念的是建国一代争取独立自主的奋斗历程。 这是其他地方或纪念馆无法取代的。What the government is preserving here is not just any particular building but the site which has witnessed an important part of our road to independence. What we are memorialising is not a person, but the struggle towards independence. This is something that is not represented by any other site or monument.

• 政府计划保留这个历史遗产，但不表示建筑将保持原貌。 如果保留这个地点，我们承诺移除建国总理李光耀先生和他家人私人空间的所有痕迹。The government intends to preserve the site, but this does not mean the buildings will be kept in exactly the same form. In fact, if we preserve it, we commit to remove all traces of Mr Lee’s and his family’s private spaces.

• 我们将研究如何妥善处理建筑结构，让这个地点可以成为国民教育场所。让年轻一代有机会走出课堂，到现场亲身体会历史，更深刻地理解成为新加坡人的意义。We will also study a sensitive and suitable treatment of the structures on site, to turn the site into a potential place for educating our young on our national history.

• 昨天《联合早报》评论出这一点： 政府的做法是从符合国家利益的角度决策, 超越政治, 家族和个人层面。保留这处遗址可以确保我们的建国历史，能够代代相传。Yesterday’s Lianhe Zaobao editorial pointed out that how we handle 38 Oxley Road should transcend Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Nothing in our approach goes against the principles of what Mr Lee held dear. On the contrary, the preservation of the site seeks to ensure that the story of this nation, a nation he dedicated his whole life to build, lives on for generations to come.

• Mr Speaker, I will now conclude in English.

Conclusion

• Mr Speaker Sir, the Government has arrived at this approach for 38 Oxley Road because this is the most responsible approach.

• In its 2018 report, the Ministerial Committee on 38 Oxley stated that a future government would have to make an informed and considered decision on the matter when it becomes necessary. This is the future government and the time is now. We will take the deliberate steps to decide. And we will do so in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans, now and for the future.

• Mr Speaker Sir, I began this speech explaining the importance of preserving our collective memory because this is what makes us One People. Our history and journey from immigrants with no rights, to an independent country of Singapore citizens, is fought for by key people and through key events that shaped our destiny. The physical spaces that bore witness to these events are our only links to those pivotal moments in our history.

• There will come a time when no one who has lived through Singapore’s struggle for independence will be around to recount these stories firsthand. But the sites and markers that we choose to keep today will continue to speak for them. They will remind us of our hard-fought path to becoming a multi-racial, multi-religious, and sovereign nation. In preserving the Site, we are not memorialising any single leader. We are safeguarding the grounds where future generations can stand – to understand where we came from, who we are, and what we overcame together. We do this so that our children, our grandchildren and their children after them will know the story of Singapore – not as something distant or abstract, but as something lived, earned and entrusted to them. Then our Singapore Spirit will endure, and it will grow stronger with every generation.

• Thank you.