38 Oxley Road site gazetted as Singapore national monument

Lee Kuan Yew’s Oxley Road home earmarked to be Singapore national monument

Singapore Government will keep all options open for 38 Oxley Road, ‘strive for solution that will unite’: David Neo in Ministerial Statement on 6 Nov 2025

By Ng Keng Gene, The Straits Times, 6 Nov 2025

• The Government plans to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument to create a public heritage space.

• If acquired, the site will not be used for private purposes, with options kept open, respecting the Lee family's privacy.

• A detailed study will be conducted after access is gained, with the aim to finalise plans within this government term and with no public access in the interim.

In deciding to gazette the site at 38 Oxley Road as a national monument, the Government’s considerations were for the entire site and not for the buildings and structures within it, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo.

The thinking is to develop the site into a public space like a heritage park that Singaporeans can access if it is eventually preserved and acquired, Mr Neo told the House in a ministerial statement on Nov 6.

“We will keep all options open, and strive for a solution that will unite us as a country, rather than allow this to become a point of contention or division in our society,” he added.

Mr Neo said gazetting the site of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s family home as a national monument “does not obligate the Government to keep the buildings and structures within the site in their current condition”.

Noting that the authorities have not had the chance to enter the site to assess the condition of its buildings, he said: “That is a key reason why we are opting to preserve the site rather than just specific buildings or structures.”

The Government on Nov 3 announced its intention to gazette the roughly 1,100 sq m site as a national monument, citing its historical significance and national importance.

Mr Neo said the Government will conduct a detailed study of the site if access is obtained. “We will take into account factors like their existing condition and weigh the potential benefit of retaining them against the cost.”

All options will be considered for the site, he said, including those proposed by a ministerial committee on 38 Oxley Road in 2018, which include partial or full demolition of the buildings and structures.

Regardless of the option taken, the Government will respect Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his wife Kwa Geok Choo’s wishes to protect their family’s privacy, “by removing all traces of their private living spaces from the interior of the house”, Mr Neo said.

“Under no circumstance will the interior of the house, as Mr Lee and Madam Kwa knew, be displayed or recorded or remodelled or duplicated elsewhere.”

Mr Neo noted that other countries around the world have retained and converted sites associated with their nation’s independence for public education and appreciation, citing the Gandhi Ashram in India – the home of Mahatma Gandhi, who led the campaign for India’s independence from British colonial rule.

He also brought up the Independence National Historical Park in the US, which includes buildings that have witnessed key historical milestones, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and its Constitution.

In many instances, said Mr Neo, changes have been made to such historical sites.

These, he said, include modifying or adapting the original buildings with new interpretive structures to better enable the public to experience the site as a park or heritage space.

That is why the Government will keep an open mind in the treatment of buildings and structures within 38 Oxley Road, he said.

Mr Neo told the House that the site was where Singapore’s early leaders formulated their vision, plans and values for the country, making it a “unique and foundational part of the story of Singapore’s independence”.

Should the Government acquire 38 Oxley Road, it will not be redeveloped for residential, commercial or other private uses, he said.

38 Oxley Road is currently owned by an entity called 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, whose sole shareholder is Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s younger son, Mr Lee Hsien Yang. Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s son, Mr Li Huanwu, is its director.

“Preserving the site means we will be able to avoid a situation where private parties attempt to purchase 38 Oxley Road in future just to have an address that is associated with Mr Lee’s residence,” said Mr Neo.

“I am sure all of us in this House, and the vast majority of Singaporeans, would want to make sure that situation does not happen.”

There has been a long-running dispute between Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s children over the fate of the Lee family home. The issue resurfaced in October 2024 after the death of Dr Lee Wei Ling, the sister of Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang subsequently submitted an application to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to demolish the property, which has been deferred.

On Nov 6, Mr Neo said the Government has decided to preserve the site “because it is the most responsible approach”.

The time has come to make a decision on the matter, he added.

“We will take the deliberate steps to decide. And we will do so in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans, now and for the future.”

Mr Neo said that if 38 Oxley Road is gazetted as a national monument and subsequently acquired, the Government intends to conclude its plans on the exact use and configuration of the site, including the treatment of the buildings and structures, “well within this term of government”.

In the interim, there will be no public access to the site, he added.

Singapore’s next general election must be called by 2030.

The site’s owner – Mr Lee Hsien Yang – has until Nov 17 to submit objections to the Government’s plan to gazette the site.

The National Heritage Board, which will receive any such objections, will assess them and make a recommendation to Mr Neo for his consideration.

“All objections submitted and recommendations made will be considered objectively and fairly as part of due process,” said Mr Neo.

Thereafter, a preservation order will be made if the Government decides to gazette the site as a national monument.

The Government will then begin the process to acquire the site, as part of the plans to eventually make it accessible to the public, said Mr Neo. The acquisition will be done in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act.

Mr Neo noted that the site’s owner, any occupiers, and any other persons interested will be given the opportunity to submit their claims to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to determine the compensation.

A professional private valuer will also be appointed to assist SLA in determining the market value of the land, taking into consideration any claims submitted, he said.

If the owner is not satisfied with the compensation awarded, he can file an appeal with the Land Acquisition Appeals Board.

“The acquisition will allow the Government to take all necessary steps to safeguard the site and preserve it in keeping with its historical significance and national importance,” said Mr Neo.

Construction of Founders’ Memorial begins, opening slated for 2028

A memorial that honours Singapore’s founders and keeps alive their ideals in our nation-building journey

By Ng Keng Gene, Correspondent, The Straits Times, 6 Jun 2024

Construction of the Founders’ Memorial – dedicated to Singapore’s pioneers and the values they exemplified – has officially started, and it is scheduled to open in 2028.

The memorial at Gardens by the Bay’s Bay East Garden will offer visitors an “integrated gallery and gardens experience”, said the National Heritage Board (NHB).

Within its two two-storey buildings, which will be connected by a common basement, will be a viewing gallery that overlooks Singapore’s city skyline, exhibition galleries, and multi-purpose rooms for workshops and programmes.

NHB said multiple paths will extend from the memorial into the larger Bay East Garden, with the memorial itself designed to depict a path – a symbol of the nation-building journey that Singapore’s founding generation and its leaders undertook.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held at Bay East Garden on June 5, and officiated by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It was on June 5, 1959, that the first Cabinet of self-governing Singapore was sworn into office.

At a reception held at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Field Hall after the ceremony, SM Lee said the memorial will tell of how the nation’s founding leaders “overcame the odds to build a strong, united, and independent Singapore”. Stories will capture “how they led the people of Singapore through successive battles”, he said.

“First against colonialism, then communism, and finally communalism; and how they then built a nation based on the values and ideals embodied in the pledge, launching us on the journey that has led to the Singapore that we see today.”

He was joined at the ceremony by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and Founders’ Memorial Committee co-chairs Lee Tzu Yang and Tan Tai Yong, as well as community representatives including students, memorial volunteers and donors.

Those who participated in the ground-breaking planted saplings that were grafted from trees planted by Singapore’s leaders during the early years of the nation’s greening journey.

Species planted included the yellow flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum), a native species that was planted by founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1971 at Tanjong Pagar Community Club; a sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), planted by Dr Goh Keng Swee in 1975 at Labrador Park; and a sea apple (Syzygium grande), which Mr S. Rajaratnam planted in 1980 at Block 12 North Bridge Road.

The saplings planted on June 5 will be featured in the Founders’ Memorial’s landscaping in the future, said NHB.

The memorial – mooted in 2015 following Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death – was previously slated to be completed in 2027, but its construction timeline was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its design by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, working in collaboration with Singapore firm K2LD Architects, was announced in March 2020 following an international competition launched in January 2019.

NHB said the memorial “aims to inspire Singaporeans to commit themselves towards a better future, as it will serve as a space to capture the spirit of our nation and unify Singaporeans”.

Between June and December in 2024, a mural titled Our Memorial, Our Singapore by local illustration studio 8EyedSpud will be displayed at Bay South Garden, near the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

By scanning a QR code that accompanies the mural, people can select activities they are most keen to engage in at the memorial and Bay East Garden – “a continuation of the memorial’s public engagement journey”, said NHB.

They may also leave well-wishes, which may be part of future hoardings for the memorial during its construction.

Mr Lee Tzu Yang said the committee will continue to engage Singaporeans “because the Founders’ Memorial is envisioned as a space owned by every generation, including future generations of Singaporeans”.

Public workshops and a pilot exhibition – titled Semangat Yang Baru: Forging A New Singapore Spirit – have been held to gather feedback for the upcoming memorial.

More than 900 stories and artefacts have been received for the memorial thus far following a public call, and over 140,000 people attended the exhibition, Mr Lee Tzu Yang said.

A Project Citizens campaign will be launched as part of the engagement to invite Singaporeans to contribute stories about the country’s founding history.

Commemorating the nation-building journey

SM Lee said that besides focusing on key leaders in Singapore’s first two decades of nation-building, the memorial’s project team is curating an installation specially to commemorate the founding generation.

“Through their words and deeds, the memorial will bring alive the values and ideals these pioneers exemplified, championed, and inculcated into Singaporeans,” he added.

Citing the backdrop to Singapore’s independence in August 1965 – the race riots of 1964 and Indonesia’s Konfrontasi – SM Lee said that unlike the independence of other post-colonial nations, the mood in the Republic was sombre.

The founding leaders rallied the population, and Singaporeans, whatever their previous political allegiances, united behind them, said SM Lee, adding that they witnessed various milestones, such as the withdrawal of British forces and the development of the Singapore Armed Forces, as well as housing and educating the people.

Even more importantly, they established fundamental values and ideals that set the country’s long-term direction: democracy, justice and equality, meritocracy and a drive for excellence, an unwavering commitment to honest, clean government and, above all, a multiracial society, SM Lee said.

He added that while the founding leaders did not get everything right, they made the right choices on the most important issues and Singapore succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

Singapore’s origin story is unique, he said, noting that in the post-war era, many former colonies became independent countries like the Republic.

“But not many successfully shifted from the independence struggle to nation-building, from rousing revolutionary mobilisation to the patient slog of improving people’s lives. Singapore did,” he said.

He added that while Singapore has several memorials that mark significant events in its modern history – the Civilian War Memorial and Kranji War Memorial, for instance – “we do not yet have a memorial to commemorate our nation-building journey”.

“Now, almost 60 years after Separation, and 80 years after the Second World War, the time has come for us to build one,” said SM Lee.

He added: “I hope this Founders’ Memorial will become a space where Singaporeans reflect on our ongoing nation-building journey; appreciate our precious inheritance from the founding generation; and resolve to continue building a harmonious and successful Singapore, based on our foundational values and ideals, for generations to come.”

38 Oxley Road Ministerial Committee Report

Ministerial panel lays out 3 options for 38 Oxley Road, says fate of Lee Kuan Yew's house is for future govt to decide
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 3 Apr 2018

The Ministerial Committee tasked to consider the future of 38, Oxley Road has laid out three broad options for the house, but left the final decision on it to a future government.

It released a 21-page report yesterday listing the three possibilities for the home of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew:

• Retain the house by gazetting it as a national monument or for conservation;

• retain the basement dining room which has the greatest historical significance, and tear down the rest of the house;

• allow it to be fully demolished for redevelopment, either by the property owner or the state.



Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who chaired the four-member panel, said it did not make any recommendations as no decision is required now. Mr Lee's daughter Lee Wei Ling has said she intends to continue living in the house.

DPM Teo said: "Ultimately, in the fullness of time, a future government will have the responsibility to consider the public interest aspects of the property, taking into account Mr Lee's wishes. They will have to decide what to do with the property and be able to carry the decision."

The committee assessed that the house - where the People's Action Party was founded - has architectural, heritage and historical significance. It also concluded that the late Mr Lee's preference was for his house to be demolished after his death, based on evidence that included statements he had made.

However, the late Mr Lee was also prepared to accept options other than demolition, the committee said, citing documents such as his Dec 27, 2011 letter to the Cabinet saying that if the house were to be preserved, it should be refurbished and let out for people to live in.

Political battles over statues

Much ado about statues
Recent events a reminder of how statues reflect people's memory
By Ho Ai Li, The Straits Times, 29 Aug 2017

A statue is not just a statue.

Recent controversies, from Charlottesville to Sydney and Seoul, have underlined how these monuments are often proxies in the battle over what people remember.

"Any form of commemoration is necessarily controversial," said Dr Kevin Tan, a legal expert and president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Singapore. There will be winners and losers, with some in and others out.

"Statues are even more problematic," he told The Straits Times, "because they are usually larger than life, physically personify the person being commemorated and act as natural magnets for opposition."



Certainly, statues of Confederate generals in parks and university campuses across the United States have attracted controversy as symbols of racism.

The Confederacy was made up of 11 southern states that broke away from the US in the 1860s to preserve a way of life that included slavery. Many of these statues have since been moved, but plans to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee triggered a fatal clash between white supremacist groups and their opponents earlier this month.

Asia, too, has its statue battles.

In South Korea, these have been used as weapons against the downplaying of Japanese war crimes. One comfort woman sculpture was put up in Seoul opposite the Japanese embassy in 2011; another was installed opposite the Japanese consulate in port city Busan last December, so angering Tokyo that it recalled its ambassador.

The issue of comfort women - mainly Koreans forced or recruited to work in Japanese military brothels before and during World War II - still festers. Many Koreans are unhappy with the agreement their country signed with Japan in 2015 to settle the issue. Victim groups, in particular, say Japan's apology did not go far enough.

In the lead-up to South Korea's National Liberation Day on Aug 15, comfort women statues were installed on five public buses in Seoul, where they will remain until the end of next month.

In Asia, statues have also been deployed by countries against a common former wartime enemy.

NDP 2017: Singapore celebrates 52nd National Day

National Day Parade 2017: One heart, one nation, one Singapore
Drone display dazzles crowd at Marina Bay as Singapore turns 52
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Aug 2017

With the Marina Bay skyline serving as a backdrop, Singaporeans celebrated the nation's 52nd birthday and cheered the return of crowd favourites such as the Red Lions skydivers.

The Marina Bay floating platform proved to be a hit for the tens of thousands of people clad in red and white, returning as a National Day Parade (NDP) venue for the first time since 2014.

Last year, the NDP was held at the new National Stadium, while the SG50 bash was held at the Padang.

Always intended to be an interim venue while the new National Stadium was being built, the floating platform has become a popular choice for NDP due to its location.

Attendees said the whole area is an embodiment of what Singapore was, is, and will be.

Teacher Kathiravan Bhupathy, 32, said: "This is the venue for NDP. At one look here, you can see how far Singapore has come."



The theme of this year's parade - #OneNationTogether - is a "call-to-action for all Singaporeans to take pride in our achievements, and to be confident in our collective future as we overcome all odds together".

There were hints of the future and the Smart Nation ambition, with Edgar the robot co-hosting, and a light show put on by 300 drones taking to the skies at the same time. Pre-programmed using sophisticated algorithms, the drones winked and danced against the Marina Bay skyline.



After a two-year hiatus - due to the weather one year and logistics the next - the nine-member Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team, or Red Lions, returned to rapturous applause from the 25,000- strong crowd as they glided effortlessly onto the floating platform.

The audience was in awe of the dynamic defence display, showcasing Singapore's military assets on land, air and sea, back also after a two-year break.

There was also a reminder of challenges and the ability to overcome them. For the first time, yesterday's defence display included a demonstration of the Republic's capabilities in the event of a terrorist attack. Performers fired blanks while in the seating gallery to add to the realism.



The show ended revealing Singaporeans who had scaled their own peaks.

Swimmer Joseph Schooling, who clinched Singapore's first Olympic gold, and Paralympic champion Yip Pin Xiu stood on the summit of a replica of a mountain.

They were accompanied by others such as top female police officer Zuraidah Abdullah, 55, and skills upgrader Rama Kerisna, 70.

Yesterday's celebrations also took on a sentimental note as President Tony Tan Keng Yam witnessed his last parade as head of state.



Speaking to the media after the parade, he said: "I'm touched by the affection which was displayed to me tonight... I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as President and also to reach out to Singaporeans. My wife and I believe Singapore will continue to progress and I think that we'll have a marvellous future together. But we have to strive to work on, there is no end to our journey."

Founders' Memorial to be sited at Bay East Garden, open to public by 2027

* Founders' Memorial design picked, building to be part of Marina Bay skyline by 2027
Lush greenery part of winning Founders' Memorial design
Entry by Japan-S'pore team tops 5 shortlisted designs in international competition; construction to start in 2022
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 10 Mar 2020

Multiple green paths that converge on an amphitheatre will be a distinctive feature of the upcoming Founders' Memorial to honour Singapore's pioneer leaders that is set to reshape the Marina Bay skyline.

A team led by Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates and Singapore firm K2LD Architects was announced yesterday as the winner of an international architectural competition to design the memorial on a 5ha site in Bay East Garden.

The team will be commissioned to develop the design of the memorial with the National Heritage Board and Gardens by the Bay. Construction work should start in 2022, with the memorial ready by 2027.

The linear design, which integrates lush greenery and foliage, was unanimously selected as the winner from five shortlisted designs by a seven-member jury.

The jury panel, led by Founders' Memorial committee chairman Lee Tzu Yang, commended the submission for representing "a bold and imaginative new type of memorial which rises out of the landscape".

"More than a singular building, it is a sustainable, environmentally progressive reflection of the ideals of Singapore," the committee said in a media statement. It also said the design had great potential to provide visitors with multi-layered experiences due to its seamless blending of external and internal spaces.



The memorial will have a viewing gallery, a lake, a forest trail as well as an amphitheatre for gatherings.

Said Mr Lee: "The winning design is sensitive and functional, and embodies the spirit and values of Singapore's founding team of leaders. It is a unique design, incorporating landscape and architecture, that brings visitors on a journey of discovery."

The jury found the design allowed for good accessibility and integration with Bay East Garden, connectivity to various transport nodes, was relatively easy to construct and maintain, and had a thoughtful layout of spaces that can be adapted to future programming and activities. Its organic form is also a welcome counterpoint to the domes of Gardens by the Bay.

Mr Kengo Kuma, design lead of the winning team, said they took inspiration from the idea of a path that traces the legacy of Singapore's founding leaders. "It simultaneously honours the past, and inspires the present and future. The design aims to be a 'living memorial', to be owned by each new generation of Singaporeans," he said.



Mr Ko Shiou Hee from K2LD Architects, the project's architect, said the design's multiple paths, carved out of the architecture and landscape, represent Singapore's multiculturalism. "These paths merge together in the centre of the memorial, celebrating the shared values and ideals that we stand for as a nation," he said.

Kengo Kuma & Associates' works include the Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum in Kochi, Japan; the V&A Dundee museum in Scotland; and the National Stadium in Tokyo. K2LD Architects' projects include Christ Methodist Church in East Coast Road and Yong Tai Red Cliff Visitor Centre in Fuzhou, China.

The competition, launched in January last year, drew 193 submissions. Five shortlisted designs were showcased in a roving exhibition late last year. Over 50,000 people picked their favourite design, and the responses were taken into consideration by the jury when picking the winner.

The memorial committee said it will continue to consult Singaporeans for their views on the detailed building design and programmes for the site over the next few years.

MEMORIAL TO MARK VALUES, IDEALS

Envisioned as an integrated gallery and gardens, the Founders' Memorial seeks to commemorate the values and ideals exemplified by the late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore's first-generation leaders, and others who played key roles in the nation's early years.

The 5ha site - the size of seven football fields - will have a viewing gallery, a lake, a forest trail and an amphitheatre for large gatherings.

From 2015 to 2017, a 15-member committee consulted the public on what they would like to see in this new landmark, and where it should be. It recommended that the memorial be at Bay East Garden, after a majority of people supported the location.

Last year, the committee launched an international architectural design competition, and five shortlisted designs were showcased islandwide to garner views from the public. People will continue to be consulted in the development of the detailed design as well as on programmes, the panel said.

For more information, go to foundersmemorial.sg

Churchill to de Gaulle - it's the people who decide how to remember

A people's need for heroes impels them to seek ways to remember their nation's great leaders
By Jonathan Eyal, Europe Correspondent, The Straits Times, 18 Apr 2016

LONDON • Many nations have grappled with the question of how best to honour their founders or outstanding leaders. Singaporeans could be forgiven for thinking that they are facing this difficult new question , and are on their own.

But they are not, for many other developed nations have had to contend with similar challenges, including how to strike a balance between the need to commemorate a leader and what he stood for, and avoiding the rise of a personality cult.

There is no doubt that the cult of personality - the elevation of an individual to the status of an all-powerful divine - has led to some of the ugliest episodes of the 20th century. We are haunted to this day by the black-and-white newsreel footage from the 1930s or 1940s, with their images of the serried ranks of hundreds of thousands of people marching like robots to praise their "Dear Leader", be that the Soviet Union's Josef Stalin or Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler.

So, whenever the legacy of a leader attracts intense national or international admiration, someone, somewhere immediately brands it as a "cult of personality". But often, such accusations turn out to be groundless, and are based on a poor or selective understanding of history.

Founders' Memorial: Fort Canning Park and Gardens by the Bay’s Bay East Garden identified as potential sites

Two possible sites identified for Founders' Memorial
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 15 Mar 2016

The committee in charge of conceptualising a memorial to honour Singapore's founders has made recommendations on two possible sites: Fort Canning Park and Bay East Garden at Gardens by the Bay.

The 15-member Founders' Memorial Committee, formed in June last year, also shared its findings yesterday after four months of public engagement about the concept.

Of the two sites that it identified in consultation with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the committee had a "clear preference" for the Gardens by the Bay site, which sits on reclaimed land and is adjacent to the Marina Bay Golf Course.

"The Bay East Garden reflects a forward-looking nature that we feel is important for the memorial," said committee head and Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu Yang. "Secondly, it is a practical issue: it is a less mature site, and therefore affords more freedom, more flexibility in terms of design and in terms of integration with the surrounding context."

Fort Canning Park is the site preferred by the PAP Seniors' Group (PAP.SG), an advocacy group under the ruling People's Action Party. In its proposal to the committee last September, PAP.SG cited Fort Canning's long and rich history and noted it "once served as the seat of power in Singapore, even pre-dating the colonial period".

Mr Lee agreed Fort Canning benefits from being within walking distance to museums and monuments in the historic Civic District. It is also the start point of the 8km-long Jubilee Walk heritage trail.

But Bay East Garden would better meet the objective of offering a quiet, contemplative space, and room to hold civic programmes.

"Fort Canning Park has certain limitations... because it is quite congested and is already built up, whereas at Bay East Garden, we can achieve both a reflective space and a programming space."

With the current end-point of the Jubilee Walk "only a short hop" away at the Marina Barrage, the trail can be extended to take in Bay East Garden, said Mr Lee.

Include community leaders in Founders’ Memorial

'Honour community leaders as well'
Founders' Memorial dialogue points out nation-building efforts of those not in politics
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 16 Dec 2015

The founding leaders of Singapore should go beyond political leaders and include people such as community leaders and philanthropists as well, said participants at a dialogue for Indians yesterday on how best to honour the country's founders.

Among those they proposed are late businessman P. Govindasamy Pillai, and Mr Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani, founder of Tamil Murasu newspaper and champion of the Tamil language in Singapore.

They are in addition to founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his comrades such as Dr Goh Keng Swee, Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr S. Rajaratnam and Mr Othman Wok.

Engineer Vashdev Atmaram Khialani, 65, said it was the combined effort of the early political leaders and community leaders that made Singapore what it is today.

He said: "Society is a whole. You may have wonderful leaders but if the society is not supportive, (there might be no point)... We were very fortunate to have a number of very good, strong community leaders."



The inclusion of non-political leaders was one suggestion tossed up at the dialogue at which 60 people from the Indian community discussed a concept for a memorial to honour the values and ideals of Singapore's founding leaders and inspire future generations.

The session at the National Museum was the eighth and final one in the first phase of public consultations for the Founders' Memorial.

Monument of the late Lee Kuan Yew unveiled in Spain

Vivian unveils bust of Lee Kuan Yew in Barcelona
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 17 Nov 2015

A monument of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was unveiled in Spain by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Sunday.

The bust of Mr Lee, who died in March this year, is in Cap Roig Gardens in Barcelona.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew always loved beautiful gardens. Ten years ago, on his 82nd birthday, he and Mrs Lee visited the gardens...
Posted by Vivian Balakrishnan on Sunday, November 15, 2015

Dr Balakrishnan, writing about it in a Facebook post yesterday, said Mr Lee and his late wife had visited the gardens 10 years ago on his 82nd birthday.

They "spent a long time admiring the spectacular landscape and plants", he wrote. "It is thus fitting that perhaps the first monument of him in Europe is in the heart of the gardens on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Mediterranean Sea."

Mr Lee met government officials and business leaders during the 2005 trip to Spain.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore may not have the majestic landscapes and temperate climate of Spain's Catalonia region, but almost everything it now possesses is the result of human vision and a "disciplined and hardworking population". "Thanks to Mr Lee, Singapore is today recognised and celebrated so far from home," he said.

Public can give views and join forums on Founders' Memorial

Committee will also gather ideas through surveys and discussions with historians and educators
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2015

The committee tasked to come up with a concept for a Founders' Memorial that honours Singapore's first generation of political leaders will hold dialogues to get views from the public.

There will be eight sessions in all - including for youth and pioneers, as well as a session each in Chinese, Malay and Tamil - that will run from Oct 31 to Dec 15.

Those keen to attend can sign up at www.foundersmemorial.sg

The public can also give comments on the website on where the memorial could be located and how it could look, among others, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said yesterday.



The Founders' Memorial Steering Committee, which is led by Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu Yang, will also gather views through surveys in the coming months, and hold roundtable discussions with groups of experts like historians and educators.

Mr Lee had, in reply to a letter to the Straits Times Forum page, said the 15-member panel would consult non-governmental organisations and history and heritage experts, as well as academics and researchers.

The MCCY said yesterday that the feedback from this exercise will provide the committee with views from different stakeholders and a wide spectrum of Singaporeans.

Honour founders with memorial park: PAP Seniors' Group

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 26 Sep 2015

The seniors' wing of the People's Action Party has called for a memorial park to be set up in Fort Canning Park to honour the founders of modern Singapore.

The PAP Seniors' Group (PAP.SG) wants it to have artistic sculptures and features such as pools and landscaped gardens, where visitors can reflect on Singapore's journey as a nation.

The group also called for spaces for exhibitions, talks and activities for children.

But as far as possible, the exhibits and design should not feature personalised monuments to honour individuals or individual statues or busts, the group said in its proposal released to the media yesterday.

The group, chaired by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, has given its recommendations to the steering committee in charge of canvassing views and coming up with a Founders' Memorial to honour Singapore's pioneer leaders. The Founders' Memorial Steering Committee was set up in April, a month after the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The 15-member panel is headed by Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu Yang.

Explaining why it chose Fort Canning Park, the PAP.SG said it is big enough for a proper memorial that can accommodate large numbers of visitors, and with enough space left for future expansion.

The group said the site is accessible to the public and was previously a seat of political power. In the 14th century, palaces of former Majapahit kings were on the hill, known as Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill in Malay), and Sir Stamford Raffles built his first residence there soon after arriving in Singapore in 1819.

Founding Fathers exhibition: We Built a Nation

Artefacts of founding fathers give peek into history
Display includes 115 items, about half of which come from Mr Lee Kuan Yew's estate
By Melody Zaccheus, The Straits Times, 22 Sep 2015

A nondescript formica-topped table from the basement dining room of 38 Oxley Road, where the nation's founding leaders once gathered to discuss how to secure independence from British rule, can now be seen in an exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore.

The executors and trustees of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's estate, his children, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, donated the table to the museum's newest showcase called We Built A Nation.

The exhibition chronicles the contributions of the pioneer team of leaders such as Dr Toh Chin Chye, Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr S. Rajaratnam, who formed the People's Action Party alongside Mr Lee.

It includes 115 artefacts, about half of which come from the Lee estate. Some highlights are Mr Lee's writing table; a red box he used to keep his working documents until Feb 4, a day before he was hospitalised; his desktop computer; and language books he had studied, such as a 1951 publication called Malay Sayings and a 1955 copy of Lessons In The Amoy Vernacular.

It is the largest and most thorough showcase of his personal effects since he died on March 23.

It is also the first such exhibition to home in on the contributions of Singapore's founding fathers.

The families of the early leaders, who also include Mr E.W. Barker, Mr Hon Sui Sen, Mr Yusof Ishak, Mr Devan Nair and Mr Othman Wok, loaned artefacts for the exhibition.

Among these is a set of recently declassified documents from Dr Goh's "Albatross File", which comprise, among other things, handwritten notes of meetings with Malaysian leaders relating to the separation from Malaysia. Dr Goh explained in a 1980 interview that the Albatross "was Malaysia. By that time, the great expectations that we foolishly had - that Malaysia would bring prosperity, common market, peace, harmony, all that - we were quickly disillusioned. And it became an Albatross round our necks".

The exhibition details the nation's first decade of independence from 1965 to 1975 and is divided into eight sections, beginning with the birth of a nation.

It will be open daily from 10am to 7pm starting today, for a year. Admission is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong, speaking at the opening, said the idea arose after an exhibition in memory of Mr Lee in March drew large crowds.

Mr Wong said the two guiding principles behind it was that it should honour not just one man but also the founding generation of leaders, and it should focus on the ideals and values they stood for. These include integrity, country above self, multiracialism and meritocracy.

"I hope visitors will also take time to reflect on the stories behind the artefacts, and how they speak of the values and ideals that underpin the foundations of our nation," he added.

Work begins on Founders' Memorial

Committee to tap people for ideas to honour Singapore's first generation of leaders
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 1 Jul 2015

The death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has stirred people's interest in the individuals who had contributed to the development of modern Singapore in the early years.

Armed with this premise, a new committee began its work yesterday on coming up with the concept of a Founders' Memorial to honour Singapore's first generation of political leaders.

Helming the committee of 15 is Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu Yang, who told reporters after its first meeting that he has met people who "did not care much or know much" about the development of modern Singapore.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's death on March 23, however, led them to "suddenly discover an area to be looked at, explored and debated".

Spelling out the parameters of the committee's work, he said: "It's not about coming up with a defined view of history, and saying this is the end to history. This is really about stimulating interest, in how we became an independent nation and in the ideals and values that have formed us."

Efforts will be made to ensure the late Mr Lee's larger-than-life legacy will not eclipse that of his core team, which included Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S. Rajaratnam, Mr Othman Wok, Mr Hon Sui Sen and Mr Lim Kim San.

"This is an opportunity for us to explore the ideals and values of our founding generation of leaders," said Mr Lee Tzu Yang, adding that they are "exemplars of the ideals and values that have shaped us as a nation".

In April, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said in Parliament that the late Mr Lee was always conscious he did not act alone, but was the "first among equals" of a multiracial team that complemented one another and trusted one another implicitly.

The idea of a Founders' Memorial, perhaps coupled with an exhibition gallery to educate future generations, was one the late Mr Lee himself saw value in, the PM added.

In the next 18 months, the committee will tap people for ideas, both online via a website to be launched in the next two months as well as offline via focus group discussions.