The other most trying period for Ah Gong apart from his wife.

QUESTION: In your personal life, apart from your wife, what was the most trying and difficult period for you?

LKY: (Long pause) I think when my son’s (Lee Hsien Loong) wife died. His whole tent collapsed. The pole was struck down… I said at the end of the day you have to move on. Moving on mean...s you have to find a woman who will marry you and accept these two children… In the end, he (Lee Hsien Loong) decided on a workplace associate. Ho Ching was in the Defence Ministry in the cipher department. Loong was in computers. He was also in ciphers for some time. I suppose they must have known each other then. They must have redeveloped the friendship. I said, “You better make sure that she accepts your two children otherwise it’s a real misery. You’ll be sad, your mother will be sad, I’ll be sad.”

Ho Ching came in fully aware that she’s walking into a family. She has been a good mother to the children. In fact, she’s bent over backwards for them, as a result of which my granddaughter has not enough discipline……” See More

Twice cancer survivor who puts nation before self

He fought cancer twice and survived.

When he was diagnosed with lymphoma, he was only 51. He recovered fully from it. In January 2015, PM Lee Hsien Loong was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

He underwent surgery in February to remove his prostate gland and made a complete recovery also. ...

Despite his diagnosis, PM Lee kept to his busy schedule. He spent the first week of February in Germany and Spain on a working visit, sat in on Parliament sessions and even attended a community event at his Teck Ghee ward before his surgery.

Indeed, work was never far from his mind even when he had just had surgery.

Nation before self.

Lee Kuan Yew in Hard Truths: On grandson Yipeng's success

HO CHING carefully looked for a principal who would look after him, accept him as a strong boy in the class. Many schools just said no, we don’t have the resources. He went to ZHONGHUA, not a popular school. The principal was compassionate. He’ll take him. And Yipeng flourished. Passed his ‘A’ levels eventually, took more time, more... years because he’s disadvantaged, can’t see well……….”

Not just resources, attention. Personal attention. This is not just resources. It is the personal attention of Ho Ching and the father. Ho Ching scouted around for a secondary school that will look after him and accept him with his disadvantages. He was turned down in so many schools. They said, no, we haven’t got the teachers to look after him. This school principal said he would try. And it was a success…….”

38 Oxley Road belongs to the world and to generations to come

I am surprised to read that the notion of demolishing such a monument as Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s home is being considered....

The disagreement surfaced between Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who is Mr Lee’s elder son and Singapore’s Prime Minister, and his other family members.

No one has the right to intervene in the private affairs of ordinary families.

However, the issue may not be a purely private affair if it is related to the legacy of a world leader who enhanced the lives of millions of people, and continues to do so either directly or indirectly, in and out of Singapore.

I came to know Mr Lee’s policies and the people of Singapore when I was a young professor of surgery at the National University of Singapore in the late 1990s.

I was, and remain, impressed by the genius of Singapore’s health system and how it is engineered to give cost-effective, high-quality service. It is the envy of many countries.

If such a system could be implemented worldwide, it would save the lives of billions of people and prevent millions of families from becoming bankrupt due to rising health care costs and the failure of their governments’ health policies.

Lifting a small country with little material resources from the Third to First World in 50 years, and creating state-of-the-art health, education and financial sectors, is no mean feat.

Many countries have “cut and pasted” Mr Lee’s strategies to improve the lives of their own people.

The simple fact is that Mr Lee’s legacy cannot belong to his family, the Singapore Government or even the Singapore state alone.

Rather, it belongs to the world and to generations to come.

Keeping Mr Lee’s home as a museum for Singapore citizens and foreign visitors is a step towards inspiring and directing future leaders – both in and out of Singapore – to think and learn from his policies for the betterment of generations to come.

By Reida El Oakley (Dr), Libya

Ah Gong Put Rule Of Law Above Him.

As ugly as the Lee saga may be, it has shown that the SYSTEM left by our late founding father and prime minister Lee kuan Yew is INTACT, and we can take heart in this.

Mr Lee played a lead role in creating the laws and institutions that we know today. And he was never a man who put himself above those laws and institutions.

Indeed Mr Lee's LAST WORDS to the party he founded was to 'KEEP THE SYS...TEM CLEAN'.

Rule of law must prevail in order for the system to remain clean.

If the Government had acceded to the demand of Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang without regard to due process that is the law of the land, then it risks treading down the slippery path to corruption.

If such a precedent is set whereby the wishes of a man, even if he is none other than our beloved Lee Kuan Yew, override due process, what is there to stop another minister from using the power of his office to override the laws of the land to fulfill his own wishes?

Lee Kuan Yew will be grieved by the spectacle whipped up by his younger children, but he will be proud to know that the Government had stood firm on the laws of the land even if this is an unpopular thing to do, even if this comes at a political cost.

His confidence in the Government as expressed in his writings, is a well-founded confidence.

Keep the system clean.

No reason to disagree on studying options for No. 38 Oxley Road - Ministerial Committee open to range of options

PRESS RELEASE BY DPM TEO CHEE HEAN ON 27 JUNE 2017


I met Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) several times between April and July 2015. ...

I informed him that PM Lee had recused himself on government decisions relating to No. 38 Oxley Road (“the House”).

I conveyed Cabinet’s deep respect for Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Mr Lee), and that Cabinet will take very seriously Mr Lee’s wishes regarding the House, as expressed in his Will, at a time when a decision has to be made regarding the House.

I ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT NO DECISION IS NEEDED NOW.

Dr Lee Wei Ling (LWL) is living in the House, and A DECISION MADE PROSPECTIVELY BY THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT COULD NOT BIND A FUTURE GOVERNMENT.

FROM Mr LHY’s latest statement on 27 June 2017, HE AGREES THERE IS NO NEED FOR A DECISION ON THE HOUSE NOW.

SO THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS BETWEEN MR LHY AND THE GOVERNMENT ON WHEN A DECISION IS TO BE MADE.

A MISCONCEPTION that Mr LHY may have is that the Committee is bent on preventing the demolition of the house. This is not true.

The Committee was set up to study and set out the range of possible options for the House and present them to Cabinet.

Cabinet will only decide on which option to choose, when the time comes for a decision to be made on the House.

If, for example, Dr LWL ceases to live in the House next month, then Cabinet will have to decide next month.

If she stays there for 30 more years, then the Government in place, in 30 years, will have to decide.

The Committee had written to Mr LHY and Dr LWL to clarify that it would list the various options and study their implications. By way of illustration, we highlighted that converting the House to a park would require studying the implications on the area, including for planning and zoning. This is in writing.

I HAD ALSO SHARED MY PERSONAL VIEWS, VERBALLY, ON SOME OF THE OPTIONS with Mr LHY, such as demolishing the House but keeping the basement dining room with a heritage centre attached.

MY OBJECTIVE WAS TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT BENT ON RETAINING THE HOUSE AS HE SEEMS TO BELIEVE, but that we are calmly and objectively examining a range of options.

I do not recall whether it was Mr LHY or I who suggested a memorial park, but HE IS MISTAKEN THAT I EXPRESSED RELUCTANCE.

I said that I PERSONALLY DID NOT SUPPORT THE OPTIONS ON THE EXTREME ENDS OF THE RANGE - PRESERVING THE HOUSE AS IT IS, OR DEMOLISHING THE HOUSE TO REDEVELOP IT FOR NEW PRIVATE RESIDENCESS.

There are indeed a range of viable intermediate options between these. Mr LHY seems supportive of some of the intermediate options we are studying.

So there should be no need to disagree on studying the options for the time when a decision needs to be made.



http://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/response-dpm-teo-chee-hean-38-oxley-road

Heritage decisions follow Rule of Law put in place by founding fathers: Desmond Lee

When it comes to deciding whether heritage buildings should be preserved, Singapore must follow the due process put in place by its founding fathers, said Second Minister for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee.

To do so, there is a need to strike a careful balance between the private wishes of the proper...ty owner and the Government's need to conserve heritage buildings, he added.

"The rule of law is something we cherish because we are fortunate to have it. It is about private rights versus the interest of the public. This process is how (more than) 7,100 buildings are conserved."

Mr Lee raised the example of the former NATIONAL AERATED WATER COMPANY building.

In that instance, the FREEHOLD LAND underneath the defunct bottling factory in Serangoon had been SOLD TO A PRIVATE DEVELOPER, WHO WISHED TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING TO MAKE WAY FOR A PRIVATE CONDOMINIUM.

This led to a PUBLIC OUTCRY FROM THE HERITAGE COMMUNITY.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said last December that it would engage the new owner to explore the possibility of conserving the building in the light of its architectural and heritage values as a landmark in the area.

GOVERNMENT TOOK A STAND EVEN THOUGH FACTORY SAT ON PRIVATE LAND

Even though the factory sat on private land, Mr Lee said the Government took a stand as it has to represent Singaporeans' heritage concerns.

Said Mr Lee: "If the company that owns the building says something like they want to knock it down and do something else there, then there is a process."

This process involves the URA's Conservation Advisory Panel and the National Heritage Board's Preservation of Sites and Monuments division.

Mr Lee described them as a passionate team that cares about our built environment history and go around quietly gazetting and conserving buildings, though "things will come to a boil from time to time".

Said Mr Lee: "The building can be memorable for various reasons - because important things happened there, because it's historical. But after your generation, what's next? Do future Singaporeans care about what went on there?

"It's not about the building, but the way in which we curate our conservation strategies and need to allow ordinary Singaporeans to connect with their past."

.
Source: ST

38 Oxley Road: It is NOT a binary demolition or preservation option. No need to disagree on studying options.

Demolition vs preservation? No.

It is NOT a binary demolition or preservation option. There are many intermediate options in between that can be explored to come to a win-win solution for everyone, especially Singapore.

If LHY had offered to build a memorial garden like he said, then he should be open to intermediate options. ...

Then there is no disagreement between him and what the Ministerial Committee is doing which is exploring the various intermediate options.

So what is this very ugly and damaging public dispute all about? Much ado about nothing? See More

HO CHING ACCORDING TO LEE KUAN YEW: A GOOD MOTHER TO THE CHILDREN

QUESTION: Would Li Yipeng (PM Lee’s son from his first marriage who has Asperger’s syndrome and is albino) have made it as a university graduate if your family did not have additional resources?

LKY: He would not. He was sent to Dover Court Preparatory School, run by the British…… For secondary school, the mother, HO CHING, caref...ully looked for a principal who would look after him, accept him as a strong boy in the class. Many schools just said no, we don’t have the resources. He went to Zhonghua, not a popular school. The principal was compassionate. He’ll take him. And Yipeng flourished. Passed his ‘A’ levels eventually, took more time, more years because he’s disadvantaged, can’t see well……….”
.

QUESTION: So he (Li Yipeng) was forunate enough to benefit from the family’s resources?

LKY: Not just resources, attention. Personal attention. This is not just resources. It is the personal attention of Ho Ching and the father. Ho Ching scouted around for a secondary school that will look after him and accept him with his disadvantages. He was turned down in so many schools. They said, no, we haven’t got the teachers to look after him. This school principal said he would try. And it was a success…….”

.
QUESTION: In your personal life, apart from your wife, what was the most trying and difficult period for you?

LKY: (Long pause) I think when my son’s (Lee Hsien Loong) wife died. His whole tent collapsed. The pole was struck down… I said at the end of the day you have to move on. Moving on means you have to find a woman who will marry you and accept these two children… In the end, he (Lee Hsien Loong) decided on a workplace associate. Ho Ching was in the Defence Ministry in the cipher department. Loong was in computers. He was also in ciphers for some time. I suppose they must have known each other then. They must have redeveloped the friendship. I said, “You better make sure that she accepts your two children otherwise it’s a real misery. You’ll be sad, your mother will be sad, I’ll be sad.”

Ho Ching came in fully aware that she’s walking into a family. She has been a good mother to the children. In fact, she’s bent over backwards for them, as a result of which my granddaughter has not enough discipline……” 

38 Oxley Road: LET IT LAST

38 Oxley Road would mark a milestone in the historical development of Singapore.

Mr Lee's house would not be the first to do so. The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall legitimately embodies the legacy of Dr Sun's revolutionary activities in South-east Asia, capturing both the impact of the 1911 Chinese Revolution on Singapore and Singapore's contributions to the dawning of modern Chin...ese political history.

No one would suggest that the memorial serves an ulterior ethnic purpose by glorifying Singapore's links with the ancestral land of its majority race. The memorial records for all Singaporeans the role which the period played in a history that belongs to all the races of Singapore today.

Similarly, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hall commemorates the remarkable life and achievements of the leader of India's independence movement. It pays concrete tribute to a person whose ideas of non-violence became a motif of many other anti-colonial movements apart from India's. The centrality of non-violence came to demarcate the constitutional struggle for independence from its violent communist counterpart here in Singapore as well.

No one would argue that the memorial celebrates India's connection with Singapore at the expense of the city-state's relations with countries in North-east and South-east Asia.

Surely, if buildings associated with Dr Sun and Gandhi can belong to the shared heritage of Singaporeans, it would appear incomprehensible that Mr Lee's house should be viewed as a partisan structure. Surely, he had - and has - greater influence on the destiny and direction of Singapore than the other two luminaries, great though they are in their own right.

It is essential to reiterate here that the national value of 38, Oxley Road exceeds its private value to the Lee family. If the Government were to gazette it, it would be recognising that national significance, even if Mr Lee's wishes were to be overruled in the process.

The conservation of the house would do no more than honour Mr Lee's lifelong belief that the public interest should supersede private interests and desires - even when it comes to the man with whom Singapore is identified, even today.

Instead of viewing 38, Oxley Road as a house around which to sustain the PAP's political legitimacy, it is important to see that building for what it is: a house that belongs not only to the Lee family, nor even to the PAP, but to the people of Singapore.

Let it last.

Excerpt from:

The Oxley House. Symbol of the Singapore story
By Derwin Pereira

A Singaporean says...NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW

It is important not to see spirits and ghosts where there are none, especially in a fractious dispute such as the ongoing one between the Lee siblings (Three key issues in the Lee v Lee saga; June 21).

Thanks to Mr Lee Kuan Yew's obsession with succession planning, Singapore has already moved into the post-LKY era for some years as our society evolves....

This is clear in the loosening of our political climate over the last couple of decades, and most poignant in the removal of the demolition clause in versions five and six of Mr Lee's will for 38, Oxley Road.

The deletion showed that while Mr Lee might have been unwavering in his desire to see his home demolished, he was also mindful that the government of the day has the final say on its preservation, and that no one, including him, is above the law of this land.

How the demolition clause found its way back into the final will is for the lawyers to investigate, should the disputants wish to take the matter to court. But it is absolutely immaterial in the broader scheme of the Government's right to decide the fate of the property.

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang can limit the damage to their stature, their father's legacy, and Singapore's reputation by refraining from posing irrelevant questions to their brother and our Prime Minister.

Unlike them, Mr Lee Hsien Loong has to perform the roles of both the dutiful son and the leader of this country.

PM Lee's sentiments about the demolition of the Lee family home as a scion ought to differ from how he performs his duties as our Prime Minister on the matter.

We, the citizens of Singapore, expect no less from him.

The house at 38, Oxley Road is undoubtedly an important monument of Singapore's political history; otherwise the family dispute over its conservation would not have grabbed so much attention across the country and in the international media

The Government is right to treat the estate as an extraordinary piece of local heritage and to form a ministerial committee to explore various options for its future.

Singapore is and must always be bigger than the Lee family.

Toh Cheng Seong 

A heritage site vs a monument

IF LHY had offered to build a memorial garden on 38 Oxley Road, THEN THERE IS NO REASON FOR HIM TO OBJECT TO LHL declaring 38 Oxley Road a heritage site. Building a memorial garden is as good as making 38 Oxley Road a heritage site.

Is it much ado about nothing? Is it time for LHY to withdraw, talk in private and reconcile differences?

A historical or heritage site is the land on which somethin...g/building of historical importance once stood. The building may be demolished (completely or partially) but the land is commemorated as heritage site.

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew bequeathed 38 Oxley Road to son Lee Hsien Loong even though he knew full well way back in 2011 that "Loong as PM" might declare 38 Oxley Road as a heritage site.

Mr Lee had full trust and confidence in his son Lee Hsien Loong as PM to do what is best and right in the national interest of the country concerning 38 Oxley Road.

38 Oxley Road: A unique heritage test case. Keep it.

In Singapore, the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) prides itself on its "unsentimental pragmatism", a phrase used in a 1982 speech against welfarism by pioneer Cabinet minister S. Rajaratnam.

For a long time, the mantra here has been that all can be sacrificed in the name of development and modernisation, be it homes, schools, final restin...g places or even the National Theatre or National Library.

But there's a price to be paid for this constant churn. It has weakened Singaporeans' attachment to places here, and arguably eaten away at their sense of rootedness to the country.

Now, we have a test case like never before, in the form of the house at 38, Oxley Road, near the Orchard Road shopping district.

As the home for some 70 years of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, the house is clearly of significance in the nation's history.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, when giving details about the ministerial committee that is looking into what to do with the house, said: "Many critical decisions on the future of Singapore were made there by Mr Lee and our pioneer leaders."

It was in the basement of the house that meetings which led to the setting up of the PAP were held. The house, built more than a century ago by a Jewish merchant, is also where our current PM spent his formative years.

I would argue that it should be kept for the sake of current and future generations of Singaporeans.

The key consideration is this: If even the house of the nation's founding PM cannot be preserved, what hope can Singaporeans have of holding onto other places whose historical significance may be more debatable?

What implication does this then have for Singaporeans' attachment to this place that we call home? Would it breed even more apathy if Singaporeans feel they have no say in preserving places or practices the community holds dear?

What to do with the house at 38, Oxley Road is no private family matter, but one of national interest. The Lee family is no ordinary family; its members have had or still have an influential role in shaping the nation's history.

But for now, there has not been as much public support for the house to be preserved.

This is likely because, first, the house is off limits to the public and does not hold personal memories for most people, unlike popular places like the National Library.

Second, it seems disrespectful not to follow Mr Lee's often stated wish of demolishing the house.

But the issue is larger than one man, even if the man in question is Mr Lee, whose influence on the nation is large, to say the least. The PAP's unsentimental and pragmatic outlook means that the issue should be evaluated rationally and objectively, without being swayed by emotional factors such as the wishes of one person.

The discussion over the fate of the house is a rare opportunity to re-evaluate the importance of heritage, and examine what aspects of our collective history we as a community consider important enough to be preserved.

Contrary to what some may think, heritage is not about airy-fairy sentimentalism or sheer nostalgia. Instead, preserving heritage - which the Singapore Heritage Society defines as the living presence of the past - is about keeping alive historically important places or practices which help forge the identity of Singapore and Singaporeans.

By Ho Ai Li (ST) (Edited)

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/a-unique-heritage-test-case?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&xtor=CS1-10#link_time=1498274486

Lee Hsien Loong to his father Lee Kuan Yew: I will follow you.

A proud father congratulating his son in 2004 when Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister.

Lee Kuan Yew in Hard Truths:
I used to make sure once a year at least, sometimes twice a year, to take the whole family to Cameron Highlands or Fraser's Hill for two weeks and play golf. My children would walk around the golf course with my wife and me. We talked to them. Because of my political activities,... I asked, "Do you want to follow me?" My elder son said, "I'll follow you."

So when I went out on my 'fang wen' (constituency visits) in '63, he followed me most of the time. He was old enough to remember the July 1964 riots (he would have been 12 years old, and in Catholic High School). I remember a car was sent out to bring him home (because the riots broke out) but couldn't contact him because it was such a confused and chaotic situation. He walked home alone. 

IS LHY RESISTING PRESERVATION FOR MONETARY BENEFITS?

 

Taking a POSITION OF INTEGRITY

PM Lee Hsien Loong's long held position on 38 Oxley Road is that "it is not tenable for the family to retain proceeds from any dealing with 38 Oxley Road, as it would look like the family is opposing acquisition and preservation of the House for monetary reasons." ...

This is the position he also conveyed to the Lee family. A refusal to reap monetary benefits from the significance of 38 Oxley Road to Singapore is a position of integrity.

LHY IS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS POSITION HELD BY LHL.

In line with his position, PM Lee made a first offer to transfer 38 Oxley Road (which was bequeathed to him) to his sister LEE WEI LING for a nominal $1 on the condition that should the property be transacted later or acquired by the Government, all proceeds would go to charity.

This offer was rejected.

In another bid to resolve the dispute, he then made a second offer to sell the house to LHY at reasonable market value on condition that they each donate an amount equivalent to half of that value to charity.

This ensures 100% of the proceeds went to charity.

On his part, PM Lee donated not just 50% but all of the money he received from selling the house to LHY. This is in line with his position that he will not retain any money from the sale of 38 Oxley Road.

IS LHY RESISTING PRESERVATION FOR MONETARY BENEFITS? LHY CAN HELP DISPEL ANY IDEA BY REVEALING HIS PLANS FOR 30 OXLEY ROAD. See More

Lee Hsien Loong a brilliant Mathematics student

He was a brilliant Mathematics student. And surprise, surprise! He can speak Russian.

Lee Hsien Loong was the Senior Wrangler (ranked 1st in the Math Tripos, the famously difficult Cambridge undergraduate Mathematics course) at Cambridge. He scored 31 alphas, 12 more alphas than the runner up.

'He graduated at the top of his class, and he really won by a street. The one who came second has now ...become a world-class mathematician, but it was clear to everyone at the time who was the better one.'
-– Prof. Béla Bollobás (LHL's teacher), University of Cambridge in 1994

"Loong was not only hardworking, conscientious and professional, but he was also very inventive. All the signs indicated that he would have been a world-class research mathematician. I’m sure his father never realized how exceptional Loong was. He thought Loong was very good. No, Loong was much better than that. When I tried to tell Lee Kuan Yew, 'Look, your son is phenomenally good: you should encourage him to do mathematics,' then he implied that that was impossible, since as a top-flight professional mathematician Loong would leave Singapore for Princeton, Harvard or Cambridge, and that would send the wrong signal to the people in Singapore."
--- Prof. Béla Bollobás, University of Cambridge in 2007

He finished the Math Tripos in 2 years instead of 3, having been exempted from the first year of the Tripos.

When Trinity College in Cambridge offered him a fellowship to become a mathematician and teach maths there. He wrote to his tutor and said, “I must go home. I’ve joined the Singapore Armed Forces, my father’s the PM, and for me not to go home and do what I have to do would be bad for the country and bad for me.”

https://www.facebook.com/leehsienloong/photos/a.344710778924968.83425.125845680811480/766978603364848/?type=3&fref=mentions See More

There's NOTHING SECRETIVE ABOUT MINISTERIAL COMMITTEES

"We in fact do this often - setting up special committees comprising a group of Ministers," DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Such committees ensures that important issues are given in-...depth attention and options weighed by Ministers closer to the issue before Cabinet makes its decisions and takes collective responsibility.

It also ensures that the Government does not operate in silos and that national interest prevails over sectoral or private interests, and that the long term view prevails over the short view wherever possible.

"BUT WE HAVE A SYSTEM OF PRESERVING THE RULE OF LAW AND OF POLICY-MAKING THAT BALANCES PUBLIC AGAINST PRIVATE INTERESTS, AND THE LONG TERM AGAINST THE SHORT TERM, THAT'S STILL A RARITY IN THE WORLD AND IS AT THE CORE OF HOW SINGAPORE HAS SUCCEEDED. Starting with the foundation that Lee Kuan Yew and his team built. And continuing through government under Goh Chok Tong and Lee Hsien Loong and their teams."- Tharman See More

Madam Ho Ching replies to Lee Hsien Yang on his facebook

Dear Yang,

I was away from 31 January night till 7 Feb evening, when I went with Loong to Germany and Spain for his official and working visits. I was not in Singapore on 6 Feb....

In any case, there would not be any reason for me to rummage or tidy up papa’s things when he was in the hospital – that is not me nor my values.

However, you may remember that after papa’s funeral, you went off with Fern for a break in Japan or somewhere. I began tidying up the house, cleaning up stuff in the basement, and organizing items, dogsbody work as I mentioned to you before, which I couldn’t see Ling or Fern doing. This was what I had also done at papa’s request after mama’s death. Ling was in Oxley, and I had kept her posted, while trying not to intrude into her grieving.

It was in the middle of those two first weeks of April, tidying up the house after papa’s death, that I came across small interesting items which I thought were significant in papa’s life. I explained to Loong about a puzzling telegram about a Battleship arrival. Loong immediately knew its significance, and identified 4 items that he thought it would be useful to lend to NHB which was organizing an exhibition on papa’s life. These included the Battleship telegram and the John Laycock letter, which would be related to what papa did during the Postmen’s strike. I arranged to do so through the PMO, emphasizing to NHB that these items belonged to the estate and must be returned.

During that period, I had also done things like organising papa's ties, and you confirmed that you were agreeable for NHB to come and pick what they wanted - they mostly wanted the relevant ties to match what papa wore during various historical events.

After the will was read on 12 April, I again kept both you and Ling posted on all that I had done including the 4 items loaned to NHB. In fact, I was in the basement working with the maids, when I was asked to join you and Fern, as well as Loong and Ling, for the reading of the will.

You may wish to check your email records to refresh your memory on the various updates that I had given you during those 2 weeks.

I hope that whatever you are upset about, you will have the heart to remember what papa and mama would have wanted most for the family and for Singapore.

Constituency visit with Papa!

Eight-year-old Lee Hsien Loong with his father on Pulau Ubin during his constituency visits. Year: 1960.

He was often seen with his father during his walkabouts.

PM Lee has 2 hats to wear

PM Lee Hsien Loong is a conflicted person with two hats to wear.

Some people think this is a joke or an excuse. It isn't, so let's not make a joke out of this.

He is the son of Lee Kuan Yew. He is also the prime minister of Singapore....

The GOVERMENT has the responsibility to consider the public interest aspects of any property with heritage and historical significance, and this applies to 38, Oxley Road.

Founding father, LEE KUAN YEW himself put the law in place after he decided that they made the mistake of knocking down many old and quaint buildings in their rush to build Singapore.

AS THE SON of Lee Kuan Yew, PM Lee wants to see his father's and mother's wishes carried out.

AS THE PRIME MINISTER of Singapore, he has the responsibility to see to the historical significance of 38 Oxley Road. This puts him at odd with his personal desire to see his parents' wishes fulfilled.

Hence he is a CONFLICTED person.

THEREFORE HE RECUSED HIMSELF from all government decision-makings concerning 38 Oxley Road. I.e. NON-INVOLVEMENT.

This is the right thing to do.

Having recused himself from all government decision-making processes concerning 38 Oxley Road, he therefore will also not interfere with the decisions that the Government will make eventually.

In other words, whatever decisions the Government of that day make concerning 38 Oxley Road, he would not go against those decisions.

That, of course, follows rightly and logically from recusing himself.

Think about it. Can he recuse himself from all decision-making only to interfere at the end and change the decision because he doesn't like the decision?

Of course not. Are you still following?

Brother LHY expects him as Prime Minister (with power) to ensure that the house is demolished.

That is as good as telling him to abuse his power as prime minister and to tell the Government: Hey, this is my father's wish and I'm the Prime Minister. You are not going to consider national and public interests for 38 Oxley Road. Skip that. You are knocking it down.

And BECAUSE PM Lee said that he would not interfere with the decision of the committee, brother LHY accused him of saying one thing in public (that he wishes to see his parents' wishes fulfilled) and another in private (that he would not interfere with the committee's decisons). That is wrong and very unfair to PM Lee.

PM Lee is caught in a difficult place where fulfilling his personal wish means compromising the integrity of his office, while upholding the integrity of his office gets him the label of 'dishonourable son' who says different things in public and in private.

We can only sympathize with him. And yes, stand with him and support him.

Lee Hsien Yang's lie exposed!

Why did Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern strenously object to having Mr Lee Kuan Yew's letter read out in Parliament?

The letter Mr Lee Kuan Yew wrote to Cabinet that Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern strenuously objected to being read out in parliament.

Why did they object to having this letter made public and read out to Parliament?

How about turning 38 Oxley Road into a Garden?

A win-win solution for everyone including Singaporeans is to turn 38 Oxley Road into a garden.

Our founding father, Lee Kuan Yew wanted a garden city. So what better idea for Oxley Road than to turn it into a beautiful garden that generations of Singaporeans can enjoy.

"I have always believed that a blighted urban landscape, a concrete jungle destroys the human spirit. We need the greenery of na...ture to lift our spirits." - Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1995

The house can be demolished to fulfill Mr Lee's wish. It need not be demolished in its entirety. The basement where meetings were held and history made that impacted Singapore can be preserved.

"We made our share of mistakes in Singapore. For example, in our rush to rebuild Singapore, we knock down many old and quaint Singapore buildings. Then we realized we are destroying a valuable part of our cultural heritage. .. We halted the demolition. Instead we undertook extensive conservation and restoration. The value of these areas in architectural, cultural and tourism terms cannot be quantified only in dollars and cents." - The Wit and Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew.

Surely Mr Lee Kuan Yew would be happy for 38 Oxley Road to become a garden.

He was a man who valued relationships above money. He was a prudent man who lived humbly and 38 Oxley Road reflected just that - a humble abode void of luxuries, not even a heater until his wife suffered a stroke.

This humble abode of many values should not be turned into luxurious dwellings.

A garden is edifying for the soul of man, a place where families and friends can take walks together in nature in the simplicity of life and bonds strengthened. All of which are values of Lee Kuan Yew.

What do you think of a garden? 

Statement by PM Lee Hsien Loong on 38 Oxley Road

Good evening. Over the last week, Singaporeans have been disturbed and confused by news of the private dispute between my siblings and me. I deeply regret that this dispute has affected Singapore’s reputation and Singaporeans’ confidence in the Government.

As your Prime Minister, I apologise to you for this. And as the eldest of the siblings, it grieves me to think of the anguish that this would have caused our parents if they were still alive.

I had done everything possible to avoid this state of affairs. My father left the property at 38 Oxley Road to me as part of my equal share of his estate, but my siblings were not happy about this. I tried to deal with their unhappiness privately. I offered to transfer 38 Oxley Rd to my sister for a nominal $1. Unfortunately that offer failed. I then sold the house to my brother at a fair market valuation, and donated all my proceeds to charity.

I had hoped that this would satisfy them. There should be no reason for any further quarrel, since I no longer own the house and I do not take part in any Government decisions on the house. However, my siblings have decided to go out and make serious allegations publicly. For example, they say that I am using my position as Prime Minister to influence the Ministerial Committee chaired by DPM Teo Chee Hean. These allegations go beyond private and personal matters, and extend to the conduct of my office and the integrity of the Government.

Much as I would like to move on, and end a most unhappy experience for Singaporeans, these baseless accusations against the Government cannot be left unanswered. They must be and will be dealt with openly and refuted.

When Parliament sits on 3 July 2017, I will make a Ministerial Statement to refute the charges. All MPs will then have the opportunity to raise questions for themselves and their constituents. I have instructed that the PAP party whip be lifted. I urge all MPs, including the non-PAP MPs, to examine the issues thoroughly and question me and my Cabinet colleagues vigorously.

I hope that this full, public airing in Parliament will dispel any doubts that have been planted and strengthen confidence in our institutions and our system of government.

I want to assure all Singaporeans that this matter will not distract me and my Cabinet colleagues from our responsibility to govern Singapore, and to deal with more important national issues, including the pressing economic and security challenges we face.

As public servants, my Ministers and I will always protect the integrity of our institutions, and uphold the strict standards separating private affairs from our public duties. We are determined to repair the damage that has been done to Singapore. We will continue to lead our nation and serve you to the best of our ability

38 Oxley Road was bequeathed to Lee Hsien Loong

Some facts about the house at 38 Oxley Road.

It was bequeathed to PM Lee Hsien Loong.

Sister Lee Wei Ling and brother Lee Hsien Yang were not happy about this. ...

So Lee Hsien Loong offered to transfer the house to Lee Wei Ling for a nominal $1 - on the condition that should the property be transacted later or acquired by the Government, all proceeds would go to charity.

This was rejected by LWL and LHY.

Things got worse and LWL and LHY threatened to escalate their attacks on their brother LHL during GE2015.

After GE2015, Lee Hsien Loong gave a fresh new proposal.

He proposed to transfer the property to LHY at market value on condition that they each donated an amount equivalent to half of that value to charity.

The proposal was accepted. Accordingly, PM Lee donated half of the value of the property to charity.

Although not required, he also donated the other half of the value of the property to charity.

In other words, he donated all (100%) of the money he received from the property to charity.

This is consistent with the position that PM Lee had held and conveyed to his family: that it is not tenable for the family to retain proceeds from any dealing with 38 Oxley Road, as it would look like the family is opposing acquisition and preservation of the House for monetary reasons.

The property is now wholly owned by LHY who remained unhappy with PM Lee's position.

LHY does not want to say what he would do with the place after the house is demolished.

Less than one month after the passing of LKY, he had demanded that the house be demolished immediately.

He dropped that demand for 'immediate physical demolition' only after Ho Ching asked LWL if she intended to live in the house, to which she said she intended to.

Notes:

The estate: Oxley Trust which includes 38 Oxley Road, Cluny Road among others.

Each of the three children receives an equal share.

Of the estate, the house at 38 Oxley Road was bequeathed to Lee Hsien Loong.

Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling threatened to escalate their attacks on their brother during GE 2015.

In 1965, our founding father Lee Kuan Yew said:

I am prepared to take chances with my life. ...But I am not prepared to take chances with the lives of 2 million people. 

He famously also said at a rally, "This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine."

In their own dispute with their brother, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling were prepared to play a game of cards with the lives and future of Singapore and Singaporeans.

They threatened to escalate their attacks on Lee Hsien Loong to coincide with the general election of 2015.

One is led to ask of them: What happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?

[ As part of efforts to resolve the family disputes amicably, after LWL and LHY expressed unhappiness that 38 Oxley Road had been bequeathed to me following Mr Lee’s passing, I told them that I was prepared to transfer 38 Oxley Road to LWL for a nominal sum of S$1 on the condition that should the property be transacted later or acquired by the Government, all proceeds would go to charity.

However, a resolution proved impossible.

Matters reached the point where LWL and LHY threatened to escalate their attacks against me, coinciding with the September 2015 General Elections. I was not prepared to be intimidated.

- from PM Lee's statutory declaration.]

LEE KUAN YEW made 7 wills altogether.

The first 6 wills were prepared by Ms Kwa Kim Li.

The Demolition Clause first appeared in Mr Lee’s first will made on 20 August 2011 (the “First Will”)....

Mr Lee gave instructions to remove the Demolition Clause, and it was removed, from the penultimate two wills (the “Fifth Will” and “Sixth Will”).

However, it somehow found its way back into the Last Will. The Last Will was prepared by a partner of Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Lee Suet Fern.

Lee Hsien Yang and his wife tried to push through with the signing of this last will as quickly as possible. Lee Kuan Yew wanted to contact the original lawyer Kwa Kim Li (KKL) who had prepared the first 6 wills.

However, Lee Hsien Yang had removed KKL from the e-mail chain before telling Lee Kuan Yew that the lawyer (KKL) was un-contactable and was away, and that it would be best to quickly do up the last will in KKL's absence. He said it was not wise to wait till Kwa Kim Li came back to change his will.

In the space of 41 minutes, LSF saw to the preparation of the new will and got one of her lawyers to be on standby to get it executed by Mr Lee.

Kwa Kim Li found out about what happened the day after, and was surprised that she had not been contacted.

Lee Hsien Yang, with his wife's partners took only 15 minutes to procure Mr Lee’s signature on the Last Will which included the time needed to log in and out of the house.

The changes to the will was not communicated to Lee Wei Ling or Lee Hsien Loong. See More

PM Lee on the transfer of ownership of 38 Oxley Road to Lee Hsien Yang

After the General Elections, LWL (Lee Wei Ling) and LHY (Lee Hsien Yang) agreed to my fresh proposal to transfer 38 Oxley Road to LHY at market value, on condition that LHY and I each donated an amount equivalent to half of that value to charity, to pre-empt any future controversy over compensation or redevelopment proceeds.

I was prepared to transfer 38 Oxley Road to LHY so that he and LWL cou...ld handle the 38 Oxley Road matter as they saw fit between them.

In accordance with our agreement, I donated half of the value of 38 Oxley Road to charity. Although not required under the agreement, I also donated a sum equivalent to the other half of the value of 38 Oxley Road to charity. 38 Oxley Road now wholly belongs to LHY.

This is consistent with the position that I had always held and conveyed to my family: that it is not tenable for the family to retain proceeds from any dealing with 38 Oxley Road, as it would look like the family is opposing acquisition and preservation of the House for monetary reasons. LHY was and continues to be unhappy about my taking this position. So, it would appear, is LWL.

- Excerpt from PM Lee's Statutory Declaration. 

Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Nation building and the Preservation of Monuments Act

Under the Preservation of Monuments Act, the National Heritage Board (NHB), under the purveyance of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), can make a preservation order to place any monument under the protection of the Board.

How else do you think private buildings including churches and mosques become national monuments?

PM Lee proposed reading out in Parliament Mr Lee's letter to Cabinet as well as the Demolition Clause in his will.

Far from making any threats or opposing making Mr Lee’s wishes public, I also proposed reading out in Parliament Mr Lee’s letter to Cabinet of 27 December 2011, as well as the Demolition Clause.

LHY (Lee Hsien Yang) and LSF (Lee Suet Fern) strenuously objected.

They argued that I could not read out Mr Lee’s letter, because (they claimed) of the Official Secrets Act. 

When I held firm, they told me that I could only read the first half of the Demolition Clause, i.e. excluding that part about what Mr Lee wanted done to the House if it is not demolished.

I made clear that I intended to make public both Mr Lee’s letter of 27 December 2011 and the entire Demolition Clause, which I did when I spoke in Parliament on 13 April 2015.

I also told Parliament that the Government would only consider the question of what to do with the House as and when LWL ceased to live in it.

- Excerpt of PM Lee's statutory declaration.

Building the Belt and Road together will be the biggest highlight of our bilateral relations: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

During Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's official visit to Beijing (11 - 12 June), his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi proposed 3 platforms for cooperation between Singapore and China as part of the BRI (Belt Road Initiative).

They are:

1. A trade network that spans and interconnects China, Central Asia, Europe and South East Asia.

2. Financial cooperation which will see China leverage on Singapore's strength as a regional financial centre to raise funds for the various BRI projects.

3. Training and transfer of technology. The two countries will work together to open up third markets in South East Asia, South Asia and beyond, tapping the respective strengths of both countries.

Dr Vivian said that ties between China and Singapore are strong and based on solid foundation that goes back four decades.

"The BRI is a wonderful idea and we have always been an early supporter of the initiative," he said at a joint conference with Mr Wang.

Mr Wang told reporters that China welcomes Singapore's support of and participation in the BRI. He noted that Singapore is well-positioned to play an important role, given its unique strategic position.

"Building the Belt and Road together will be the biggest highlight of our bilateral relations," Mr Wang said.

Being partners in the BRI will add more substance to bilateral ties and bring about peace and stability in the region, he added.

It was Dr Balakrishnan's fourth meeting with Mr Wang in six months and his second visit to Beijing this year.

Extremist terrorism is a clear and present danger as Singaporeans have been drawn to fight for their causes, says PM Lee

We worry about extremist terrorism a lot: PM Lee.

Separatist groups in South-east Asia pose a "clear and present" danger to Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as Singaporeans have been drawn to fight for their causes.

Mr Lee also said that if caught, they will be allowed to return home.

"But we will make sure he has not brought back any dangerous ideas and is not likely to do any harm.''

A problem in our midst

"The Middle East seems a long way away but it is not. This is a problem which is amidst us."

Singaporeans, though few, are among the Malaysians, Indonesians and others from South-east Asia that have gone to the Middle East to join the fight.

Some others have gone to Southern Philippines, Mr Lee noted, and linked up with separatist groups there. They include the Maute, a group that took over Marawi city for a brief period last month, and the militant Abu Sayyaf group.

Said the Prime Minister: "It is a clear and present danger."

The Philippines had said Singaporeans were among the foreign fighters in the Maute group that attacked Marawi, a largely-Muslim city with more than 200,000 people.

A matter of when and not whether

Mr Lee also said a potential attack in Singapore "is a matter of when and not whether."

"We assume that one day, something will happen in Singapore and we are doing our best to prepare ourselves."

The measures include preparing the population psychologically and making sure Singapore's multi-racial society does not come under "catastrophic stress", he said.

"The risk is not just the casualties from the physical attack but the psychological damage done to the trust and confidence between people of different races and religions in Singapore, particularly between the Muslims and the non-Muslims," he added.

PM Lee's interview with Australia's ABC Radio National