Our rather controversial founding father of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away peacefully in SGH at 3:18am, on 23 March 2015, Monday. The nation was in mourning the entire week from Monday till his state funeral service and cremation on Sunday.
From social media to mainstream media, to online and offline talks and discussions with family, friends and colleagues, this event has certainly launched countless Singaporeans, local and abroad, into grieving, mourning, melancholy and even depression! Many felt as though they have lost a loved one, a father even!
I think with a nation's mourning, besides the national flag being flown half-mast at all official institutions, most official entertainment also ceased. Immediately from Monday, all radio and television channels stopped their regular programs but air only programs related to nation-building and our late founding prime minister. I only realized this after En lamented she could not watch her 7pm Korean drama.
Over this mourning period of 7 days, my sentiments towards our founding prime minister also took on a gradual change as I exposed myself to news and stories of him on both social and mainstream media. Being a hougang resident and an opposition supporter, I was used to reading stories about his autocratic and ruthless ways of dealing with dissension. However, after reading and hearing the many tributes from people who personally worked with him or came into close contact with him, my perception of Mr Lee evolved. Initial nonchalance -- everyone dies. Then acknowledgement of his exceptional PR skills for putting Singapore on the world map --
Subsequently, tributes and anecdotes of Mr Lee flooded my entire space -- newspapers, television, Facebook, magazines.. Everyone's talking, sharing about Mr Lee and feeling all sad and gloomy. Profile pictures all turn black and white. And a certain black ribbon was everywhere --
It was national education everywhere. Over the radio were LKY's speeches from decades ago, from merger with Malaya to independence from Malaysia, to excerpts from various rallies; recountal of historical events leading to Singapore's independence, of Singapore's growth in our past 50 years, and so on. Much as I did not want to fall prey to the ongoing indoctrination, a little voice in me told me I was undergoing a significant historical event and if I did not partake in this, I would surely regret; even if i want to remain aloof, I should encourage the children to be engaged.
Mr Lee's body laid at Sri Temasek, Istana for the first three days for family and invited friends to pay their last respects. On the third day, Wednesday, it would be transported to the Parliament House where it would lie until the state funeral service on Sunday. 18 tribute sites were set up all over the island for the public to pay tribute and respects to the late leader.
I would say the state frenzy began when Mr Lee's body was moved from the Istana to the Parliament House. The entire process was shown on public television and many members of the public could be seen crowding the sides of the streets outside the Istana, juz so as to catch a glimpse of the cortège, and to pay respects to Mr Lee.
The lying in state at Parliament House was initially opened until 8pm at night. However the crowd was already so overwhelming on the first day that they soon declared it open 24 hours, with even the MRT running all through Wednesday night!! Soon, came news update that the queue waiting to enter Parliament House to pay their respects had to wait for two hours, then four hours!!
I had decided that my girls would pay their last respects to our founding prime minister. At Parliament House. We shall attempt to go in the wee hours of the night to fit everyone's timing as well as to avoid the long queue.
An opportune time would be the early hours of Friday morning as En was on school holiday that day. We shall begin Friday a few hours earlier than usual and make our way to Parliament House after which we would resume normal routine of work and school. We woke up before 3am and was at the Esplanade mrt station by 3:45am. By Thursday, Singaporeans had gone mad and were waiting in the queue for up to 8 hours on end, under the scorching hot sun. They said, "After what Mr Lee had done for our nation for the last 50 years, what is a few hours under the hot sun, to pay our last respects to this great man?" Our hours in the queue was not as glorious.. With 2 senior citizens in our midst, 2 students clad in uniform, and at least 1 other in working attire, we switched to the much shorter 'special lane' from the 8-hour normal one. In 2 hours, we were already out of the Parliament House, and could head for the school and home. Later that day, the wait in the queue went up to 10 hours and the organizing committee even had to suspend the paying of respects at the Parliament House that evening and shooed everyone home.
From the many anecdotes and episodes shared by those who had came into close contact with Mr Lee, a common thread runs -- Mr Lee was constantly, perpetually racking his brains on Singapore's continuous survival and growth. All the way since the chaotic and impoverished 1950s and 1960s, to being the longest-standing prime minister in the world of a budding nation in the 1970s and 1980s, till his step-back from premiership to being senior minister and mentor minister in the late 1990s into the 21st century, even up till just a day before he was hospitalized on Feb 4, Mr Lee was at always at work and thinking about Singapore's survival and growth.. because according to his daughter, as long as Singapore needed him, he would keep himself healthy for her. That was also the reason he exercises daily, rain or shine, even during Chinese New Year, so that he keeps himself healthy for Singapore; Mr Lee believed that if not for his disciplined exercise regime, he would have succumbed to heart ailments long before! Most remarkable of all, I think, was Mr Lee's vision and unswerving tenacity in actualizing his vision. His dedication, fierce determination to ensure his conception to fruition made what Singapore she is today. His foresight in preempting stumbling blocks to Singapore's survival and growth was truly admirable.
Singapore was indeed extremely fortunate to have such a visionary, unfaltering, selfless, single-minded leader like Mr Lee who has led this nation to grow by leaps and bounds in the past 50 years. Yes, 50 years was such a long time but Singapore had him for this continuous period whilst he brought to life his dream for the country, transforming a third world nation to first world within a single generation, what would typically take at least two or three generations of like-minded leaders to accomplish. He laid the foundation of our nation's subsequent growth and some check and balance with all the institutions he put in place. Although some of these institutions were perceived to be ruled by the person rather than by the system, but now that the person is gone, hopefully the system would return to their normal function. Especially since we are unlikely to have another such great and selfless leader.
I have came to terms that Mr Lee was really an amazing leader, more than worthy to be called Singapore's founding father. Of course he did not accomplish everything himself but with an equally amazingly dedicated team of forefathers. Yet without Mr Lee bringing Singapore onto the global stage, she would not have the space and recognition she enjoyed today. Mr Lee's legacy is simply a progressive and vibrant Singapore. The best way to commemorate him is really to continue his spirit of making our homeland a safe and prosperous one. A Singapore which Mr Lee would continue to feel proud of.
After coming to terms with myself, I can wholeheartedly prepare a card for Mr Lee.. (^^)
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| Resting whenever possible |
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| Super duper long queue, 8 hours |
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| Queuing at underground pass |
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| Before security scan |
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| Queuing to Parliament House |
