A view of 38 Oxley Road, the residence of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. - Photo: Reuters
SINGAPORE (SCMP): Located in the heart of Singapore’s bustling shopping district, the late Lee Kuan Yew’s residence at 38 Oxley Road is at the centre of a re-emerged public feud between his sons over its demolition or preservation.
The Lee children have been estranged over the property since 2017, with Lee Hsien Yang, 67, and his late sister Lee Wei Ling accusing eldest brother and former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, 72, of abusing his power to preserve the house against their father’s wishes, to retain political capital.
The founding members of the ruling People’s Action Party held secret meetings in the basement dining room of 38 Oxley Road and discussed setting up the party in the early 1950s before it was formally launched in 1954.
Singapore’s heritage board has said it would conduct a study on 38 Oxley Road to assess if the site has “national historical, heritage, and architectural significance as to be worthy of preservation”.
People walking past the house of Singapore’s late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at 38 Oxley Road. Photo: AFP
Lee Kuan Yew, who died in 2015 and is credited with transforming Singapore from a struggling port into a global hub, had reservations about turning his home into a historical site.
He publicly cited his visit to the late Jawaharlal Nehru’s house in India, which had fallen into a state of disrepair, as a cautionary tale. Nehru was the first prime minister of independent India and died in 1964.
“I’ve seen other houses, Nehru’s, Shakespeare’s. They become a shambles after a while. People trudge through. Because of my house the neighbouring houses cannot build high. Now demolish my house and change the planning rules, go up, the land value will go up,” Lee said in a 2011 interview with a team of journalists for the book Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going.
The Singapore government has said that in the final years of his life Lee Kuan Yew was open to the idea of his house being preserved.
Across the region, the homes of many leaders have been celebrated as monuments to their enduring influence.
From the Teen Murti Bhavan, where Nehru shaped a nation, to the birthplace of prominent figures such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, these sites offer visitors a glimpse into the private lives of figures who had shaped their countries.
Here’s a look at some of Asia’s most iconic leaders whose homes have been preserved:
Jawaharlal Nehru’s Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi. - Photo: Handout / SCMP
India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s Teen Murti Bhavan
Located in New Delhi, the Teen Murti Bhavan housed the first prime minister of India for 16 years until his death in 1964.
The house was built in 1930 as part of the new imperial capital of India and served as the residence for the commander-in-chief of the British Indian Army.
Nehru lived in the house after the departure of the last British commander-in-chief in 1948.
Following his death, the Indian government decided that the house should be dedicated to him and house a museum and library.
In 1966, the government set up the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society to manage the institution, which has become a popular attraction for the masses and a research centre.
Birthplace of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in Alor Setar, Kedah. - Photo: National Archives of Malaysia
Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s house in Malaysia
In Malaysia, the childhood home of Mahathir Mohamad, who served as the country’s fourth and seventh prime minister, was transformed into a museum that showcases his early life and the experiences that shaped his political journey later on.
Mahathir was born the youngest of nine children in Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah.
The traditional wooden house was purchased by his father, Mohamad bin Iskandar, and was home to Mahathir until marriage. But he continued to visit the house even after moving out to visit his parents.
The Kedah State Museum Board proposed to restore his childhood home and eventually received written consent from Mahathir and his siblings through a letter in 1990. The house was then acquired by the National Archives in May 1993.
The house gives visitors insight into his early life, containing family photos and even Mahathir’s old bicycle.
The Tun Abdul Razak Memorial in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. - Photo: National Archives of Malaysia
Second Malaysian PM Tun Abdul Razak’s house
The late Tun Abdul Razak was nicknamed the “Father of Development” despite his short six years as prime minister from 1970 to 1976, when he died from leukaemia.
Situated at Lake Garden in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, the iconic house was transformed into a memorial in May 1982 and serves to commemorate his contribution to the development of the country.
The memorial has two sections: one dedicated to his biography, containing many of his personal possessions such as his collection of walking sticks and favourite golf buggy, while the other is a collection of more than 1,500 artefacts related to his activities and achievements throughout his political career.
He was credited with the implementation of crucial policies that laid the groundwork for the country’s economic progress, such as the New Economic Policy, that sought to eliminate poverty and inequality while engendering the conditions for ethnic integration.
Shilin Residence park in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: Shutterstock / SCMP
Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-shek Shilin residence
Nestled in greenery in the Shilin district of Taipei, late Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek’s official residence was opened to the public in 2011 after being largely sealed off for decades.
The residence, whose gardens were first available for public viewing in 1996, had once served as a refuge for Chiang and his wife during their time in power. The couple lived there for 26 years until Chiang’s death in 1975, after which his wife moved to the US.
Built in 1950, the two-storey main building was the second official home for the Chiangs after they moved to Taiwan from mainland China in 1949.
The CKS Shilin Residence park has since undergone many renovation projects before becoming a scenic, recreational spot for locals.
In April 2000, the Taipei City Government Bureau of Cultural Affairs designated the compound as the city’s 93rd municipal heritage site and laid out plans to turn it into a study centre dedicated to the lives of the Chiangs.
In 2013, the authorities invested millions in restoration efforts after the original architectural plans were serendipitously discovered in a closet within the house, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
This allowed renovation teams to faithfully follow the original blueprints, preserving the historical integrity of the residence. The Shilin Residence stands not only as a reminder of Chiang’s tumultuous legacy but also as a space for reflection and learning about Taiwan’s complex history.
Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House in Hanoi, Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh lived here from 1958 to 1969. - Photo: Shutterstock / SCMP
Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House
The Stilt House is situated in the garden of the Presidential Palace on Ngoc Hoi Street, Ba Dinh District, in Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi.
The property served as home to the late president of Vietnam from 1958 until his death in 1969.
The modest two-storey wooden house on stilts was inspired by the traditional house of the Tay – a Thai ethnic group in Viet Bac.
The living room was where Ho and many key government officials held meetings, and also served as his personal office during the summers.
Following his death, the government decided to preserve the artefacts so that people may learn about him.
The site draws numerous visitors, offering them a look into the life of one of the most influential communist leaders of the 20th century.
