Today, Dr Balakrishnan also made a ministerial speech on the issue, where he said that he and his wife decided to move into 31 Ridout Road because they wanted a home that could house three generations of their family, including their children and grandchildren.
His family home was later put on the market in November 2021 after he took some time to decide on selling it and Covid-19 delays. In his speech, Mr Shanmugam also elaborated on the additional 150,000 square feet of land that had been added to his lease. Regarding the condition of the house and its upkeep, the minister said that he had spent more than S$400,000 on improvement works.it would all go back to the State. That is the deal when one rents a black-and-white , and I knew that,” he added.
The minister said his wife chanced upon the Ridout Road property one day, while visiting a friend nearby and noticed a"For Lease" sign outside it. Dr Balakrishnan said that at the point when his wife signed the rental contract in October 2019, they were not aware of the guide rent.