About 30 people send Lee Wei Ling off in the rain
About 30 people sent the late Lee Wei Ling off in the rain on Sat 12 Oct 2024
According to Shin Min Daily News, her casket was brought into the hearse at about 1:50pm. Her funeral wake was held from Oct. 10 to 12 at the Pearl and Sapphire Hall (Level 3) of the Singapore Casket in the Lavender area.
The send-off, which occurred in the rain, was led by Li Huanwu, the second son of Lee Hsien Yang, who is the younger brother of Lee Wei Ling. Li Huanwu, who held the portrait of his aunt, was accompanied by his younger brother Li Shaowu by his side.
The send-off was witnessed by the public. The hearse reportedly arrived at the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex at about 2:30pm. She was cremated at about 2:45pm.
Heng Swee Keat & Pritam Singh pay last respects at Lee Wei Ling's wake in Lavender
Lianhe Zaobao reported that Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, paid their last respects at the wake on early Saturday afternoon.
Both of them were accompanied by their spouses.
DPM Heng had just arrived back in Singapore after making a working visit to the United Kingdom and Japan from Sep. 29 to Oct. 11.
To honour my parents’ last wishes, I am applying to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road and thereafter to build a small private dwelling, to be held within the family in perpetuity.
I am the sole legal owner of 38 Oxley Road. After my sister's passing, I am the only living executor of my father Lee Kuan Yew’s estate. In his will, he wished for the house to be demolished “immediately after” Wei Ling moved out of the house. It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law.
Lee Hsien Loong said in Parliament in 2015 that when Wei Ling passed, it would be up to "the Government of the day" to decide whether to allow demolition. It has been nine years. That day is today.
Lee Hsien Yang Eulogy for Lee Wei Ling:
Wei Ling and I have always been completely different, but we have always been close. We grew up together, and in the nature of our family, were each other’s closest family. She was almost 3 years older; Loong was in turn about 3 years her senior but was a loner. So Ling and I grew up playing with each other. Of course, when we were little, there were physical fights. One scar I still carry from a particularly vigorous encounter serves as a reminder.
Right from the outset, Ling was always a tomboy and a fighter, and until I outgrew her, I was disadvantaged in our skirmishes. She was tough and strong and, whilst we disagreed and continued to disagree on much, I loved and admired her dearly. She carried that spirit of a fighter throughout her life, seeking to right wrongs, with a preparedness to speak truth to power. She was straight as an arrow, and would not mince her words. She had a reckless streak and could be impetuous. She saw herself as a modern day Don Quixote: an idealist, a hero, determined with dogged tenacity, stoic and ever-conscious of the need to withstand suffering.
Ling strove hard throughout her life to excel. She was outstanding academically - studious, driven, and intense. Perhaps her competitive fighting spirit came from a desire to be recognised and valued by our parents, even though she was second born and a girl. She loved animals and wanted to be a vet but was persuaded by our parents to pursue medicine instead. Always wanting to earn their approval, she graduated at the top of her class in medical school in Singapore and won a slew of prizes. Today, when I look back, I wish our family had acknowledged and recognised at home her accomplishments. It would have meant the world to her.
read more
Dozens show up on the first day of Lee Wei Ling's wake
Visitors to the wake of the late Dr Lee Wei Ling entering Singapore Casket to pay their respects on Oct 10, 2024 - 'Lost a very good leader, doctor and family member'
Dozens of people turned up on the first day of Dr Lee Wei Ling's wake on Thursday (Oct 10) to pay their respects to the daughter of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Dr Lee, who was a prominent neurologist,
died on Wednesday at the age of 69. Dr Lee, the second of three children, is survived by her brothers, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mr Lee Hsien Yang.
She suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease that affects body movements such as walking and swallowing. The wake was held at the Singapore Casket at Lavender Street. Senior Minister Lee and his wife Ho Ching were seen entering the building just before 8.30pm.
When CNA first arrived at 2pm - the starting time of the wake - a handful of people were standing in a queue. Visitors continued to stream in throughout the day, including a bus of at least 14 employees from the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), where Dr Lee was the director from 2004 to 2014.
related:
SM Lee Hsien Loong attends funeral wake of sister Lee Wei Ling
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee arriving at the Singapore Casket to attend the wake of SM Lee's sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on Oct 10
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong attended the funeral wake of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on Oct 10, a day after her death at age 69. He arrived at the Singapore Casket in Lavender Street at around 8.25pm with his wife, Mrs Lee.
Dr Lee, a neurologist and the only daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew,
died at home on Oct 9, four years after being diagnosed with a rare brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy.
Her wake began at 2pm on Oct 10, and was attended by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, as well as MPs past and present, including Dr Lily Neo, Ms Denise Phua and Mr Christopher de Souza. Members of the public and opposition figures such as Mr Leon Perera and Professor Paul Tambyah were also seen at the wake, which will be on till Oct 12.
related:
A Shocking And Stunningly Poor Decision Which Demonstrates A Gross Lack Of Judgment! Last Saturday was Lee Wei Ling’s funeral.
Below is a video of Lee Hsien Loong and Ho Ching attending a wedding at the Fairmont on the night of his late sister’s funeral. I understand that they attended another wedding the same night at the Ritz Carlton. It is not my place to interfere with the Lee family’s matters but I was stunned when I was shown the video. He may have been estranged from his sister but I think the Nation expects some sense of respect from a former Prime Minister for his late sister and also family on the day of her funeral.
Attending 2 weddings on the day of her funeral is not an example to the Nation to be proud of,and totally inappropriate, in my books. Should he not instead have been reflecting and reminiscing about their times together as family on that day?
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, along with Mdm Ho Ching, was seen attending the wedding of Dr Maliki Osman's daughter, at Fairmont Singapore on 12 October—the same day as the funeral of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling.
Media presence at Lee Wei Ling’s funeral contradicts family’s request for privacy
Media gathered outside Dr Lee Wei Ling’s funeral, despite calls for privacy from her brother, Lee Hsien Yang. The wake, organised at the Singapore Casket, asks attendees to respect Dr Lee’s wish for a simple send-off, without media or VIP privileges.
Dr Lee passed away on 9 October at the age of 69, at her family home at 38 Oxley Road. Lee Hsien Yang (LHY), Dr Lee’s brother, announced her passing on social media, and had earlier requested that the wake and funeral remain a private affair. In a Facebook post, LHY emphasised that Dr Lee had wished for a simple send-off without media presence. He also noted that respects could be paid on a strict queue basis, adding, “There will be no exceptions, not even for VIPs,” to ensure that everyone is treated equally during the visitation period.
The family, which is organising the wake, has placed signs at the venue prohibiting photography and has barred media representatives from entering the hall. The wake is being held at the Pearl & Sapphire Hall of Singapore Casket, located at 131 Lavender Street, Singapore. Public visitation is open from 2 PM to 10 PM on 10 October, and from 10 AM to 10 PM on 11 October. The final visitation period is scheduled for 10 AM to 1 PM on 12 October. Dr Lee’s passing and the wake have revived public interest in the long-standing dispute over the fate of the family residence at 38 Oxley Road.
Lee Hsien Yang and wife have 'always been free to return to Singapore': SPF
Mr Lee had said on Wednesday (Oct 9) that he would not be returning to Singapore to attend his sister Dr Lee Wei Ling's wake and funeral
Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Mrs Lee Suet Fern are free to return to Singapore, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday (Oct 11). While Mr and Mrs Lee left Singapore in 2022 after deciding not to attend a scheduled police interview, there are no barriers preventing them from returning to the country.
"In response to media queries, the police confirm that there are no legal restraints to Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs Lee Suet Fern returning to Singapore. They are and have always been free to return to Singapore," SPF said in a statement. "The police had asked both Mr Lee and Mrs Lee in June 2022 to assist in investigations by attending an interview. They had initially agreed but in the end did not turn up for the scheduled interview, left Singapore on Jun 15, 2022, and have not returned since." In a clarification statement issued in March 2023, the police said they had asked Mr and Mrs Lee to attend the interview
over potential offences of giving false evidence in judicial proceedings regarding Mr Lee Kuan Yew's will.
As the couple were "cooperative" and agreed to be interviewed, an order requesting their attendance before the police under Section 21(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code was not issued, SPF said at the time. In response to queries from CNA on Wednesday following the
death of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, Mr Lee had said that he would not be returning to Singapore to attend her wake and funeral. "I am organising the funeral remotely with the help of my son Huanwu in accordance with Ling's wishes," he said "I will not be returning to Singapore for both," he added.
Lee Hsien Yang says he’s not returning to S’pore for Lee Wei Ling's wake & funeral
Her wake will be held at the Singapore Casket from 10-12 Oct 2024 Lee Hsien Yang will not be returning to Singapore to attend her wake & funeral
Instead, he would be "organising the funeral remotely" in accordance with her wishes, and his second son, Li Huanwu, would be assisting him from Singapore.
Lee Hsien Yang shared his plan in a statement to CNA on Oct. 9 (Singapore time). In a written parliamentary answer published in March 2023, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean said Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, left Singapore and remained out of the country.
According to Teo, the couple did so while they were under police investigation for potential offences of giving false evidence in judicial proceedings over first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's will.
Lee Hsien Yang shares details of Lee Wei Ling's wake, says he will not be attending in person
Lee Hsien Yang shared in a Facebook post that he is organising his sister's wake remotely in a Facebook post on Oct 9
Dr Lee Wei Ling's wake will be held at the Singapore Casket, said her younger brother Lee Hsien Yang in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 9) evening. The wake will be held from Thursday to Saturday, at the Pearl and Sapphire Hall on level 3 at Singapore Casket's premises on Lavender Street. Visiting hours are from 2pm to 10pm on Thursday, 10am to 10pm on Friday, and 10am to 1pm on Saturday. Dr Lee will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium at 2.45pm on Saturday, according to the National Environment Agency's records.
Her younger brother, however, will not be attending her wake and funeral in person. "I am organising the funeral remotely with the help of my son Huanwu in accordance with Ling’s wishes," the 67-year-old told CNA. Lee and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, were being investigated by the police for potential offences of giving false evidence over judicial proceedings over Lee Kuan Yew's will.
The couple left Singapore in June 2022 and are currently residing in the United Kingdom. In a Facebook post in March 2023, Lee wrote that he
may never return to Singapore. "It pains me beyond words that I am unlikely ever to be able to see my sister face to face again," he wrote.
My sister, Wei Ling, wanted a simple private send off. We ask that the media respect her wishes and not come to the wake or to the private funeral.
Wei Ling believed in treating people equally. Respects can be paid on a strict queue basis for everyone. There will be no exceptions, not even for VIPs.
Ling directed me to convey the following statement on her passing:
“My father's, LEE KUAN YEW, and my mother's, KWA GEOK CHOO, unwavering and deeply felt wish was for their house at 38 Oxley Road, Singapore 238629 to be demolished upon the last parent's death. LEE KUAN YEW had directed each of his 3 children to ensure that their parents' wish for demolition be fulfilled. He had also appealed directly to the people of Singapore. Please honour my father by honouring his wish for his home to be demolished.“
Dr Lee Wei Ling, Lee Kuan Yew’s daughter, dies at 69
Dr Lee Wei Ling's death was announced by her brother, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, in a Facebook post early on the same day
Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, has died aged 69, four years after being diagnosed with a rare, degenerative brain disorder. Her death was disclosed by her younger brother Lee Hsien Yang in a Facebook post at 5.50 am on Oct 9.
Dr Lee, the second of three children, is also the sister of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. A neurologist who headed the National Neuroscience Institute as director from 2004 to 2014, Dr Lee was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. The condition affects physical movements, walking, balance and eye movements and eventually swallowing, and can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and choking.
Announcing her diagnosis in a
Facebook post on Aug 8, 2020, Dr Lee described it as a “rather nasty brain disease” that will result in death “for the fortunate”. Yet she appeared to have dealt with it with the stoicism she displayed in her writings and had said in her post: “My immediate reaction to the news was “忍”(ren) or endure in Chinese, of which the traditional character has a knife above a heart. I have been practicing “忍” since I was in Chinese school, recognising that life has many unpleasant, unavoidable situations.
Lee Wei Ling, daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, dies aged 69
Born 7 Jan 1955 & died 9 Oct 2024 at age 69
Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, died on Wednesday (Oct 9). She was 69.
Her death was announced by her brother, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, in a Facebook post shortly before 6am on Wednesday. He said Dr Lee died at home. She was known to live at 38 Oxley Road, the family home of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who died in 2015.
Dr Lee was also the sister of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Describing her as "fiercely loyal to friends", Mr Lee remembered her as someone who "sympathised instinctively with the underdog and would mobilise actively to do something when she saw unfairness, or suspected wrongdoing". He noted her academic prowess and how she was "thoroughly bored in class" and got a double promotion from Primary One to Primary Three. Dr Lee was eventually awarded the President's Scholarship and became the director of Singapore's National Neuroscience Institute.
Lee Hsien Loong reflects on the passing of his sister, Dr Lee Weiling
Lee Hsien Loong, 14, (left) and his sister Lee Wei Ling, 10
Lee Hsien Loong shared a tribute following the passing of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling. Reflecting on childhood memories and her achievements in medicine, he acknowledged their estrangement but expressed deep sorrow at her loss, describing her as fiercely loyal, independent, and dedicated to her family.
On 9 October 2024, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (LHL) shared a personal reflection on the passing of his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, following an
announcement by their brother, Lee Hsien Yang (LHY). In a detailed Facebook post, LHL recounted childhood memories and Dr Lee’s accomplishments while acknowledging the complex family dynamics that defined their later years.
Dr Lee, a renowned paediatric neurologist and the only daughter of Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, passed away at 69. She had been battling progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a degenerative neurological condition she publicly revealed in 2020.
Lee Hsien Yang commemorates Lee Wei Ling’s 69th birthday with throwback photo while PM Lee maintains silence
Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s only daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, turned 69 years old on Sunday (7 Jan), and her younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, commemorated her birthday by sharing a throwback photo of them both on social media. Near midnight on Sunday, Mr Lee Hsien Yang shared a black-and-white photo showing him and his sister smiling beside a cannon. In the post, which received more than a thousand likes in less than an hour, he wrote, “Today is Wei Ling’s birthday. She was born in 1955.”
Their elder brother, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, made no mention of Dr Lee or her birthday on social media. The younger Lee siblings have been estranged from PM Lee since at least 2017, about two years after their father passed. Although their differences initially stemmed from disagreements about their late father’s will, the rift between them has only grown wider over the years – especially after Mr Lee Hsien Yang’s wife and son became entangled in legal issues after the family feud spilled into the public domain. Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife are presently living overseas amid the latest inquiry into them by the Singapore authorities.
The younger Mr Lee has expressed deep distress over not being able to be with his sister, who has been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder with no cure and is extremely unwell. Her younger brother, his wife and their children are Dr Lee Wei Ling’s closest relatives after the passing of their parents. She never married and chose to stay single. In 2009, Dr Lee explained why she chose not to get married in an article published by the national broadsheet. Dr Lee described the loving relationship her parents.
Lee Wei Ling 'now extremely unwell', Lee Hsien Yang reveals
Lee Hsien Yang described his elder sister Lee Wei Ling to be "extremely unwell" in his latest Facebook post on March 7. The 65-year-old, who is the youngest child of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, made the revelation about his elder sister, who went public in August 2020 that she was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder.
The younger brother of Singapore's current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 71, wrote that he brought his sister, 68, to Machu Picchu in 2020, a place she "had always wanted to visit". Lee Hsien Yang also added that he is "unlikely ever to be able to see my sister face to face again", and it pains him "beyond words", as he reiterated his previous allegations that he has been "persecuted" by the Singapore authorities in the case of his father's will.
"I am heart-broken that I have been made a fugitive by my own country, for standing up for a promise to my father, Lee Kuan Yew," he wrote. He also made allegations that he and his family have been subjected to "a campaign of harassment and surveillance, as well as smear campaigns". "We have lost our lives in Singapore, our home, our friends, our wider families and our society," he concluded.
Lee Wei Ling diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, an uncommon brain disorder with no cure
On the night of Aug. 8, Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of the late Lee Kuan Yew, revealed in a Facebook post that she has been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder.
Lee, a 65-year-old neurologist, said that she has progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). She described the rare illness as a "rather nasty brain disease", which shares similar symptoms as Parkinson's Disease. In the earlier stages of the disease, it will slow her physical movements, impair her eye movements, and affect her sense of balance. It might eventually lead to difficulty in swallowing, pneumonia and death.
As the disease progresses, she will also lose self-control on how she behaves and responds to others. Lee said that she chooses to endure what has happened to her, even as she remarked that "it would be nice" if this could be just a "nightmare" that she could wake up from. However, she is already experiencing slowness and difficulty in simple movements.
Lee Wei Ling diagnosed with rare brain disorder with no cure, wishes it was a nightmare
Dr Lee Wei Ling, the younger sister of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has been diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare brain disorder that results in the weakening of certain muscles. She broke the news on Saturday night (Aug 8) in a Facebook post.
The disorder, which starts off similar to Parkinson's Disease, impairs fast eye-movement and balance, before causing difficulty in swallowing, choking aspiration, pneumonia, dementia with prominent behavioural changes and eventually results in death, the 65-year-old neurologist shared. "It is a rather nasty brain disease."
As much as she wished that the entire ordeal would just be "a nightmare" she would wake up from, "it [was] getting increasingly real and inescapable every day", she wrote. Now, Dr Lee finds her movements slow and hesitant. She also has difficulty getting up from her futon every morning. Her first reaction upon learning her diagnosis was to tolerate and endure, something she explained she had been practising since young. While she did not voice it, her next reaction had been: "Why me?"
Dr Lee Wei Ling diagnosed with rare brain disorder that does not have a cure
Dr Lee Wei Ling, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s sister, said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Aug 8) that she had been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder that does not yet have a cure. Dr Lee shared that she had received news that she had progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
The 65-year-old neurologist explained that it was a rather “nasty brain disease” which starts with Parkinson’s-like symptoms but gets worse to difficulty swallowing, choking aspiration, pneumonia and death — for the fortunate. “My immediate reaction to the news was “忍” (ren), or endure in Chinese, of which the traditional character has a knife above a heart,” said Dr Lee. She noted how she would always apply ren ever since in Chinese school, “recognising that life has many unpleasant, unavoidable situations”. “It would be nice if this entire episode turns out to be a nightmare and that I will wake up,” she admitted.
However, she shared that her movements have become slow and hesitant, even getting up from her futon was increasingly challenging. The next question that popped into her mind was: “Why me?” Yet, the neurologist did not give voice to the question, knowing that the answer would be: “Why not?” She added that she has “had it good for too long”.
Remembering Professor Lee We Ling
Professor Lee Wei Ling, Director, National Neuroscience Institute, 2004 to 2014, has passed away. Staff pay tribute to the impact she made on patients and neuroscience care. Professor Lee Wei Ling, or Dr Lee as she preferred to be known, always prioritised patients and expected the same of all who worked with her at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI).
“Dr Lee contributed much to NNI, from its first conception when she was then Deputy Director (Clinical), to setting the patient centric culture for NNI when she was Director of NNI for 11 years. She cared for her patients and staff, and would go all out to help them,” says Associate Professor Au Wing Lok, Chief Executive Officer, NNI. When Dr Lee was appointed Director, NNI in January 2004, her first priority was to get all the doctors to make patient care their top priority. “Dr Lee instilled in us that every patient matters and we must do our best for them regardless of whether they are private or subsidised,” remembers Associate Professor Loh Ngai Kun, Senior Consultant, Neurology, NNI. “Dr Lee always had a heart for the ‘underdog’ and had a soft spot for patients with epilepsy who also had disabilities.”
A paediatrician by training, Dr Lee specialised in neurology with a focus on epilepsy. “Dr Lee was always kind to her patients and her patients loved her for it. Some were patients she had seen as children, and she continued managing their epilepsy at NNI when they became adults,” says Kathleen Yip, Senior Secretary, NNI, who assisted Dr Lee during her clinics. “Dr Lee saw some of her patients through pregnancy and they would bring their babies to the clinic to meet her.”
Dr Lee Wei Ling
I was walking alone in Fort Canning Park on the night of 5/7/2020. It was the 15th day of the 5th month in the lunar calendar. The moon was shining brightly with enough lighting to walk but not enough to prevent me from getting lost. I made a wrong turn and ended up at a cul de sac near a cemetery next to a huge YMCA building. There was a snapping sound and sharp pain in my right thigh when I took a step.
Instinctively I knew I fractured my right femur from a similar experience more than a decade ago. I fell on my back and when I tried to turn prone to crawl back to the path, bone end rubbed against bone end and all the thigh muscles went into spasm in a ball around the fracture site. My ability to Ren(忍) or put up with the pain was overwhelmed.
I tried to move by kicking with my left leg and hitching my torso up on my two arms and to get back on the path I had stepped off, hoping to find a stone which I could toss at a third storey window off the YMCA. I doubt I could toss a stone that high and knew there was no way I could make my way down the very steep flight of steps I came up. Knowing I was near my starting point where I thought my dog Hiro and my helper Darmi were waiting, I shouted loudly, “Hiro help, Hiro help, anybody help.” But was met by dead silence. I was not afraid after all this is Singapore where no one can remain lost for long.
Lee Wei Ling
Lee Wei Ling is a Singaporean neurologist. She was the director of the National Neuroscience Institute. She is the sister of Lee Hsien Loong and the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew. Lee received a President's Scholarship in 1973, before studying in the medical faculty of the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore), where she graduated top of her class with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree before specialising in pediatrics.
She began working in the pediatric ward at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and received board certification from the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. Lee is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo. She is the younger sister of Lee Hsien Loong and the older sister of Lee Hsien Yang. Lee enjoys driving and admitted to speeding on a visit to New Hampshire in 1995; she was pulled over by highway police but was released by the sympathetic officer after discussing the caning of Michael Fay.
In 2015, shortly after the death of her father, Lee published an autobiographical book, A Hakka Woman's Singapore, based on columns that she had previously written. She has publicly spoken against hero worship of the founding Prime Minister. In 2016, an editor at The Straits Times accused Lee of plagiarism in an unpublished article. Lee has publicly supported freedom of speech and stated that she would cease writing for the newspaper following the editorial dispute. In August 2020, Lee stated she had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that results in the weakening of certain muscles. In 2022, Lee reportedly sold a property worth S$50 million to Yonghong Shi, a cofounder of Haidilao.
The famiLEE tree: 38 Oxley Road
A view of 38 Oxley Road
Mr Lee Hsien Yang said on Tuesday (Oct 15) that he will apply to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road, the former home of his father and founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The house was Mr Lee Kuan Yew's home from the mid-1940s until his death in 2015, and was also the home of his daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling, who died last week.
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee Hsien Yang said he would apply to demolish the house in accordance with his parents' wishes. He intends to build a small home on the site subsequently, he said. "To honour my parents' last wishes, I am applying to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road and thereafter to build a small private dwelling, to be held within the family in perpetuity," he said. Mr Lee Hsien Yang said that he is "the sole legal owner of 38 Oxley Road" and, following his sister's death, "the only living executor" of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's estate.
"In his will, he wished for the house to be demolished 'immediately after' Wei Ling moved out of the house. It is my duty to carry out his wishes to the fullest extent of the law," he said. He also noted that his brother, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, had said in parliament in 2015 that "it would be up to 'the government of the day' to decide whether to allow (the house's) demolition", referring to a point in time when Dr Lee was no longer living there. "It has been nine years. That day is today," said Mr Lee Hsien Yang.
