6 Places That Means A Lot To Mr Lee Kuan Yew
We mark the first anniversary of Mr Lee's passing and go in search of places in Singapore that were significant to him
By Sylvia Ong -
Where He Grew Up
When he was young, Mr Lee lived at his maternal grandfather’s home in Telok Kurau, which stood in Tembeling Road. Back then Mr Lee’s family of six occupied one large bedroom in the bungalow. It was a “happy household”, he’d said in his memoir, where he grew up alongside his four siblings and seven cousins in the same house. He often played with children of the Chinese fishermen and Malays living in a nearby kampong of attap huts.
Photo: Zaobao, Chow Pak Weng
Where He Lived
Mr Lee moved into 38 Oxley Road, a two-storey bungalow with five bedrooms in 1950 after his wedding with the late Mdm Kwa Geok Choo. The 100-year-old house was built by a Jewish merchant and Mr Lee lived there until he passed away last year. In his will, Mr Lee stated his wish to demolish the home immediately after his death or after his daughter, Dr Lee Wei Ling moves out.
Photo: Straits Times, Francis Ong
When He First Swore In
On June 5 1959, Mr Lee led the first fully-elected government of Singapore in a closed-door swear in ceremony at the current National Gallery Singapore and Padang (previously known as City Hall). His nine-member cabinet included the late Goh Keng Swee (Minister for Finance), Toh Chin Chye (Deputy Prime Minister), and the late Ong Eng Guan (Minister for National Development).
Photo: Business Times
Where He And Mrs Lee Used To Date
Mr and Mrs Lee used to take walks along the Singapore River bank. One of his security officers remembered the day after Mrs Lee’s wake in 2010, Mr Lee asked to be taken to the Singapore River, where he walked along the bank alone.
Photo: SPH
Where He Represented
Mr Lee represented Tanjong Pagar since 1955. In his speech on why he chose Tanjong Pagar, he said, “Tanjong Pagar is a working class area. No other division has such a high proportion of workers, wage earners, small traders and such a low proportion of wealthy merchants and landlords living in it. I wanted to represent workers, wage earner and small traders, not wealthy merchants or landlords. So I chose Tanjong Pagar, not Tanglin.”
Photo: SPH
Where He Worked
The Arts House @ The Old Parliament is the oldest government and public building in Singapore and housed the Singapore’s Parliament and Mr Lee’s personal office from 1965 to 1999.
Photo: Berita Harian, Tukiman Warji