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Government ‘not bent on retaining’ Oxley Road house: DPM Teo Chee Hean

A view of an empty guard post outside former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's Oxley Road residence in Singapore June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A view of an empty guard post outside former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road residence in Singapore June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said Tuesday (27 June) that Lee Hsien Yang has “a misconception” that the Ministerial Committee set up to explore the options for the residence of the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is “bent on preventing the demolition of the house”.

Teo said in a media statement that the Committee had written to Hsien Yang and his older sister Wei Ling to clarify that it would list the various options for the house at 38 Oxley Road and study their implications.

Among the options, Teo said he had shared verbally with Hsien Yang about demolishing the house but keeping the basement dining room with a heritage centre attached.

“My objective was to let him know that government was not bent on retaining the house as he seems to believe, but that we are calmly and objectively examining a range of options,” he added.

There is no decision needed now as Wei Ling is living in the house and that any decision made by the current government could not bind a future government, Teo said.

The Cabinet will only decide on which option to choose for the house when the time is due for a decision to be made.

“If for example, Dr LWL ceases to live in the House next month, then Cabinet will have to decide next month. If she stays there for 30 more years, then the Government in place, in 30 years, will have to decide.”

Teo said he met Hsien Yang several times between April and July 2015. He informed the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that PM Lee had recused himself on government decisions relating to the house.

“I conveyed Cabinet’s deep respect for Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Mr Lee) and that Cabinet will take very seriously Mr Lee’s wishes regarding the House, as expressed in his Will, at a time when a decision has to be made regarding the House.”

As to a memorial park, Teo said he could not recall whether it was him or Hsien Yang who suggested it. But Teo said Hsien Yang is “mistaken” that he “expressed reluctance”.

He added that he personally did not support the extreme ends of the range of options – preserving the house as it is, or demolishing it to redevelop it for new private homes.

“There are indeed a range of viable intermediate options between these. Mr LHY seems supportive of some of the intermediate options we are studying. So there should be no need to disagree on studying the options for the time when a decision needs to be made.”

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