THE government will carefully consider issues related to 38 Oxley Road in due course, taking into account founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes and the public interest, the Ministry for National Development said on Tuesday (Oct 15).
This would include considering any applications with regard to the property, the authorities said in response to queries from The Business Times.
Lee Hsien Yang, the younger son of Lee Kuan Yew, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that to honour his parents’ last wishes, he is applying to demolish the house.
He intends to “build a small private dwelling to be held within the family in perpetuity” in the demolished asset’s place.
“I am the sole legal owner of 38 Oxley Road. After my sister’s passing, I am the only living executor of my father Lee Kuan Yew’s estate. In his will, he wished for the house to be demolished ‘immediately after’ Wei Ling moved out of the house. It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Dr Lee lived in the house until she passed away on Oct 9.
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In response to BT’s queries, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said that they have “not received any application in respect of 38 Oxley Road” as at Tuesday afternoon.
According to the BCA’s website, registered architects or professional engineers would have to submit plans of building works to the agency for approval.
This is required for the erection, extension or demolition of a building, as well as alterations and repairs. Only after they obtain a permit to carry out structural works from BCA can building works commence.
Sean Chen, an SRI agent with experience handling landed property transactions, said that it would take at least one month for architects to submit building plans to the authorities as they would need time to finalise the width, height and design of the new building.
Once structural plans have been approved, a landed property could be demolished in as little as two weeks, Chen said.
Aaron Foong, managing director of KTP Consultants (a member of Surbana Jurong), said: “Professional engineers need to ensure that safe demolition methods and sequences are implemented without impairing the stability of the building or adjacent property, or affecting public safety.”
Foong added that planning permission from the URA is required to ensure that the application to demolish the building is made on behalf of the rightful owner.
For the demolition of an existing building that is not under conservation, URA will require a minor development application. The application generally takes 20 working days, the authority said.
A registered architect or engineer would need to ensure they have the lot number, drawing plans and details of the property owner, amongst other requirements.
They would also need to state the reason for demolition.
According to the URA’s fee schedule, which took effect from May 2024, an application for demolition would cost S$150.
An application to erect a single unit landed house outside Good Class Bungalow Areas would cost S$6,000.
Lee Hsien Yang’s Facebook post included a screenshot of the demolition clause in Lee Kuan Yew’s will, which has been a point of contention among Lee Kuan Yew’s children since his death on Mar 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
A public dispute emerged in 2017 between the Lee siblings over 38 Oxley Road, when the late Dr Lee and Lee Hsien Yang accused their brother of wanting to preserve the property for his own personal political gain.
Addressing his siblings’ claims in a ministerial statement that year, Lee Hsien Loong maintained that there was “no immediate issue of demolition” since Dr Lee was to continue living in the house.
“As and when my sister was no longer living there, the government of the day would consider the matter,” he stated.
A ministerial committee report in 2018 laid out three options for the house, which were: to retain the property by gazetting it as a national monument or for conservation; to gazette the dining room which has the greatest historical significance as a national monument; or allow the property to be fully demolished for redevelopment.
If a building is conserved under the Planning Act, works can be done as long as they fall within URA’s conservation guidelines, but the building cannot be demolished.
If gazetted as a national monument, the house cannot be redeveloped and will be subject to stringent preservation guidelines.
