I watched the live telecast of the funeral of Mr LKY as he is better known in his country Singapore. In the days preceding the funeral, his body lay in state in Parliament House where thousands of Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans came to pay their last respects, having queued for hours to do so.
On the day of the funeral, his coffin, draped with the Singapore flag, was placed in a tempered glass case on a gun carriage, drawn by a guard of honor from the royal marines and armed forces. Rain poured down as the cortege made its way through the main roads of Singapore en route to the Cultural Center of the National University of Singapore. Thousands of people braved the torrential rain, with umbrellas, in raincoats or simply standing in the rain waiting for the cortege to pass by. They waved the Singapore flags, threw flower petals along the road and chanted their late founder and first PM’s name. The cameras panned and some people were seen weeping. The heavens were weeping together with the people. Such a massive outpouring of grief also had me in tears as I watched the t.v. screen.
There was a 21 gun salute and jets flew over head to honor him in this state funeral.
In the Cultural Center, after Mr. LKY’s coffin was brought in, the current Prime Minister, his son Mr. Lee Hsien Loong laid the first wreath on behalf of the family while the President of Singapore laid the second, on behalf of the country. Ten eulogies followed, the first by his son the PM and the last by his youngest son Mr. Lee Hsien Yang. Each eulogy touched on different aspects of the late Mr. Lee and how he had touched each of them in their lives. They were deeply moving tributes to the founder father of their country.
Among the foreign dignitaries who came to pay their respects, were Heads of State and his personal friends such as Henry Kissinger and Bill Clinton. This alone attested to his stature on the world stage.
Indeed Singaporeans had a lot to be grateful to Mr, LKY for. From a small city state which had been expelled from the Federation of Malaysia after less than two years of its joining, Mr Lee fought tooth and nail to bring progress to his country and to ensure its survival. It was a country without any natural resources; it had only its people. He had been branded as ruthless and relentless in the pursuit of his dream of a successful Singapore but I sincerely feel that he was very courageous and the ends in this case, do justify the means. He had no other choice but to rule with an iron hand if he wanted to succeed in developing Singapore.
In his own words he said that his achievement in his life is Singapore and that he gave his whole life to it. Anyone visiting Singapore today cannot help but admire its greenery and its high rises, commercial bulldings and high rise public housing and private apartment buildings. Its efficiency and vibrant economy continue to draw people.
Indeed, when I was a child, I used to accompany my mother to Singapore and my lasting impression was that it was a smelly and dirty place. The Rochor Canal was very stinky and the Singapore River was very dirty. However today, the city is a beautiful, clean and safe. I feel safe whenever I’m in Singapore and I dare to walk and take public transport. In the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, I never feel safe and I would never take public transport if it meant that I would have to walk to the station or bus stop. My sister was twice a victim of snatch theft. Fortunately she wasn’t badly hurt. Others have died as a result.
It is all thanks to this great man and his team that Singapore is what it is today, a beautiful, bustling garden city state, a premier financial center and a place which everyone knows. Singapore today is a testimony to Mr. LKY’s life work. Rest in peace, Mr. LKY, your life’s work is done, admirably done.
