38 Oxley Road site to be acquired by Govt after being gazetted as a national monument

SINGAPORE – The site of the former home of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at 38 Oxley Road was

gazetted for acquisition

on Jan 29.

The aim is to safeguard and preserve the site in keeping with its historic significance and national importance, said the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the National Heritage Board (NHB) in a joint statement.

The statement said that preserving and acquiring the site means it cannot be redeveloped for residential, commercial or other private uses.

“After acquisition, the relevant authorities will assess the condition of the buildings and structures within the site, and undertake a detailed study to consider the next steps,” it said.

No decision on its future will be made until all options, including those outlined by the 2018 ministerial committee, have been considered, it added.

An eight-bedroom pre-war bungalow that was home to Mr Lee from the 1940s until his death in 2015 sits on the site.

The preservation order for the site came into effect on Dec 13, 2025,

and the site was gazetted as a national monument.

The

bungalow’s basement dining room

is widely regarded as the most historically significant part of the house. That was where Singapore’s first generation of leaders – including the late Mr Lee – discussed their ideas for Singapore’s future in the 1950s.

The Government has committed to respecting Mr Lee’s wishes to protect his family’s privacy by removing all traces of their private living spaces from the interior of the house, it said.

“Under no circumstances will the interior of the house, as Mr Lee knew, be displayed, recorded, remodelled or duplicated elsewhere,” it added.

SLA and NHB will work with the owner of the site through the acquisition process.

Compensation for the site will be determined in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act.

It will take into account the market value of the acquired site as at the date of the gazette of the acquisition, determined by an independent property valuer appointed by SLA.

The property owner – in this case, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong – may also hire a valuer to assess the site’s value and submit the valuation during an inquiry.

After compensation claims are assessed by the authorities, the owner will receive the Collector’s Award, which will state the compensation amount.

The Government may subsequently take possession of the land after serving a notice of such to the owner or anyone interested in the land. The owner will be paid when the Government takes possession of the land.

If the owner is not satisfied with the compensation amount, the owner is allowed to lodge an appeal within 28 days of receiving the Collector’s Award.