Excellent question — and you’ve picked up on a lesser-known but historically interesting detail.
Yes — Kwa Geok Choo’s family, the Kwa family, did have a house at Pasir Panjang in the early years, though it was not Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo’s own marital home.
Here’s how it fits into the Lee–Kwa family history:
So in short:
Yes — Kwa Geok Choo’s family, the Kwa family, did have a house at Pasir Panjang in the early years, though it was not Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo’s own marital home.
Here’s how it fits into the Lee–Kwa family history:
1. The Kwa Family Home (Pasir Panjang)
- The house you’re referring to was Kwa Geok Choo’s family home, belonging to her parents — Dr. Kwa Siew Tee and Lee Choon Guan.
- It was located along the Pasir Panjang coastal area — at the time a semi-rural, seaside neighborhood popular among wealthy Straits Chinese families before the war.
- The Kwa family were part of Singapore’s Peranakan (Straits Chinese) elite, known for their education, philanthropy, and business connections.
2. Kwa Geok Choo’s Early Life There
- Kwa Geok Choo grew up in that Pasir Panjang home.
- She later attended Raffles Institution (as one of the few female students allowed), and later Cambridge University, where she graduated with First Class Honours in Law.
- That Pasir Panjang house was where Lee Kuan Yew first visited her family when they were courting in the 1940s.
3. After Marriage
- After marrying Lee Kuan Yew in 1947, the couple did not live in Pasir Panjang.
- They first stayed at Lee Kuan Yew’s family home at 38 Oxley Road, which later became their lifelong residence.
- The Pasir Panjang house remained with the Kwa family, not with Lee Kuan Yew or Kwa Geok Choo personally.
4. Later History
- Over time, the original Kwa family property at Pasir Panjang was sold or redeveloped.
- Members of the Kwa family continued to be prominent — for example, Kwa Kim Li, a relative and lawyer from Lee & Lee, was one of the executors of Lee Kuan Yew’s estate.
Summary
| Property | Owned by | Who lived there | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasir Panjang house | The Kwa family (Kwa Siew Tee, Lee Choon Guan) | Kwa Geok Choo in her youth | Later sold/redeveloped |
| 38 Oxley Road | Lee Kuan Yew & Kwa Geok Choo | Married home of LKY & KGC | Inherited by their children |
So in short:
Kwa Geok Choo grew up in a Pasir Panjang house,
but she and Lee Kuan Yew never owned or lived there after marriage.- It was a Kwa family home, not part of the Lee family estate.
