{"text":[[{"start":9.59,"text":"Singapore has announced it plans to turn late prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s former home into a national monument, opening a fresh chapter in the long-running feud between family members of the city-state’s modern-day founder."}],[{"start":24.689999999999998,"text":"The fate of the house at 38 Oxley Road is a controversial subject in Singapore, which was transformed from a developing country into one of the world’s richest nations under Lee’s leadership."}],[{"start":37.67,"text":"The late prime minister’s two surviving children have been locked in a dispute for the past decade over whether the colonial-era family home should be razed or turned into a memorial, a quarrel that has been played out in public and captivated the country’s population."}],[{"start":63.22,"text":"Opinion polls have shown the majority of Singaporeans believe the house should be demolished, in line with Lee’s stated wish. "}],[{"start":71.45,"text":"But acting culture minister David Neo announced on Monday he intended to gazette the site to preserve it as a national monument, following recommendations from a heritage advisory body."}],[{"start":84.04,"text":"“The site bore witness to discussions and pivotal decisions that shaped the course of Singapore’s history to become an independent nation,” Neo said. “The intention to gazette the site as a national monument recognises its historic significance and national importance. This will preserve a key part of our independence journey for future generations.”"}],[{"start":109.48,"text":"The family dispute over the property re-emerged last year when Lee’s daughter, Lee Wei Ling, died while living in the property. She and her younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, had long argued the house should be demolished when she stopped living there, in accordance with their father’s wishes."}],[{"start":131.87,"text":"However, members of Lee’s People’s Action party had argued the property should be preserved due to its historical importance."}],[{"start":140.41,"text":"Lee’s eldest child Lee Hsien Loong, who is a former prime minister and current senior minister in the prime minister’s office, has clashed with his younger siblings over the property, though he has recused himself from government decisions over its fate."}],[{"start":157.31,"text":"Last year, Lee Hsien Yang — who is the listed owner of the site — and his wife were granted political asylum in the UK having been in self-imposed exile in London since 2022 following a criminal investigation by the Singaporean authorities."}],[{"start":175.36,"text":"After his sister’s death, Lee Hsien Yang said he would apply to have the house demolished and build a small private dwelling on the site, which is at the heart of one of Singapore’s prime residential areas."}],[{"start":196.05,"text":"But on Monday, the government said it had given the owner and occupier of the site written notice of its intention to make a preservation order. "}],[{"start":205.3,"text":"It said that if the preservation order was issued, the government intended to buy the site and convert it into a public space."}],[{"start":212.85000000000002,"text":"The property was Lee’s home from 1950 until his death in 2015 and was the setting for key events in Singapore’s history, from its time as a British colony to a modern state."}],[{"start":235.02000000000004,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1762212930_6606.mp3"}