10%

Farewell and Good Night, Sir

The first night after founding father of modern Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

March 25^th, 2015

On Monday, 23rd of March, 2015, founding father and former Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away peacefully at the hospital at 3:18 a.m.. He was 91.

His son and current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, announced it to the nation at 8 a.m., less than five hours after losing his father. Community sites were quickly set up throughout the island for people to pay their last respects to Singapore‘s first Prime Minister.

Tanjong Pagar Community Club was one of the first tribute sites to be set up. It was also an early alternative site designated for members of the public to leave their gifts, flowers and cards and Get Well Soon messages when Mr Lee was still in the ICU at Singapore General Hospital. Throughout Monday, the day Mr Lee passed away, people queued at the community sites to pay their respects, while his body laid in Sri Temasek, the Prime Minister’s official residence on the Istana grounds, for the two-day private wake.

Write your story here. (Optional)

People from all walks of life came. People of different ages, races, religions, backgrounds, queued quietly to sign the condolence books and to pay their respects. Some came after work, in office clothes. Some came with their families, dressed in home clothes. Some came after their evening run and were still in sports attire.

I think it didn’t matter what you wore or who you were. It just mattered to show up and be there for a man whom many felt was there for them, for the nation, all his life.

Write your story here. (Optional)

There were video screens playing short clips of his life and history. And a small photo exhibition along the side of the hall. People lingered to see the photos, and to talk amongst themselves.

Many brought cards and flowers, and laid them on the stage where his photo was. Many wept.

Write your story here. (Optional)

The community centre was supposed to close at 8 p.m. but people were still filing in. So the site was kept open as long as people came. It seemed like the right thing to do. It wasn’t until close to midnight that the centre finally closed.

It is Wednesday today, and the casket of Mr Lee has moved from Sri Temasek to Lie in State at Parliament House in a solemn ceremonial gun carriage procession, where the public phase of the national mourning will take place till Saturday. Already, there are long queues snaking for hours around the central business district, all waiting to say good bye to Lee Kuan Yew for the very last time.