SINGAPORE: Another conservation effort 38 Oxley Road Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said on Monday (November 11) that this was needed because the findings of a previous assessment of the property had not been presented to the Advisory Board for the Protection of Sites and Monuments (PSM AB).

Mr Tong was responding to parliamentary questions from Singapore Progress Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai and MP Louis Chua (WP-Sengkang) about the former home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Mr Leong had asked why another study was necessary when the ministerial committee formed to consider the fate of 38 Oxley Road had previously determined that the property had “architectural, heritage and historical significance” based on an assessment by the National Heritage Board (NHB).

Mr Chua had asked about the terms of NHB’s current investigation into the property and how they differed from that of the ministerial committee.

In a written response to his questions, Mr Tong said NHB’s previous findings were included in the ministerial committee’s 2018 report on the property, but they were not submitted to PSM AB.

“The ministerial committee concluded that no decision needs to be made at this point and all options will be kept open,” he said.

“The research has therefore not been submitted to PSM AB for consideration of the suitability of 38 Oxley Road as a national monument.”

When the NHB conducts research on a building, site or structure that has the potential to be designated as a national monument, the research is usually presented to the advisory board.

The board will then conduct an independent evaluation of this research to determine whether the site should be protected as a national monument.

“PSM AB makes this assessment based on objective criteria for all sites that have the potential to be protected as a national monument,” Mr Tong said.

The minister said the decision to start the new study was linked to Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s move to initiate the case to demolish the house on the site.

“Given the owner’s recent application to demolish the building, this would immediately preclude proper and full consideration of options, NHB started the process To determine the fitness and appropriateness of 38 Oxley Road to be preserved as a national monument,” Mr Tong said.

“This includes submitting the research to PSM AB for independent assessment. Based on the assessment, the NHB will then submit a recommendation to the Minister for Culture, Society and Youth to decide whether a conservation order should be issued for the site under the Protected Monuments Act. “

He added: “This follows the usual assessment process before any building, site or structure is protected as a National Monument and we will apply this to 38 Oxley Road as appropriate.”