Lee family (Singapore)

The Lee family ([lì]; Chinese: 李; pinyin: Lǐ) is a political family in Singapore, with members prominent in Singaporean politics, public service, law, business and academia.

Lee family 李光耀家族 Lee Kuan Yew family
political family
1946 photo of the Lee family in Singapore.
Country	Singapore
Founder	Lee Kuan Yew
Current head	Lee Hsien Loong
Titles	List Prime Minister of Singapore Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Leader of the Opposition Senior Minister of Singapore Minister Mentor of Singapore Minister for Finance Minister for Trade and Industry Second Minister for Defence (Services) Member of the Singapore Parliament Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Director of the National Neuroscience Institute Director of the Open Government Products Chairman of Fraser and Neave Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings Chief Executive Officer of Singtel Professor of Economics at Harvard University[1]
Properties	38 Oxley Road

Background

Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Hsien Loong

The son of Lee Chin Koon and Chua Jim Neo, Lee Kuan Yew served as the first Prime Minister of Singapore and his eldest son Lee Hsien Loong served as the third Prime Minister.

Members of the Lee family also held leadership positions in the People's Action Party which forms the incumbent Government of Singapore.

Family tree

Family tree of Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Bok Boon 1846–1920 Seow Huan Neo 1850–c. 1931 Lee Hoon Leong 1871–1942 Ko Liem Nio 1883–1959 Lee Chin Koon 1903–1997[2] Chua Jim Neo 1907–1980 Lee Kuan Yew 1923–2015 Kwa Geok Choo 1920–2010 Dennis Lee Kim Yew 1925–2003[3] Gloria Lee (Woo) Sau Yin 1926–2023[4] Freddy Lee Thiam Yew 1927–2012[5] Eleanor Ngo Puay Chin[4] Monica Lee Kim Mon b. 1929[6] George Chan Chor Cheung[4] Dr Lee Suan Yew b. 1933[7] Pamela Chong[4] Wong Ming Yang 1951–1982[8] Lee Hsien Loong b. 1952 Ho Ching b. 1953 Lee Wei Ling 1955–2024 Lee Hsien Yang b. 1957 Lim Suet Fern b. 1958[9] Li Xiuqi b. 1981[10] Li Yipeng b. 1982[10] Li Hongyi b. 1987[10] Li Haoyi b. 1989[10] Li Shengwu b. 1985[10] Li Huanwu b. 1986[10] Li Shaowu b. 1995[10]

Government offices held

• Lee Kuan Yew: Member of Parliament 1955–2015; Leader of the Opposition, 1955–1959; Prime Minister of Singapore, 1959–1990; Senior Minister of Singapore, 1990–2004; Minister Mentor of Singapore, 2004–2011
  • Lee Hsien Loong: Member of Parliament 1984–; Acting Minister for Trade and Industry, 1986; Second Minister for Defence (Services), 1987–1990; Minister for Trade and Industry, 1987–1992; Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, 1990–2004; Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, 1998–2004; Minister for Finance, 2001–2007; Prime Minister of Singapore, 2004–2024; Senior Minister of Singapore, 2024–
  • Lee Wei Ling: Director of the National Neuroscience Institute, 2004–2014
  • Lee Hsien Yang: Chief Executive Officer of Singtel, 1995–2007; Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, 2009–2018

Ho Ching: Wife of Lee Hsien Loong; Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings, 2004–2021^[11]

38 Oxley Road dispute

These paragraphs are an excerpt from 38 Oxley Road.[edit]

38 Oxley Road is an eight-bedroom two-storey bungalow located near Orchard Road, Singapore. The house was built in the late 19th century and was the residence of the first prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, from the 1940s until his death in 2015.^[12] The first meeting of the People's Action Party (PAP) occurred in the basement.^[12]

In 2017, it became central to a dispute in Singapore among Lee's children, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling, over its use and demolition. Lee Kuan Yew had originally willed the house to Lee Hsien Loong, who later sold it to Lee Hsien Yang in 2015 at market price, on the condition that both of them would donate half of the value to charity.^[13]

Lee's will included a condition that his daughter Lee Wei Ling be allowed to stay there. She died on 9 October 2024, opening a range of plausible options for the house as set out by the Ministerial Committee in 2018. The options are to (i) retain the property by gazetting it as a National Monument or for conservation; (ii) retain the dining room and demolish the rest of the property; or (iii) allow the property to be demolished fully and allow for the site to be redeveloped.

Relation to other prominent families

Kwa Geok Choo, the wife of Lee Kuan Yew, is the daughter of Wee Yew Neo,^[14][15] who is in turn the sister of Helene Tan, wife of Tan Chin Tuan.^[16][17] The Tan's are another prominent family in Singapore, whose members include Tony Tan, the 7th President of Singapore, Tan Kim Seng, a Peranakan businessman, and Mr and Mrs Tan Eng Sian, who the College of Alice and Peter Tan are named after.^[18][19]

See also

• Dynastic politics in Singapore