Lee Kuan Yew's youngest son slams Singapore's plan to preserve family home as national monument

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore’s plan to preserve founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s home as a national monument was condemned by his youngest son Tuesday, fueling a bitter, years‑long family dispute over the legacy of the city-state’s founding leader.

The government announced on Monday that it intends to preserve Lee’s residence at 38 Oxley Road after a heritage advisory body found the site to be of “national significance, with great historic merit, and worthy of preservation.”

“The site bore witness to discussions and pivotal decisions that shaped the course of Singapore’s history to become an independent nation,” acting Culture Minister David Neo said in a statement. “This will preserve a key part of our independence journey for future generations.”

Lee Hsien Yang has been embroiled in a bitter public spat over the fate of the house with his older brother, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, since their father died in 2015.

The younger Lee on Tuesday accused the ruling People’s Action Party of disrespecting its founder's legacy and values. Singapore’s first leader, who built the former colonial backwater into one of the world’s richest nations during 31 years in office, was opposed to creating monuments in his honor, the son wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.

“The PAP government has chosen to trample on Lee Kuan Yew’s unwavering wish to demolish his private house. He regarded his whole house as private and wanted it demolished in its entirety,” he said.

In his later years Lee repeatedly insisted that his house should not be preserved as a monument, and in his final will called for it to be demolished.

Built in 1898, the eight-bedroom, two-story house is located in a prime area in the city center.

Lee Hsien Yang, who owns the property, applied for the house to be demolished after his sister Lee Wei Ling, who was living in it, died last year.

Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling have accused their eldest brother, who was Singapore’s leader for 20 years until his retirement last year, of abusing his power to block the demolition of the house. Lee Hsien Loong has said the final decision would be made by the government, though he personally wishes to honor his father’s wish for demolition.

The government said Monday it had given the property owner a written notice of its intention to issue a preservation order.

It said it intended to acquire the property and convert it into a public space, possibly a heritage park. But it also stressed it would respect Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes by removing traces of his and his family’s private living spaces.

Lee Hsien Yang last year said that he and his wife are now political refugees after the U.K. government granted them asylum from what he described as persecution at home. The couple are entangled in official investigations over allegations that they provided false evidence in judicial proceedings over Lee Kuan Yew’s will.