Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee told state media Straits Times today (June 26) that any legal-binding will can easily be override by the “rule of law”:
“The rule of law is something we cherish because we are fortunate to have it. It is about private rights versus the interest of the public. This process is how more than 7,100 buildings are conserved.”
Minister Desmond Lee also said that any demolishment work will first need the government’s permission and that the government reserve the right to disallow the demolishment. Citing a factory as example, Minister Desmond Lee said:
“Even though the factory sat on private land, the Government took a stand as it has to represent Singaporeans’ heritage concerns. If the company that owns the building says something like they want to knock it down and do something else there, then there is a process. This process involves the URA’s Conservation Advisory Panel and the National Heritage Board’s Preservation of Sites and Monuments division.”
In the recent week, the Ministerial Committee claimed that Lee Kuan Yew’s will runs against “public interests” and is fighting to deny the will in the name of “public interests”. The culprit behind the Ministerial Committee is Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who earlier failed to invalidate the last will by claiming his legal-trained father do not know what is written in the will. PM Lee Hsien Loong has resorted to abusing his powers and using the government under his control to deny the will.