38 Oxley Road WILL be YOURS.

[Willamshakespear]

It is comprehensible that there will be controversies over the fate of a mere physical object such as the property that sits on 38 Oxley Road.

However, it is NOT just a MERE PHYSICAL object, but an 'ALAMO' - the very LAST redoubt, safe and holding place when the FATE of Singapore lays in, the very last place that our Founding fathers could conduct a safe meeting from THREATS from EVERY corner - the colonist Brits, Polynesian Arab colonists on racial and religion supremacy, the Communists from China, etc....and the eventual BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS DECISIONS our Founding fathers made that CREATED our todays.....

If we, a civilized Nation, can honor an ex-colonial structure known as the Istana, how then can we not honor our 'Last Alamao' that changed the fate of our Nation?


On the practical side of costs, that property will have to be paid according to determined market value, est to be $24 Million. However, that property is PRICELESS - would any citizen want some rich fool local or overseas to desecrate that building, the very ROOTS that MODERN SINGAPORE began?

Singapore is a democracy, with ELECTED legislators in Parliament. They REPRESENT us. WE empower them. Our great Founding father, the late Mr, Lee Kuan Yew, HAD left the fate of his property to a DECISION by Parliament.

And a decision had been made by us - THIS GENERATION - thru our ELECTED Legislators, to keep that site, not on any religious grounds, but on Civilization grounds, of how we got our todays, to be shared amongst ourselves and to innocent generations to come.

38 Oxley Rd is YOURS..... WE COLLECTIVELY AS CITIZENS..... OWN IT....to honor and treat that memorable structure with respect, by oneself, visitors and innocent generations to come...


.

 

[CoffeeAhSoh]

Tiagong Yang 's legal Counsels
Are hard at work...

 

[CoffeeAhSoh]

a i commentary :


1. Legal background

Under Singapore law, the government may designate a property as a “national monument” under the Preservation of Monuments Act 2009 (administered by the National Heritage Board or NHB).
This designation gives the State power to:

protect, restrict alteration, or acquire the site,
even if the site is privately owned.
The process begins with a “Notice of Intention to Gazette”, which the government issued in November 2025 for 38 Oxley Road.


---

2. Rights of the current owner (Lee Hsien Yang)

If Lee Hsien Yang is indeed the sole legal owner (via the estate or transfer), he has a few procedural rights and possible courses of action — though they are limited in scope.

(a) Submit an objection

When the NHB issues a Notice of Intention to Gazette, the owner has the right to object in writing within a statutory period (usually 28 days).

The objection can be on grounds such as:
the site is not of national significance,
preservation imposes unreasonable hardship, or the process is procedurally unfair or ultra vires (beyond legal powers).



If he submits an objection, NHB must consider it and can either:

accept the objection and withdraw or modify the decision, or reject it and proceed to gazette the site formally.

(Reference: Preservation of Monuments Act, s. 9(2)–(3))


---

(b) Judicial Review in the High Court

If the NHB (or government) proceeds to gazette the property despite his objection, Lee Hsien Yang can apply to the High Court for judicial review — challenging the decision on administrative law grounds such as:

Procedural unfairness

Irrationality or unreasonableness

Breach of legitimate expectation

Constitutional property rights infringement (Article 9 or 12 read with Article 13 of the Constitution)


However, judicial review does not automatically stop the gazetting — he would need to apply for a stay of proceedings or interim injunction pending the outcome.

Historically, Singapore courts give the government wide discretion in matters of national heritage, so success is uncertain.


---

(c) Negotiate conditions or compensation

If the site is ultimately preserved or acquired:

He may negotiate for compensation (at market value or agreed rate) if the government compulsorily acquires the property under the Land Acquisition Act.

Alternatively, if only partial restrictions are imposed (no acquisition), he could negotiate for maintenance grants or cost-sharing arrangements to upkeep the property under NHB’s heritage funding schemes.



---

️ 3. Realistic outcome

In practice, once a property has been declared of national monument significance, the owner has limited power to prevent preservation, though he can:

delay the process through objections and judicial review, influence what parts are preserved or redeveloped (through technical proposals), and seek compensation if the land is acquired.



---

4. Political / public context

Lee Kuan Yew’s will reportedly expressed a wish for 38 Oxley Road to be demolished after his death, but the government’s stance (since 2016) is that the site holds historic value.

Thus, this issue involves both heritage policy and family legacy, not just property ownership.


---

In summary

If Lee Hsien Yang wants to stop or resist the government’s action:

1. File a formal objection within the statutory period after the “intention to gazette” notice.


2. Engage legal counsel to prepare a judicial review application in the High Court if the decision proceeds.


3. Negotiate with NHB/MCCY for either:
exemption from full gazette, or
conditions that respect the late Lee Kuan Yew’s wishes.



4. If unavoidable, claim compensation if the land is compulsorily acquired.

 

[Leongsam]

He should have demolished it with his sister inside. That would have solved two problems in one go. Sis was dying anyway.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Lhl think keeping the house will help him win future elections and stay in power?