Government completes acquisition and takes possession of 38 Oxley Road site
The Singapore government has officially taken possession of 38 Oxley Road, the former home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The National Heritage Board plans to study how to develop the site into a public space while respecting the late leader's desire for privacy.
Why it matters
The acquisition concludes a long-standing public and familial dispute regarding the legacy and physical preservation of Singapore's founding father's home.
The National Heritage Board will study how to turn it into a public space "in a manner that respects Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes for privacy".
The foyer of 38 Oxley Road, the estate of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, on Nov 3, 2025. (File photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
SINGAPORE: The government has completed the acquisition process and took possession of the site at 38 Oxley Road on Friday (Jul 31), "to preserve it in keeping with its historic significance and national importance", said the authorities. The property was the home of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The acquisition follows from the site’s gazette as a national monument on Dec 12, 2025, and its subsequent gazette for acquisition on Jan 29, 2026.
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