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Remembering Lee Kuan Yew State funeral service

Singaporeans
urged to continue
late Mr Lees work
TEO XUANWEI

Deputy News Editor

xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg

fter a dark week that saw

the nation come together to
mourn the death of Mr Lee
Kuan Yew, Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong yesterday rallied Singaporeans
to channel that grief into unity and resolve to continue building this exceptional country.
Delivering the first of 10 eulogies at
the State Funeral Service held at the
University Cultural Centre, the Prime
Minister, whose voice grew thick with
emotion twice during his speech, likened his fathers death to the extinguishing of the guiding light for Singapore over the years.
This has been a dark week for
Singapore. The light that has guided us all these years has been extinguished. We have lost our founding
father MrLee Kuan Yew, who lived
and breathed Singapore all his life, he
said in a speech watched not only by the
2,200 attending the service, but also by
many others across the island live on
television and the Internet.
Together, we have grieved as one
people, one nation. We have all lost a father, he added, noting the overwhelming show of support from Singaporeans
who thronged Parliament House for
Mr Lees lying-in-state, as well as paid
their respects at the numerous tribute
centres set up last Monday.
But the Prime Minister, recount-

ing Mr Lees pledge to have Singapore

standing long after his time, called
on Singaporeans to fulfil their duty
to continue his lifes work, to carry
his torch forward and keep the flame
burning bright.
He added: Let us shape this island
nation into one of the great cities in the
world, reflecting the ideals he stood for,
realising the dreams he inspired and
worthy of the people who have made
Singapore our home and nation.
Singapores success, however, was
not because of Mr Lee alone, he noted.
Forging the path alongside him was an
exceptional team of pioneer Cabinet
leaders, such as Goh Keng Swee, SRajaratnam and MrOng Pang Boon, who yesterday also delivered a eulogyspeech.
Mr Lee also imbued Singapore with
his personal traits, among which were
incorruptibility and frugality, said the
Prime Minister. His unrelenting drive
to improve the state of things was seen
in his personal life, but also extended to
national matters, such as his lifelong
obsession with settling Singapores
water security, he said. So perhaps, it
is appropriate that today, for his state
funeral, the heavens opened and cried
for him, he added, choking back tears.
When Mr Lee Kuan Yew started
writing his memoirs at 70 years old,
for instance, he started learning how
to use a computer, the Prime Minister
recounted. Even on the day before he
was taken ill to the Singapore General
Hospital, where he stayed warded for
six weeks until his death, Mr Lees last

appointment on Feb 4 was with his Mandarin tutor, he added. He inspired us

all to keep giving of our best.
The Prime Minister also highlighted
that preparing Singapore to continue
beyond him was also one of MrLees
greatest legacies something that
may not be as apparent to many.
Referring to how he had made way
for MrGoh Chok Tong to take over as
prime minister, he said: He knew how
to guide without being obtrusive, to be
watchful, while letting the new team
develop its own style and authority.
He described himself as a mascot, but
everyone knew how special this mascot was and how lucky we were to have
such a mascot.
Mr Goh, in his eulogy, expanded on
the same point. After two terms leading the Government, Mr Goh broached
his intention of stepping down after the
2001 General Election so Mr Lee Hsien
Loong, who was Deputy Prime Minister
then and approaching 50, would have
a long runway.
He did this after seeing that the fore-

Emotions run high at funeral service

Jason Tan

Associate Editor
jasontancc@mediacorp.com.sg

or more than two hours yesterday, about 2,200 guests who

attended the State Funeral Service at the University Cultural Centre
(UCC) listened in rapt attention as
speaker after speaker, led by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, recounted
the legacy and life of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
For many in the audience, however, emotions ran high and the stately, solemn ceremony was punctuated
throughout by muffled sobs.
But there were moments of laughter,
too, when mirthful episodes of the life
of Singapores founding Prime Minister were recounted, as well as standing
ovations for several among the 10people who delivered eulogies.
The guests at the event, including
members of the late Mr Lees family,

President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Cabinet

ministers and members of the judiciary,
began arriving around noon. Foreign
dignitaries who were present included
Indonesian President Joko Widodo,
Prime Ministers Tony Abbott, Shinzo
Abe and Narendra Modi of Australia,
Japan and India, and former United
States President Bill Clinton.
Proceedings at the funeral service began around 1.50pm, when the
gun carriage carrying the state-flagdraped casket of Mr Lee rounded the
main foyer at the UCC and 48 military
police officers who formed a Line of
Honour inverted their weapons and
bowed their heads as it passed them.
Called Resting on Arms Reversed, this
posture represented the highest form
of respect the Armed Forces can pay
to the deceased.
As the coffin was carried into the
UCC, the mournful strains of Dead
March From Saul rang out, played by

the SAF Military Band. The Prime

Minister and his family followed the
casket, along with 16 pall-bearers led
by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance
Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam
and Mr Lim Swee Say, NTUC secretary-general and Minister in the Prime
Ministers Office.
At precisely 2.05pm, the casket was
brought into the UCC Hall while the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra played
Bachs Air from Orchestral Suite No 3
in D Major.
The eulogy portion of the service
was brought to an end by Mr Lee Hsien
Yang, Mr Lee Kuan Yews youngest
child. After he delivered a heartfelt
ode to his fathers many qualities, the
ceremony took on a more formal and
sombre tone.
The Prime Minister and Dr Tan laid
wreaths on either side of the casket
and many in the audience began tearing when the lights were dimmed and

Prime Minister Lee

Hsien Loong urged
Singaporeans to
carry (Mr Lee
Kuan Yews) torch
forward and
keep the flame
burning bright.
Photo: REUTERS

most worry on the late Mr Lees mind

was whether Singapore would survive
after he and the Old Guard were gone.
He wanted to be judged on this, not
by the city he had built and the lives he
had improved, Mr Goh said, describing
MrLee as a great teacher and worrier.
Mr Lees concern for people was
also not only in abstract matters, but
personally and individually, said the
Prime Minister, recounting an instance
when his help was sought to help one
of his mothers woman security officers adopt a child, as she was having
difficulty conceiving.
On the global stage, MrLee raised
Singapores standing in the world by assuming a statesmans mantle, allowing
him to articulate the Republics international interests as well as influence
thinking and decisions in many capitals
with his views and counsel.
Said the Prime Minister: And
hence, despite being so small, Singapores voice is heard and we enjoy far
more influence on the world stage than
we have any reason to expect.
a lone bugler played out the strains of
the Last Post from a balcony.
This was followed by a minute of silence, an opportunity for Singaporeans
across the country to join the funeral
proceedings. Tens of thousands everywhere, from Changi Airport to coffee
shops in the heartland to MRT stations,
observed the moment.
After this, the bugler sounded The
Rouse, a symbolic call back to duty
after respect has been paid and, hand
on heart, the guests recited the Pledge,
followed by a stirring rendition of Majulah Singapura.
As the casket was carried out of the
UCC before its final journey to Mandai Crematorium, many in the crowd
wept silently.
Standing at the front of the hall,
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean
raised his right arm in salute, a poignant gesture of farewell to a man whose
eye for detail and obsession with all
things Singapore extended to persuading a young Mr Teo to make the Republic of Singapore Navy a career choice.