Will Singapore’s founding Prime Minister still get one of his final wishes now that he is no longer around?
“In a statement issued today (April 12), Dr Lee [Wei Ling] and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who are the executors and trustees of the late Mr Lee’s will, said their father had given them clear instructions directly and in his will — dated Dec 17 2013 — to demolish the house immediately after his death,” reports Today.
There are two provisions in the will, however, that could prevent the demolition of 38 Oxley Road.
One is if Dr Lee continues to live there, then the house can only be demolished after she moves out.
Another is PM Lee’s instructions that “if our children are unable to demolish the House as a result of any changes in the law, rules or regulations binding them, it is my wish that the House never be opened to others except my children, their families and descendants”, adds the report.
The bungalow is more than 100 years old, reportedly originally built by a Jewish merchant and described by Lee Kuan Yew as “a big, rambling house with five bedrooms, and three others at the back originally used as servants’ quarters”.
His daughter Dr Lee has written about its old furniture and how luxury was not a priority for the family.
“For instance, my room has a window model air-conditioner. Most houses now have more sophisticated air-conditioning systems. So [housekeeper] Mr Teow shopped for a window unit in Malaysia, so I would have a spare unit if my current one broke down,” wrote Dr Lee in 2012.
“All the bathrooms in our house have mosaic tiles. It is more practical than marble which can be slippery if wet. But it is now difficult to buy mosaic in Singapore. So again, Mr Teow bought mosaic tiles from Malaysia to keep in reserve in case some of our current tiles broke or were chipped,” she adds.
Watch a slideshow of the Oxley house here.
Photo: Zaobao via iProperty.com.sg
