{"id":29,"date":"2025-01-02T02:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T02:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/38oxley.com\/?p=29"},"modified":"2025-12-05T02:57:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T02:57:46","slug":"the-house-and-the-man-lee-kuan-yews-relationship-with-38-oxley-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/38oxley.com\/?p=29","title":{"rendered":"The House and the Man: Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Relationship with 38 Oxley Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For nearly 70 years, 38 Oxley Road was more than just an address. To Lee Kuan Yew, it was home, workspace and sanctuary. Examining his personal connection to the house provides insight into the values that guided him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Home Chosen for Practical Reasons<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee and his wife Kwa Geok Choo first stayed in the Oxley Road house shortly after World War II. They chose it not for prestige but for convenience and affordability at the time. The house\u2019s simplicity aligned with their practical approach to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Security Fortifications After Independence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the 1960s, as Singapore navigated political tensions and security threats, the house underwent modifications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bullet-resistant windows<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reinforced walls<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security gates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Guard posts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these additions, the interior layout remained largely unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Wish for the House<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In multiple occasions \u2014 interviews, writings, and his will \u2014 Lee expressed a firm preference:<br><strong>He wanted the house demolished.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He disliked the idea of \u201ca shrine\u201d dedicated to him<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He felt the building was old, damp and unsafe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He preferred simplicity over monumentality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He wished to avoid cultivating a personality cult<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To him, the value of the house was historical, not personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Place of Memories and Leadership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The house saw:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Family gatherings and simple meals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Political discussions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Study sessions at the famous basement dining table<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quiet evenings of reflection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was here that Lee wrote parts of his memoirs and met countless local and foreign dignitaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction For nearly 70 years, 38 Oxley Road was more than just an address. To Lee Kuan Yew, it was home, workspace and sanctuary. Examining his personal connection to the house provides insight into the values that guided him. A Home Chosen for Practical Reasons Lee and his wife Kwa Geok Choo first stayed in &#8230; <a title=\"The House and the Man: Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Relationship with 38 Oxley Road\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"http:\/\/38oxley.com\/?p=29\" aria-label=\"Read more about The House and the Man: Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Relationship with 38 Oxley Road\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The House and the Man: Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Relationship with 38 Oxley Road - 38 Oxley - Where Singapore\u2019s modern story began.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/38oxley.com\/?p=29\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The House and the Man: Lee Kuan Yew\u2019s Relationship with 38 Oxley Road - 38 Oxley - Where Singapore\u2019s modern story began.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Introduction For nearly 70 years, 38 Oxley Road was more than just an address. 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