State Funeral of Mr Lee Kuan Yew (with sign language interpretation)

la [Music] oh Med Corp now brings you live our coverage of the state funeral for Mr leanu Singapore's founding prime minister the man a nation has been mourning for Singapore's founding father and master strategist the architect of modern Singapore a man who lived through the British colonial era the Japanese Occupation the struggle for Independence and the transformation of Singapore from a Backwater to a first world nation I'm Augustine atwan and I'm glander Chong here at Singapore's Parliament House and across the country state flags have been flown at half Mar for 7 days as a mark of respect to Mr leanu his name is synonymous with modern Singapore a man who not only shaped the future of the tiny Island state but was also one of the Region's most respected leaders whose views were sought around the world leaders from all over the world have gathered in Singapore today to pay their final respects to the this man who led his country and dedicated his life to Singapore as they gather at the University Cultural Center foreign dignitaries different Assan leaders and representatives of various countries have gathered for the last farewell to Mr Lee in the words of Dr Henry Kissinger former US Secretary of State Mr Lee was one of the most able foresighted and analytical global leaders of the last half century showers across several parts of Singapore where Mr lean U's State funeral procession will pass through the crowds who turned up early to line the roads braving the downpour with their umbrellas and ponchos some stayed overnight While others arrived as early as 6 this morning [Music] singaporeans from all walks of life have come together today holding the state flag waiting patiently the sense of national loss but at the same time of gratefulness of respect and of wanting to do something to thank Mr Lee for his sacrifices for the nation many singaporeans have lined up along the streets today to wait for the cortage to pass and to wave and say a final farewell to Mr Lee the entire 15.4 kilometer route is lined with those who have waited and some holding the national flag hello Mr Lee was born on 6 16 September 1923 and became Singapore's first prime minister at the age of 35 a post he held till he stepped down on 28th November 1990 he was 91 years old when he died on Monday 23rd March at 3:18 a.m. at the Singapore General Hospital pictures now of the crowd standing by outside Singapore poly Technic this is the third lying in state at Parliament House an iconic Landmark Parliament House is a place of great significance Mr Lee was an elected representative of the residence of tanjung paga for 60 years from 1955 to 2015 and many of the country's Landmark legislations were debated in the house which have charted the future of the nation over the past 4 days singaporeans from all walks of life have gathered here to pay their last respects to Mr Lee over a 100,000 a day all in some half a million people lined up to say farewell and at other tribute sites around the island nearly 1 million turned up and later the casket of the former prime minister will be transferred onto the ceremonial 25 pounder gun Carriage the speaker of the house will send off the gun Carriage from the entrance to the driveway signifying the end of the lying inate ceremony the procession of vehicles following the casket will then make its way to the university Cultural Center where the state funeral service will be held family members the president cabinet members members of parliament the Judiciary former politicians The Diplomatic Corp will all attend the service it also includes singaporeans from all walks of life those whose lives have been touched by Mr Lee who will gather at the University cultural center from noon and the funeral service will will begin at 2:00 [Music] p.m. a little bit more information on what will be coming [Music] later at the University Cultural Center leaders from more than 20 countries will attend alongside family members and invited guests for the state [Music] funeral among them the interreligious [Music] organization members of parliament have already [Music] arrived despite the heavy downpour singaporeans standing outside the Singapore Recreation Club along St Andrews Road no words can express the resilience of these people who are standing firm in silence waiting patiently for the cage that will pass through these streets as it makes its way towards University Cultural Center the proceedings at Parliament House will start at 12:30 all along the route from parament house to the university Cultural Center special Arrangements have been made to make way for the state funeral procession the motocade will travel from Parliament House through the Civic District toward itss Old Parliament House it will pass the former Supreme Court and city hall now the National Gallery the Padang St Andrew's Cathedral the War Memorial Park the espan Marina Bay and Marina barrage fulleton hotel and onto Singapore conference Hall into tanong Baga past the Pinnacle at d the police Cantonment complex the Singapore General Hospital along long booket miror past cpib down Queensway the Singapore poly Technic and finally make its way towards the university Cultural Center singaporeans have started to line these streets to catch a glimpse of the cottage as it passes the area to bid a final farewell to Mr Lee some have also gathered around the 18 designated public sites for singaporeans to express their sorrow but also to celebrate Mr Lee's life and all this despite the Heavy Rain many have come prepared with their umbrellas holding the state flag some even holding pictures of Mr leuan youu all standing patiently waiting alongside Andrews Road Stanford Road near Parliament House when the state funeral procession will begin at 12:30 there appears to be a palpable sense of togetherness as they wait patiently together for the cor to pass see Mr Lee was one of the founders of the people's Action Party in 1954 and was its Secretary General until November 1992 he delivered many stirring speeches in Parliament House as a representative of tanong paga from 2nd April 1955 and has represented tanun paga for 60 years Mr Lee always made an effort to listen to be bench's speak even after he stepped down as prime minister whilst he made fewer speeches in the house in his later years he would speak whenever he felt strongly about an issue particularly when he felt he needed to help his cabinet colleagues carry public opinion singaporeans standing patiently despite the rain dressed in their ponchos holding their umbrellas many holding the state flag men women children senior citizens all waiting patiently along shenton way for that opportunity to bid a final farewell to Mr Lee the Singapore Armed Forces will bid Mr Lee a final farewell with the highest honors later when the gun Carriage carries Mr Lee's body from Parliament House there will be a 21 gun salute fired by four ceremonial 25 pounder guns as the procession Journeys around the Padang this honor is usually reserved only for sitting heads of state four rsaf Black Knights will also salute Mr Lee as his body passes City Hall they will form the missing man formation where one aircraft will break away from the four aircraft flying formation as an aerial salute to honor Mr Lee and from the Republic of Singapore Navy and police Coast Guard a sail past two Fearless class Patrol vessels the RSS dauntless and RSS resilience from the Republic of Singapore Navy and two pH class vessels from the police Coast Guard will conduct a ceremonial sail past off the marina barrage as a final salute set against the backdrop of the city skyline [Applause] just outside Parliament House the Singapore Armed Forces Central band and the guard of Honor contingents taking up position the procession will begin at at Parliament House and the cotage will be led by four guard of Honor contingents from the Singapore armed forces and the Singapore police force the ceremonial gun Carriage attachment is formed by soldiers from the Singapore artillery the use of a ceremonial gun carriage for State funerals is a practice inherited from the British the custom can be traced back to the 1800s the gun Carriage has since been adopted as a dignified way to carry the casket and has become an accepted part of state and Military funerals students at Northridge Road braving the rain emotions clearly on their faces waiting patiently for the cage to pass we are now 20 minutes into our live coverage of the state funeral for Mr Lewan Yu Singapore's founding prime minister and here's more information on the gun Carriage it consists of three parts the ceremonial Land Rover the limber and the gun Carriage the casket will be carried on the gun Carriage connected to the limber the limber is a two- wheeled vehicle to which the gun Trail is attached the gun Carriage consists of a 25 pounder Howitzer gun on which is mounted a tempered glass case for the casket accompanying the casket is the coffin barer party led by briger General Melvin on Chief guards officer thousands of singaporeans have gathered along the street just outside Parliament House stretching along the Padang waiting patiently to witness the state funeral procession and to pay tribute to the former prime minister some have been waiting since this morning from 6:00 in the morning morning even though they know the hearse bearing Mr Lee's body will not arrive until 12:30 in the afternoon among those in attendance are many from the Pioneer generation senior citizens who have witnessed the birth of Singapore made sacrifices along the way and contributed to Singapore's development from third world to First alongside Mr Lee we observe this final Journey today of Mr Lee through the Civic district and through key landmarks in the city which have figured prominently in Singapore's history heavy rain falling across several parts of Singapore where Mr lean's State funeral procession will pass through young and old braving the downpour with their umbrellas and ponches this brings to mind the event of the National Day Parade when it rained heavily back in the 1960s and people stood by resilient and today once again we are witnessing singaporeans from all walks of life standing firm Resolute holding on to their umbrellas holding on to the state flag waiting patiently along various stretches of the street in that National Day Parade in 1968 prime minister Le prime minister Lee Kuan Yu prime minister lisian L was standing also in the p in the rain move [Music] on in the past few days cabinet colleagues and fellow parliamentarians alike foreign friends relatives had been streaming in at Parliament House to pay their last respects to the late Mr Lee some details here of the Paul bearers will be sending Mr Lee off from Parliament House the eight pole bearers are former members of parliament Mr mammut awang the first chairman of the national trades Union Congress who represented Kong kapor from 1963 to 1968 Mr current MPS dren defense minister and leader of the House Mr chanii Singh MP for Jalan basar from 1959 to 1962 1982 he was also the government Whip In The crucial 1960s and 1970s and a Pillar of Strength for Mr Lee and his colleagues Mr chami Tong Secretary General of the opposition Singapore People's Party who was MP for Pon par from 1984 to 2011 among the current MPS Mr Muhammad Maliki minister of State for National development and defense Miss Josephine Tio senior minister of State for finance and transport Mr Kathy Ken a veteran union leader and vice president of the national trades Union Congress and Mr gun Kim Yong health Minister and government whip it was Mr Lee who moted for the nominated Member of Parliament scheme in 1990 to bring independent voices into the Singapore Parliament all eight pole bearers will form up and accompany the cage as it slowly begins to move out of Parliament House for the state funeral procession the gun Carriage consists of three parts the ceremonial Land Rover the limber and the gun Carriage the CK will be carried on the gun Carriage connected to the limber the limber is a two- wheeled vehicle to which the gun Trail is attached the gun Carriage consists of a 25 pound a howt a gun on which is mounted a temper glass case for the casket the use of the ceremonial gun carriage for State funerals is a practice inherited from the British you're joining us for the special coverage of the state funeral for founding prime minister Mr lewu it is now 12:30 BR General Melvin on leads the coffin barer party of eight and are proceeding to carry the casket towards the gun carriage the casket of the late Mr leanu is draped in the state flag to Accord him the highest honor the Singapore flag is draped over the casket so that the crescent and stars lie over the head and close to the heart the state flag is not allowed to touch the ground it drapes the casket throughout the state Funeral Service it serves as the highest Mark of Honor for one of modern Singapore's founding fathers the cap orderlies are now assisting with the removal of the Caps of the coffin barer party the coffin Bearer party is made up of eight senior officers from the Singapore armed forces and the Singapore police force for the coffin barrier party are now in formation and they starting to move slowly carrying the body of late Mr leuan Yu and will proceed towards the foyer the entrance of Parliament House where the gun Carriage is waiting [Music] [Music] the eight PA bearers are now accompanying the coffin Bearer party as they slowly begin to move out of Parliament [Music] House [Music] eight senior officers from the saf and the Singapore police force are part of the coffin barer party led by briger General Melvin on Chief guards officer the national flag draped over the casket symbolizing the country's recognition of Mr Lee's contributions to the [Music] [Music] country [Music] let [Music] over the past few days Mr lean's body has been lying in state at Parliament House located within Singapore's City Center the gates of Parliament House were opened to the public on Wednesday 25th March and over the last 4 days almost half a million have been coming by to pay their respects and in the past week about 170 foreign dignitaries from about 27 countries regions and international organizations turned up the lying in state at Parliament House the coffin barer party has placed the body of Mr lean Yu onto the gun carriage and now they're preparing the gun carriage for the foot procession as they slowly move out of Parliament House towards the main gate oh the ceremonial gun Carriage bearing the body of former prime minister Mr lewu will make its final journey through the city center the funeral procession will move at about 25 km per hour to travel the 15.4 km route from Parliament House to the university Cultural Center the procession will take about 1 hour in the procession is the chief prime minister lisian L and family members the coffin Bearer party now slowly making their way the full procession has just begun accompanying the family members are eight po bearers sending Mr Lee off from Parliament House Mr ch sitong Secretary General of the opposition Singapore people's party and who was MP for Pon parer from 1984 to 2011 Mr chanii Sing who was also the government Whip In The crucial 1960s and 1970s Mr mmud awang the first chairman of the national trades Union Congress among the current MPS Mr gun Kim Yong Health Minister and government whip as the coffin Bearer party slowly makes its way towards the main gate of parli house the mood here is somber quiet and reflective as singaporeans wait patiently for the coffin of Mr lean Yu to come out from Parliament [Music] [Music] [Applause] House among the other pole bearers accompanying the coffin Bearer party Dr hen defense minister and leader of the House Miss Josephine Tio and Mr Muhammad [Applause] [Music] Maliki [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] as the foot procession continues at the corner of North Bridge Road and Parliament Place students and military personnel are lining the street along Parliament Place S Andrew Road Stamford Road and esade drive to bid a final farewell to Mr [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Lee just nearby at the Pang ceremonial guns from the Singapore artillery are standing by for the firing of a 21 gun salute in honor of the late prime [Music] [Applause] [Music] minister the firing of the 21 rounds gun salute is a time on a tradition at State funerals these 25 pounder ceremonial guns are from the 23rd Battalion Singapore artillery the last gun will be fired when the Convoy reaches the [Music] esade [Applause] [Music] the crowd waving their flags and calling out Mr Lee's name as the ctage passes [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] you go [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] my [Applause] [Applause] go [Applause] [Music] as the state funeral procession makes its way slowly down towards North Bridge Road towards the Padang the guard of Honor contingent made up of Army Navy Air Force and the Singapore police force accompanied by the Singapore Armed Forces Central [Music] band in just a short while the first of 21 rounds of gun salute will be [Applause] fired now crowds have gathered to witness significant moments in Singapore's political history this crowds gathered along the stretch of shenon way P waiting patiently for the funeral cage to pass by heavy rains the skies too are crying for the skies too are crying for Mr Lee reflection of the mood of Mr Lee's family the people and our nation the people gathered around Padang who just a short while ago who calling out Mr Lewan's name are all now silent the first round has just been fired how El another [Applause] 48 Personnel from the Singapore armed forces and Singapore police force in ceremonial unimogs forming the escort for the gun Carriage as it slowly makes this way towards the [Applause] padam four rsf Black Knights flew past with the missing man formation in the shape of a v [Applause] crowds have gathered on the Padang to witness significant moments in Singapore's political history the bad weather not detering deter deterring them from coming out [Applause] [Music] with the ninth gown salute people cheering waving the Singapore flag as the coffin barer party moves past and moves towards the Memorial [Applause] Park [Applause] the civilian War memor Memorial on the left of the cofin bar [Applause] party the monument was unveiled by Mr Lee then prime minister on 15th February 1967 the 25th anniversary of the fall of Singapore since then a memorial service is held every year on February 15th to commemorate the Day in 1942 when Singapore fell to the Japanese as the 21 gun salute continues the funeral cage is slowly making its way towards the esade Reclamation in the 1990s extended and connected Elizabeth walk to Marina Bay setting the stage for the new Performing Arts venue the Esplanade Theaters on the bay Mr leanu had moted the idea of damning up the marina Basin to create a massive freshwater lake 20 years later technology made his vision feasible in 2008 the marina Reservoir Singapore's 15th was formed and as Mr Lee's body crosses the esade bridge Fearless class Patrol vessels RSS dauntless and RSS resilience from the Singapore Navy and two pH class Patrol vessels hammerhead shark and mako shark from the police Coast Guard are conducting a ceremonial saale pass off the marina barrage on each ship a black flag is flown on the starboard side of the m Mas together with signal flags representing the letters l k and Y dressed in ceremonial uniform Personnel lined the vessel's decks standing at attention to salute Mr Lee bowing their heads to observe a minute of Silence the ships will sound three prolonged horns as the funeral cortage passes the feton hotel singaporeans cheering waving the national flag and opposite is a fiin hotel which used to be the general Post Office feron Square just nearby was the site from 1959 to 1988 of many of Mr Lee's Landmark election rally speeches Mr Lee also remember Ed the general post office as the location of Singapore's first industrial strike after the colonial government introduced emergency regulations in June 1948 Mr Lee represented the postal workers as their legal advisor and drafted their statements it was to be a turning point for him his first Union work as the resolution of the strike led to other unions asking him to represent the and it would bring him into the political Spotlight and head-on clashes with the then colonial [Applause] government very moving images and sounds of crowds shouting emotionally Mr lean Yu the funeral Cel is slowly making his way down Shon [Applause] w nothing seems to deter the people of Singapore as they stand Resolute the rain is pouring on and yet they're shouting waving their Flags cheering [Applause] on they're shouting Lewan Yu Mr Lewan [Music] [Applause] Yu the cage passing Raffles place where commercial Square once stood Singapore's first trading Community was made up of the earliest Banks trading houses and large departmental stores by the late 1970s the central business district stretched into shenton way and became the area where Singapore's Banks were located the funeral CES is slowly making its way towards the Singapore conference Hall which has witnessed several historic events during the general elections there has been a nomination and Counting Center for several constituencies including Mr Le tun Baga Ward several memorable postelection news conferences were held here by Mr Lee and subsequent people's Action Party leaders you can almost hear in the background as the crowds are cheering the music of all Lang sign as the procession enters kappal Road singaporeans may remember that Mr Lee was a familiar face in the area he represents presented the Singapore Harbor board staff Association now known as a Singapore Port Workers Union in the 1950s as legal adviser to the port workers Mr Lee had recommended the reorganization and merger of the labor unions to enjoy better bargaining power emotional scenes here as crowds are throwing flowers onto the street many waving the Singapore flag despite the Heavy Rain downpour standing Resolute and cheering on more people throwing flowers onto the street as the funeral cage passes by [Applause] cap the funeral c is now passing by the port area and slowly turning off onto towards duxon and [Music] Pinnacle the funeral cage is now slowly moving into a very special part of Singapore linked closely to Mr Lee tanong Baga his constituency where he served for 60 years [Music] crowds of singaporeans at Maritime house waiting patiently holding flowers holding the national flag just across the street pinnacled at duckon a very special area for Mr Lee this is his constituency whom he served for 60 years many of the residents are now standing watching and waiting as the funeral cage will pass in just a short while when Mr Lee first stood for election here he explained that he chose tanong paga because he wanted to represent workers wage earners and small Traders not wealthy merchants or landlords he won resoundingly with 78% of the votes despite it being a three cornered fight fight in the 1963 election campaign he again promised voters something he delivered and which has become a symbol of progress for Singapore two blocks of hdb flats were completed after the election in 1964 on duckon plane the people of tanum Baga cheering children among them holding flowers waving the national flag calling out his name Mr leanu today Historic Site stands the award-winning Pinnacle at duckon there are not enough words to express what these people are experiencing residents of tanong Baga who have a deep deep connection to Mr Lee today they bid their final farewell to their MP [Applause] at its groundbreaking ceremony in 1995 at tanang paga Plaza then Senior Minister Lee said the government's plan to upgrade older housing board Estates was an ambitious program which would transform Singapore dramatically over the next 20 years to residents of tanong paga he made his promise quote in 20 years you will see a spanking Singapore equal to the transformation that you have experienced in tanong paga Plaza in the last 20 years end quote Mr Lee would make good that promise the GRC which is home to some of the oldest buildings in housing estate stes has experienced the fastest and most extensive changes to its landscape and Skyline the funeral cage is slowly making its way past the police Cantonment complex and many singaporeans who have been waiting in the rain literally on their knees waving their flags as the body of Mr Lee makes its way towards the Singapore General Hospital Newbridge Road built in 1842 is named after Coleman's Newbridge which was constructed over the Singapore River in 1840 the road is closely associated with the history of Chinatown it was the meeting place of Chinese immigrants Clan associations and Chinese movie theaters made this street a second home for these immigrants people holding up boards and pictures of Mr lean Yu with words saying thank you for giving your life to Singapore just past New Bridge Road and working towards Kong baru just outside the Singapore General Hospital many including Singaporean and Hospital staff have turned up standing quietly lining the street towards kampong [Applause] baru Mr Lee was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital on February 5th with SE severe pneumonia and died on Monday 23rd March staff here have a special connection to Mr Lee having had to care for him and Mrs Lee over the [Applause] years you guys on air now along Jalan bouet mirror stands the first seik temple to be built in Singapore Sikhism is one of the 10 religions represented in the inter religious organization Singapore the current inter religious organization council is made up of 31 members who are constituent members of 10 religions Singapore's commitment to meritocracy regardless of race language and religion were key tenants on which the nation was founded he believes of Mr leanu and his fellow old God leadership we are now into an hour and 15 minutes of our coverage of the state funeral General possession just passing by making its way towards Jalan booket miror here we are now along Jalan booket miror the highrise Flats along the road today it is hard to imagine that villages with atap Huts were common before the first blocks of government Flats were built in 1955 by the 1960s emergency Flats in standard one room two room three room configurations sprouted to house a growing [Applause] population crowds just Shouting Out Mr lean's name as the funeral cage makes its way along this stretch of Jalan bit Mara off silat [Applause] [Music] [Applause] road [Applause] War [Applause] l crowds crying out his name Mr lean you we love [Applause] you the funeral cage still making its way slowly down Jalan booket miror housing was a key priority when Mr Lee and his team took office there was a severe shortage people lived in slumps in the city particularly in Chinatown with poor sanitation fires had devastated several large precincts where people were living in wooden Shacks in compass he famously said he would transform Singapore from mud floods to Metropolis and a key part of that would be to build housing for the people he believed that owning a home would give singaporeans a stake in the country and its future so they would own part of Singapore and would then care more for the community [Applause] crowds of singaporeans waving bouquet of flowers calling out Mr lein new name as the funeral cage continues to make its way down Jan m miror come in come in come here come here for you you for you [Applause] the funeral cortage passing by the former headquarters of the housing development board crowds cheering on people throwing flower petals onto the road waving the national flag truly there're not enough words to express what is happening right now this major [Applause] outpouring we're now 1 hour 20 minutes into our live broadcast as the funeral cortage slowly makes its way down Jalan booket mirror nearby an institution closely linked to Mr Lee and his government's tough stance on corruption the Corrupt Practices investigations Bureau cpid is an independent body responsible for the investigation and prevention of corruption in Singapore anti-corruption laws were inadequate and this had hindered the Gathering of evidence against corrupt individuals the situation changed after the people Action Party came into power in 1959 public confidence in the cpib grew as people realized the government was sincere in its anti-corruption Drive Mr leuan hu laid that Firm Foundation that Still Remains today and right [Music] [Applause] crowds shouting and cheering for Mr Lee as the state funeral procession slowly continues to make its way towards Queen way and tanglin halt [Applause] just past Brick Works State singaporeans calling out Mr lean Yu's name as the funeral kayes and the military escort make its way towards the university cultural center for the state funeral service [Applause] the procession now entering Queen way a majority of the larger Estates called New Towns were being developed as self-contained communities with not only the essential facilities to meet the residents basic needs but also various Community amenities such as schools and recreational facilities [Music] [Applause] go the funeral corage has just passed Queen's way making its way slowly towards tangin halt amongst the numerous Community facilities once sees in Singapore's new towns are places of worship representing the diversity of Singapore's [Applause] population singaporeans calling out Mr lequan us name the flag draped coffin is now making its way towards Blessed Sacrament Church s muniswaran Temple and Masjid moah hidden mosque it is not unusual in multiethnic multi-religious Singapore to have places of worship of different religions side by side the funeral cage slowly making its way past tanglin halt State people waiting patiently the rain continues to pour on but singaporeans stand firm waving their Flags throwing flower petals onto the street calling out Mr lean U's name in just a short while the funeral cortage will turn slowly right and onto [Applause] [Music] Commonwealth [Music] singaporeans young and old have gathered along the streets to bid a final [Music] farewell here at commw Wells Avenue we can hear the crowds crying out his name leanu as the cortage passes [Music] by many among them senen senior citizens bowing their heads as a mark of respect as the funeral cage slowly makes its way down Commonwealth Avenue moving on toward its University Cultural Center [Music] also standing as a Silent Witness along with singaporeans are the huge trees and shrubs closely linked to Mr lein new's Legacy he is also known as the chief Gardener of Singapore it all began when he planted a mut tree at Faris circus on June 16th 1963 and since then it has become an annual tradition called tree planting day some 1.4 million trees have been planted along Singapore's roads and across the country's par parks in the past 50 years Mr Lee saw The Greening of Singapore as a way to distinguish it as a first world Oasis in a third world region today almost 50% of Singapore is covered with Greenery Mr Le called Greening the most cost effective project he had ever launched [Music] keep you keep you keep you keep you you keep you [Applause] [Applause] now along Holland rise about Commonwealth Avenue 1 hour 30 minutes in to our live coverage of the state funeral procession for the late Mr lequin you crowds of singaporeans young and old different races all standing together braving the rain holding the national flag waving the flag as the funeral cage passes by OB beide my [Applause] about [Applause] once again singaporeans throwing petals flowers waving the flag calling [Applause] out [Applause] [Applause] we love you [Applause] round [Applause] round the crowds with a large Banner that says thank you and you can hear them singing We are [Applause] [Music] Singapore funeral conge continuing to move along Commonwealth Avenue West working its way towards the Singapore po [Applause] Technic [Applause] [Applause] for [Applause] on the right of the screen Singapore poly Technic Gates the first Singapore poly Technic the 37 hectare campus do do Road Campus cost $42 million to build build and was officially opened by prime minister Lee kuu in 1979 the culmination of five years of work and [Applause] [Applause] planning crowds along the stretch holding balloons with a black ribbon as a mark of respect printing on it waving the balloons and the flags all of them braving the rain having waited patiently for the past hour or so to build a final farewell to Mr lean U [Applause] at Singapore Pol Technic opening Mr Lee said that Singapore must strive to get more students into tertiary institutions of Learning Without lowering entrance standards and that teaching should be for what is relevant to the needs of tomorrow not of yesterday [Applause] up the funeral CZ is slowly moving towards the final stretch of the procession moving towards Clemente and here a special line of honor of military soldiers standing in [Applause] salute [Applause] from clementy Road the motorcade will pass landmarks such as the National University of Singapore at Kentridge and neon po Technic no happy birth line of honor of soldiers leading up to the road to the university Cultural Center [Applause] [Applause] [Music] the cage now moving towards the National University city of [Applause] Singapore the university Cultural Center officially opened on 5th September 2000 and it has been the venue for several of prime min Minister's National Day rallies a key event in the political calendar where the Prime Minister addresses the nation located on the pictures Landscapes of Kent Ridge the university Cultural Center serves as a vibrant Innovative Performing Arts venue for high quality events the line of Honor along the final stretch of the procession mounted by 48 military policemen from the Singapore Armed Forces military police command led by leftenant Colonel Mark tan who heads the plans Branch at headquarters second people's Defense Forces as the procession passes through the military policemen inverted their rifles and bowed their heads as a mark of respect known as resting on arms reversed it signifies the paying of the highest respect to Mr Lee 16 Paul Bear is receiving M at the University Cultural Center they include cabinet colleagues Deputy Prime Minister th shatnam Mr Limu n Secretary General and minister in the prime minister's office other poll bearers include members of the labor movement Mr John depa the longer serving president of the national trades Union Congress the umbrella body for trade unions in Singapore another veteran Union unionist Miss Diana Chia current president of the N others who served Singapore in different capacities and represented how Mr Lee has helped to build a safe secure and harmonious Singapore include Ambassador at large chaning Chi who was Singapore's longest serving ambassador to the United States retired staff sergeant Mr Kung Li take Samuel Lee Mr gmit Singh president of the interreligious organization other Paul barriers include Mr PK xong Fu who contributed to the building of the first MIT lines in the 70s and 80s chairman of the National Water agency or Pub Mr Tang PA from education Mr Wong suong who will be the director general of Education the grandsons of the late Mr Lewan Yu holding the photo of Mr Lee all the grandchildren standing together the coffin barer party now moving into position for the final stage of the state funeral [Applause] procession [Music] forward the officers who formed the coffin Bearer party have removed their ceremonial Cs and they are led by briger General onuchin Commander third division preparing to transfer the coffin from the gun Carriage they will then proceed to shoulder the cket into the university Cultural Center for ni start lower low over also among the PO barers miss kuratu a bin I mean Nashid who received the lein new scholarship to encourage upgrading Miss Lim qu ling a nurse at the Singapore General Hospital Miss Dorothy Han from Capal Fels one of Singapore's largest companies which builds mobile offshore rigs miss an Marie Leong a steward is with Singapore Airlines and representing Mr Lee's achievements in Greening Singapore Mr Wong Tuan W director for conservation at n Parks who oversees Mr Le's beloved estana Gardens from education Mr Wong suong who will be the director general of education and was once head master of Raff [Music] Institution [Music] oh [Music] h the combined band from the Singapore armed forces and the Singapore police force performing George federic handles the dead March from Soul [Music] inside the university Cultural Center leaders from more than 20 countries alongside family members and invited guests [Music] members of the media and interreligious organization in attendance as the coffin barer party slowly makes its way into the Hall of the University Cultural Center Samuel baras Adagio is being played [Music] [Applause] well leaders in attendance waiting for the service to start in just a short while 10 eulogies will be read the first will be by prime minister lisian L followed by President Dr Tony tan and emiritus Senior Minister Old Guard colleague Mr of Mr Lee on Pang bu former cabinet minister s danab Balan former senior minister of State sidik sanif unionist G mukur Masami tanaga Community leader Leong Chun Lun former journalist Cassandra Chu and finally Mr lisan Yang younger son of Mr Lee [Music] h [Applause] [Music] [Music] the master of ceremony to lead the state funeral is Singapore's head of the Civil Service Mr Peter Rong who has been head since [Music] 2010 the Singapore symphony orchestra playing this very moving rendition of Samuel Baba's [Music] Adagio [Music] the mood is pensive and somber as all who have gathered at the University Cultural Center are waiting for the service to begin amongst those who have gathered world leaders former cabinet colleagues members of parliament specially invited guests and students MP's past and present and cabinet ministers gathered here at the University Cultural Center stet wreaths will be a the first state wreath will be presented by prime minister lisan L the second wreath by President Dr Tony tan after the 10 eulogies have been read the lone bugler from the SEF military band will sound the last post marking the end of the day's labor and the start of the night's rest it represents a final salute to Mr leuan Yu the public warning system siren will sound for 15 seconds to Rally all in Singapore to observe a minute of silence and sound again after the minute of Silence following that the Rouse will be sounded a call back to Duty after respect has been paid to the memory of Mr Lee singaporeans across the island will recite the national pledge and sing the national anthem for for as the coffin Bearer party enters the hall at a slow pace later on it will be accompanied by JS Bo air from orchestral suite number three in D Major performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for leaders from more than 20 countries alongside family members and invited guests from the association of Southeast Asian Nations Bai Sultan Hassan Albia Indonesia president Joko Widodo for indiaan prime minister Narendra Modi and flags in India and New Zealand will also today fly at half Mar former US President Bill Clinton Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Cambodian prime minister hunen for ladies and Gentlemen please rise for [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] that's [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] oh you please be seated for family of the late Mr Lewan Yu Mr President prime minister majesties presidents Governor generals Prime Ministers and honored guests singaporeans who are in this Hall and singaporeans who are watching this from all over Singapore and from overseas we are gathered here here this afternoon to pay our last respects to the late Mr Lewan Yu who left us on 23rd March 2015 the Prime Minister will now deliver his eulogy president Tony tan friends family and fellow singaporeans this has been a dark week for Singapore the light that has guided us all these years has been extinguished we've lost our Founding Father Mr leanu who lived and breathed Singapore all his life he and his team led our Pioneer generation to create this island nation Singapore Mr Lee did not set out to be a politician let alone a Statesman as a boy in fact his grandfather wanted him to become an English gentleman but events left an indelible mark on him he'd been a British subject in colonial Singapore he' survived hardship danger and fear in the Japanese Occupation these life experiences drove him to fight for independence in one of his radio talks on the Battle of merger many years ago in 1961 Mr Lee said my colleagues and I are of that generation of young men who went through the second World War and the Japanese Occupation and emerged determined that no one neither the Japanese nor the British had the right to push and kick us around Mr Lee champion Independence for Singapore through merger with Malaya to form a new Federation the Federation of Malaysia he worked tirelessly to bring this about and succeeded unfortunately the merger did not last and before long we were expelled from Malaysia separation was his greatest moment of Anguish but it also proved to be the turning point in Singapore's fortunes From the Ashes of Separation he built a nation the easiest thing to do would have been to appeal to Chinese voter alone after all Singapore had had to leave Malaysia because we were majority Chinese instead Mr Lee went for the nobler dream of a multi-racial multi-religious Nation Singapore would not be based on race language or religion but on fundamental values multiracialism equality meritocracy integrity and rule of law Mr Lee declared this is not a country that belongs to any single Community it belongs to all of us he checked would be racial chauvinists and assured the minorities that their place here was Secure he insisted on keeping our mother tongues even as English became our Common working language he encouraged each group to maintain its culture faith and language while gradually enlarging the common space shared by all together with Mr Esra jnam he enshrined these ideals in the National pledge he kept us safe in a dangerous and tumultuous world with Dr gingu he built the saf from just two infantry battalions and one little wooden ship into a well-trained well equipped well respected fighting force he introduced national service and personally persuaded parents to entrust their sons to the saf he succeeded first because he led by example his two sons did NS just like every Singaporean son in fact my brother and I signed up as regulars in the SCF T and and we went in on saf scholarships secondly people trusted Mr Lee and they believe in the Singapore cause and therefore today we sleep peacefully at night confident that we are well protected Mr Lee gave us courage to face an uncertain future he was a straight talker and he never shied away from hard truths either to himself or to singaporeans his ministers would sometimes urge him to soften the tone of his draft speeches even I would sometimes do that to sound less unyielding to human frailties and often he took in their amendments but he would preserve his core message as he said I always try to be correct not politically correct he was a powerful speaker moving inspiring persuasive in English and Malay and by Dent of a lifelong hard slog in Mandarin and even hwan media Corp has been broadcasting his old speeches on TV this week reminding us that his was the original Singapore role passionate formidable and indomitable above all leanu was a fighter in crisis when all seemed hopeless he was ferocious endlessly resourceful firm in his resolve and steadfast in advancing his cause and thus he saw us through many battles the battle for merger against the Communists which most most people thought the non-communists would lose the fight when we were in Malaysia against the Communist when his own life was in danger separation which cast us out into a hazardous world and then the withdrawal of the British military forces from Singapore which threatened the livelihoods of 150,000 people because he never wavered we didn't falter because he fought we took courage and fought with him and prevailed and thus Mr Lee took Singapore and took us all from the third world to the first in many countries anti-colonial Fighters and heroes would win independence and assume power but then fail fail at nation building because the challenges of bringing a society together growing an economy patiently improving people's lives are very different from their challenges of fighting for Independence mobilizing crowds getting people excited overthrowing a regime but Mr Lee and his team succeeded at nation building just weeks after separation Mr Lee boldly said that 10 years from now this will be a metropolis never fear and indeed he made it happen he instilled discipline and Order ensuring that in Singapore every problem gets fixed he educated our young he transformed Labor Relations from strikes and confrontation to tripartism and cooperation he campaigned to upgrade skills and to raise productivity calling this effort a marathon with no Finish Line he enables his economic team gingu honen Lim kimsan to design and carry out plans to attract Investments grow the economy and create prosperity and jobs as he said I settled the political conditions so that tough policies could be executed however Mr Lee was also clear that while the development of the economy is very important equally important is the development of the nature of our society so he built an inclusive Society where everyone enjoyed the fruits of progress education became the foundation for good jobs and Better Lives hdb New Town sprung up one after another Queenstown dapa Ango to be followed by many more we had roofs over our heads and we became a nation of homeowners with Mr Devon n in The N he transformed the union movement into a positive force cooperating with employers and with the government to improve the lot of workers Mr Lee cared for the people whom he served the people of Singapore people when SAR struck in 2003 he worried about taxi drivers whose livelihoods were affected because tourists had dried up and he pressed us hard for ways to find to find ways to help the taxi drivers M Lee also cared for the people who served him one evening just a few years ago he rang me up one of my mother's wsos women's security officers was having difficulty conceiving a child and he wanted to help her and he asked me whether I knew how to help her to adopt a child so Miss Lee was concerned for people not just in the abstract but personally and individually internationally Mr Lee raised Singapore standing in the world he was wasn't just a perceptive Observer of world affairs but a Statesman who articulated Singapore's International interests and enlarged our strategic space at crucial turning points from the British withdrawal east of Suz to the Vietnam War to the rise of China his views and Council influenced thinking and decisions in many capitals in the process he built up a wide network of friends in and out of power he knew every Chinese leader from mounton and every US president from Lyndon Johnson he established close rapport with President Sarto of Indonesia one of our most important relationship relationships others he knew included tanging Margaret Thatcher Helmut Schmidt George schules as well as President Bill Clinton and Henry krissinger whom who we are honored to have here with us this afternoon they all valued his cander and his insight as M Mrs Thatcher said Mr Lee had a way of penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique Clarity the issues of our time and the way to tackle them he was never wrong and hence despite being small Singapore's voes heard heard and we enjoy far more influence on the world stage than we have any reason to expect Mr Lee didn't Blaze this path alone he was the outstanding leader of an exceptional team a team which included gingu estam Osman walk Huen Lim kimsan toin chai hangun Deon Na and quite a number more they were his comrades and he never forgot them so it's very good that Mr angang Bon is here today with us to speak about Mr Lee later on thank you Mr on Mr Lee received many accolades and Awards in his long life but he wore them lightly when he received the freedom of the city of London in 1982 he said I feel like a conductor at a concert bowing to Applause but unable to turn around and invite the accomplished musicians in his orchestra to rise and receive the Ovation for the music they have played for running a government is not unlike running an orchestra and no prime minister ever achieves much without an able team of players because he worked with a strong team and not alone because because people knew that he cared for them and not for himself and because he had faith that singaporeans would work with him to achieve great things Mr Lee won the trust and confidence of singaporeans the pioneer generation who had lived through the crucial years had a deep bond with him I once met a lady who owned a successful fried rice restaurant she told me tell Mr liwanu I will always support him I was born in 1948 and I'm 48 years old the year was 1996 there was some issue then and this question had come up I know what he has done for me and Singapore she and her generation knew that to use a Chinese phrase if you follow Liu you will survive Mr Lee imbued Singapore with his personal traits he built Singapore to be clean and Corruption free his home was Spartan his habits were Frugal he wore the same jackets for years and patched up the worn bits instead of buying new ones he imparted these values to the government government and even when old and frail on his 90th birthday when he came to Parliament and MP celebrated his birthday in Parliament he reminded them that Singapore must remain clean and Incorruptible and that MPS and ministers had to set the example he pursued his ideas with tremendous and infectious energy he said of himself I put myself down as determined consistent persistent I set out to do something I keep on chasing it until it succeeds that's all easy to say very few do it and this was how he seized opportunities seeing and realizing possibilities that many others missed so it was he who pushed to move PBA airport to Changi it was he who rejected the then convention wisdom that mnc's were rapacious and exploitative and he woed foreign investments from mnc's personally to bring us advanced technology to bring us overseas markets to create for us good jobs he wasn't afraid to change his mind when a policy was no longer relevant when he saw that our birth rates were falling below replacement more than 30 years ago he scrapped the stop at two policy and started encouraging couples to have more children having upheld a very conservative approach to supervising our financial sector for many years he eventually decided the time had come to rethink and liberalize but to do so in a controlled way and this was how Singapore's Financial Center took off in a new wave of growth to become what it is today he was always clear what strategy to follow but never so fixed to an old strategy as to be blind to the need to change course when the world changed nothing exemplifies this better than water security which was a lifelong Obsession of his he entrenched the pu's two water agreements with jeor in the separation agreement he personally managed all aspects of our water talks with Malaysia he launched water saving campaigns he built reservoirs he turned most of the island into water catchment to collect the rain to process to use he cleaned up the Singapore River and kalang Basin he dreamed of the marina barrage long before it became feasible and persevered for decades until finally technology caught up and it became feasible and it became a reality and he lived to see it become a reality when pu invented new water and desalination became viable he backed these new technologies enthusiastically so the result today is Singapore has moved towards self-sufficiency in water become a leader in water Technologies and turn the vulnerability into strength so perhaps it's appropriate that today for his State funeral the heavens open and cried for him Greening Singapore was another of his passions on travels when he came across trees or plants that might grow well here he'd collect saplings and seeds and hand carry them back home he used theana grounds as a nursery and would personally personally check on the health of the trees not just in general but individual particular trees if they had names he would know their names he knew that the names of the scientific names Singapore's Prime Minister was also the chief Gardener of the city in a garden he had a Relentless drive to improve and continued to learn well into old age at 70 to write his Memoirs he started learning how to use his computer every so often he would call me for help sometimes late late at night and I would give him a phone consultation and talking through the steps how to save a file how to find a document which has vanished somewhere on his hard drive and if he couldn't find me he would consult my wife he made a ceaseless effort to learn Mandarin over decades he listened to tapes of his teacher talking conversing with him every day in the morning while shaving at home in the evening while exercising at Street deasi and he kept up his Mandarin classes all his life indeed his last appointment on the 4th of February this year before he was taken Gravely ill early the next morning was with his Mandarin tutor he inspired all of us to give up our best and he was constantly thinking about Singapore at One National Day rally in 1988 he declared even from my sick bed even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong I will get up and he meant that indeed even after he left the cabinet occasionally he would still raise with me issues which he felt strongly about during the budget debate two years ago almost exactly two years ago MPS hotly debated the cost of living public transport and so many other matters then preoccupying singaporeans Mr Lee felt we had lost sight of the fundamentals that underpinned our survival he emailed me he sent me a draft speech he told me he wanted to speak in the chamber to remind singaporeans of these unchanging hard truths what our survival depended upon but I persuaded him to leave the task to me and my ministers and he took my advice but his biggest worry was that younger singapor would lose the Instinct for what made Singapore tick and this was why he continued writing books into his '90s bilingualism hard truths one man's view of the world and at least one more Guided by him still in the process of being written on the history of the papap why did he do this so that a new generation of singaporeans could learn from his experience and understand what their security prosperity and future depended on one of Miss Le's greatest legacies Was preparing Singapore to continue beyond him he believed that the leader's toughest job was ensuring succession so he systematically identified and groomed a team of successes he made way for Mr goong to become Prime Minister after him but stayed on in Mr Go's cabinet to help the new team succeed he provided stability and experience and quietly helped to build up Mr Go's Authority he knew how to guide without being obtrusive To Be watchful while letting the new team develop its own style its own authority he described himself like a mascot but everyone knew how special this masket was and how lucky we were to have such a masket and it was likewise when I took over Mr go became senior Minister Mr Lee became Minister Mentor a title which he felt reflected his new role not in command but advice not to be taken lightly increasingly he left policy issues to us but he would share with us his reading of world affairs and his advice on major problems which he saw over the horizon some other Prime Ministers told me that they couldn't imagine what it was like to have two former PMS in my cabinet but I told them it worked both for me and for Singapore for all his public duties Mr Lee also had his own family my mother was a big part of his life they were deeply loving couple she was his loyal spouse and Confidant going with him everywhere ing over him helping with his speeches and keeping home and Heth warm they were a perfect team and wonderful parents when my mother died he was bed he felt the devastating loss of a lifetime partner who as he said had helped him to become what he was my father left the upbringing of the children largely to my mother but he was the head of the family and he cared deeply about us us both when we were small and long after we had grown up he wasn't very demonstrative much less was he touchy feely so not new age but he loved us deeply after my first wife mingyang died my parents suggested that I tried meditation they gave me some books to read mindfulness Tranquility meditation I read the books where I didn't make much progress I think my father had tried meditation too also not too successfully his teacher told me later that when he told Mr Lee to relax still his mind and let go he replied but what will happen to Singapore if I let go when I had lymphoma he suggested that I try meditation more seriously he thought it it help me to fight the cancer he found me a teacher spoke to him personally and with a good teacher to guide me I made better progress in his old age after my mother died my father started meditating again and this time with help fromong whom he knew from GIC Kong brought a friend to see my father the friend was a Benedict monk who did Christian meditation my father was not a Christian but he was happy to learn from a Benedictine Monk and he even called me to suggest that I meet the monk which I did he probably felt I needed to resume meditation too and to give you some context this was a few months after the 2011 general election I was by then nearly 16 and he was by then nearly 90 but to him I was still his son to be worried over and to me he was still a father to love and appreciate just like when I was small so this morning before the ceremonies began at Parliament House we had a few minutes I sat by him and meditated of course growing up as my Father's son could not but mean being exposed to politics very early I remember as a little boy I knew his constituency was tanong paga I was proud of him becoming legal advisor to so many trade unions and I was excited by The Hub up at Oxley Road whenever elections happened and our home became the election office I remember when we were preparing to join Malaysia in the early 60s going along with my father on constituency visits the Fang Wun tours which he made to every corner of Singapore for him it was backbreaking work week after week every weekend rallying the people's support for a supremely important decision about Singapore's future for me these were not just Sunday outings but also an early political education I remember election night in 1963 The crucial general election when the pap defeated the pro communist barisan socialist my mother sent sent me to bed early but I lay awake in bed to listen to the election results until the pap had won enough seats to form the government again and then I think I fell asleep I remember the day he told me while we were playing golf at the estana that should anything happen to him he wanted me to look after my mother and my younger brother and sister I remember the night the children slept on the floor in my parents' bedroom at tamasi house in gualo because the house was full of ministers who had come up from Singapore and every so often my father would get up from bed to make a note about something before lying down to rest again but obviously he wasn't asleep and the date was 7th of August 1965 two days before separation growing up with my father living through those years with him made me what I am this year is the 50th anniversary of Singapore's Independence we all wanted Mr Lee to be present with us on August the 9th to celebrate this Milestone more than anybody else it was he who fought for multiracialism which ultimately led to our independence as a sovereign Republic it was he who United our nation built our people built United our people built our nation and made our 50th Anniversary worth celebrating sadly it is not to be but we can feel proud and happy that Mr Lee lived to see his life's work come to fruition at last year's National Day Parade When Miss Lee appeared and waved and it appeared on the big screen on the floating platform the crowd gave him the most deafening cheer of the whole parade last November the people's Action Party celebrated its diamond anniversary at the Victoria Concert Hall where Mr Lee founded the party 60 years ago party members were so happy to see that Mr Lee could be there they gave him a rousing emotional Standing Ovation those of us who were there will never forget it St Paul's Cathedral in London was built by Sir Christopher Ren a famous architect he was the architect of the cathedral and he is buried in the cathedral which was his masterpiece peace there's a Latin Epitaph on his grave and it reads see monumentum requ circum it means if you seek his monument look around you Mr lianu built Singapore to those who seek Mr Liu's Monument singaporeans can reply proudly look around you now let me continue in Malay and then Mandarin s Saar fellow Sans we have lost a leader who had guided us inspired us United us and laid the foundation for our success this includes the racial Harmony that we have been enjoying all this while it is the result result of Mr Lee's deep commitment to strengthen interracial and interreligious ties among the different races and religions in Singapore a vision that is also strongly supported by the malays Mr Lee deeply appreciated the solid support of the malays for his vision and the P especially when Singapore was still part of Malaysia without the support of the days then it is highly likely that Singapore today would have turned out differently so when Singapore gained independence Mr Lee was determined to ensure that the minorities have their place in Singapore forever his commitment in helping the Malay Muslim Community to progress was apparent he laid the found ation for the formation of the mosque building fund so that the community could build mosqu in every housing estate through contributions from every working Muslim Mr Lee also believed that education is the main key to uplift the Malay Community for this reason he strongly supported the setting up of the Mandi Foundation to help needy Malay to and families while we are saddened by Mr Le depa let us honor and celebrate his spirit and contributions let us continue efforts to develop Singapore strengthen our multi-racial and multi-religious society and work together as one United people just as Mr Lea fought for all his life now in Singapore's development and success were in were in inex inextricably linked to Mr Le's personality and ideals if Mr Lee and his colleagues had chosen a different path or did not have the vision and determination to fight for and defend Singapore's Independence Singapore would definitely not be what it is day Mr Lee gave his all and worked hard to build Singapore his Moto was for Singapore to continue to thrive we must always be vigilant and never rest on our Laurels we have to apply wisdom and creativity and keep persevering to continually remake Singapore then this island State can Safeguard its interests be relevant to the world and be recognized internationally Mr Lee devoted his whole life to serving the nation and realized his lifelong aspiration to build a rugged society and a vibrant nation in his Twilight years he was heartened to see Singapore's continued stability prosperity and growth even after he had stepped down a humble and King learner Mr Lee was a model of lifelong learning in fact he was attending his regular mandering lesson on the very night before he was last admitted to hospital Mr Lee was blessed with a happy family and the loving marriage he and the late Madame quu were loving couple his three children have successful careers and are contributing to society in his later years he was fortunate to enjoy his grandchildren's company while we grieve for the loss of our founding prime minister we are also deeply grateful that he had led Singapore on his remarkable Journey which has now entered its 50th year as we remember him let us not forget his vision for Singapore his love for this country Let Us carry on his perseverance and dedication to continue the Singapore miracle so that Mr Lee will not have to worry about his future may he rest in peace I said the light that has guided us all these years has been extinguished but that's not quite so for Mr Le's principles and ideals continue to inv liate this government and to guide our people his life will inspire singaporeans and others for generations to come Mr Lee once said that we intend to see that Singapore will be here a thousand years from now and that's your duty and mine Mr Lee has done his duty and more it remains our duty to continue his life's work to carry the torch forward and keep the flame burning bright over the past month the outpouring of good wishes prayers and support from singaporeans as Mr Lee l ill has been overwhelming and even more so since he passed away on Monday people of all Races from all walks of life young and old here and abroad have mourned him hundreds of thousands cured patiently for hours in the hot sun and through the night to pay respects to him at the Parliament House I visited the queue on the Padang many singaporeans not so few non- singaporeans who came out of deep respect and a sense of compulsion that here was a man they wanted to do honor to many more wrote heartfelt messages and took part in tribute ceremonies at Community sites all over the island thousands of overseas singaporeans gathered in our embassies and consulates to remember Mr Lee and later in this Funeral Service all of us in this Hall across our Island and in Far flung lands will'll observe a minute of Silence say the national pledge and sing maula Singapura together we have all lost a father we grieve as one people one nation but in our grief we've displayed the best of Singapore ordinary people going to Great Lengths to distribute refreshments and umbrellas to the crowd and help one another in the queue late into the night citizen soldiers home team officers cleaners all working tirelessly ly Around the Clock our shared sorrow has brought us together and made us stronger and more Resolute we come together not only to mourn we come together also to rejoice in Mr Liu's long and full life and what he has achieved with us his people in Singapore we come together to pledge ourselves to continue building this exceptional country let us shape this island nation into one of the great cities in the world reflecting the ideals he stood for realizing the dreams he inspired and worthy of the people who have made Singapore a home nation thank you Mr leanu may you rest in peace the president will now deliver his eulogy prime minister Leong and the family of the late Mr Lewan Yu excellencies distinguished guests friends and fellow singaporeans on behalf of all singaporeans my wife Mary and I convey our deepest condolences to prime minister Lee and the family of the late Miss Lewan Yu on Mr Le's passing today Singapore bids farewell to our country's first prime minister the founder of our modern Republic as a nation we mourn a man who made a difference a man who shape our very identity as a society a man who was devoted to ensuring that Singapore succeeded where no one thought we could but we do not mourn alone Mr Le's impact stretched far beyond our Shores ER raised the profile of our Republic earning respect and admiration around the world on behalf of Singapore I thank the many friends of Mr Lee friends of Singapore who have traveled great distances to be with us today two years ago I asked to visit Mr Lee to see how he was doing with Mr Lee's increasing Frailty and out of respect I plan to meet him at his office Mr Lee however was adamant that he should come to my office it took him a great deal of effort but he did it as a mark of respect for the Office of the President this incident was more than a matter of protocol to me it demonstrated Mr Le's strong regard for our constitution for the institutions of our state and even though he played a lead role in creating these institutions he also knew that they had to be greater than any one man it is often said that singaporeans are a pragmatic people and we are but we are also fundamentally a nation built on ideals Mr Lee once said each generation is fired by his own vision of the ideal Society in the ideal world the ideal can never be achieved but because men have ideals those societies progress Mr Lee's ideals were clear he believed in them and he lived them meritocracy honesty Integrity when Mr Lee became prime minister in 1959 he pulled together a strong team of leaders from diverse backgrounds he ensured that positions in government were filled by the most capable people rather than those with connections or money Mr Lee took severe measures to curb corruption a root cause of inequality he put in place tough laws to investigate those suspected of corruption and heavy penalties for those caught taking bribes by ensuring that our government and economy stayed honest accountable and free of corruption Mr Lee assured investors and companies that Singapore was a right place for their Investments companies from around the world came and continue to come to Singapore creating opportunities for employment learning and growth for singaporeans Mr Lee demanded without compromise complete Integrity in personal and professional Matters from himself his family and his colleagues he said in Parliament in 1979 the moment key leaders are less than Incorruptible less than Stern in demanding high standards from from that moment the structure of administrative Integrity will weaken and eventually crumble to make sure that our Public Services were working well to serve the people he made unannounced visits to inspect our hdb Estates hospitals parks and other public places Integrity however was more than the basis for a strong economy and a capable government Mr Lee had a vision of Singapore as a fair and a just society today all singaporeans have the opportunity to contribute too and benefit from Singapore's development regardless of race or Rel religion connections or family background through his personal example Mr Lee embedded a sense of Integrity into our very identity as a nation with Integrity as our nation's Bedrock Miss Lee Forge a cohesive society that shares common values and experiences across races and religions when Singapore gained independence we were a fractured and divided Society this past week singaporeans from all walks of life came together to mourn the loss of Mr Lee large numbers of singaporeans CED patiently for for hours to pay their last respects at Parliament House and Community tribute sites across the island many individuals and businesses offered shelter and refreshments to those who have been waiting in line lending a helping hand to fellow singaporeans this would have made Mr Lee very proud this was what he had worked for his whole life to build a United people who respect and care for one another as fellow citizens every national day we look forward to seeing Mr Lee I remember vividly our national day parade 2 years ago there had been some uncertainty about Mr Lee's Health while I was waiting to enter the floating platform to officiate the parade suddenly I heard a huge Roar a a cheer the biggest that day my staff in for me that Mr Lee had just made his entrance to take his seat that raw captured the feelings of a nation of all of us towards Mr Lee it rang with respect affection friendship and deep emotional attachment it is not something something that can be easily put into words but I know that all singaporeans in their hearts understand what I'm talking about it was the sound of one nation united we will miss Mr Lee at this year's National Day Parade but he will be foremost in our minds and in our hearts over the past week we have mourned the passing of a man and an era there will never be another legal gu you no one person can take his place nor do what he did but Mr Lee believed passionately that Singapore had to be greater than any single individual when Mr Lee stepped down as prime minister a quarter of a century ago he was still in good health he had many more years to contribute but he knew that Singapore would always be a work in progress that each generation needs its own leaders now is the time for us to take up the torch to further the ideals upon which Singapore was built and to make them our own there is a well-known saying most famously used by Isaac Newton and I quote if I have seen further It Is by standing on the shoulders of giants unquote we are held a Love by Mr Lee and our founding generation they have given us the foundation the ability and a confidence look forward to the future to shape an even better Singapore for all singaporeans together we can respond to challenges together we can create new opportuni ities for our children and grandchildren in Singapore this is Mr Lee's Legacy for us we must continue to pursue our ideals with courage and commitment and so I call on all singaporeans to honor the memory of Mr Lee by working together to achieve happiness prosperity and progress for our Singapore this will be our tribute to Mr leeu good goodbye Miss Lee may your soul rest in [Applause] peace dear Meritus senior Minister will now deliver his eulogy Mr President family members of the late Mr Lewan youu friends Mr leanu gave his life to us to truly appreciate this you had to have mared alongside him in his long political Journey or study him closely his words and actions his ideas and vision his values and philosophy or carried Along by his passion in building a nation and improving the lives of singaporeans or LIF his worries day in and day out to singaporeans he he was our first prime minister our leader who fought for independence the man who turned Singapore from third world to First our national father for me he would always be my teacher I first met Mr Lee in 1958 when I went to his office to invite him to speak to my school he was the leader of the opposition later I nervously checked the talk to a packed hole that was my high point in school Mr leanu was Singapore but it surprised me that he had earned that accolate just two years after Singapore's Independence on the field trip with my class of international students to Puerto Rico in 1967 a PTO Rican excitedly shouted Chino Chino when they saw me I shouted back Singapore he replied leean youu Mr Lee drove his people hard because he had to toughen fleshling Singapore quickly as he put it he had to account for the lives of millions of singaporeans he red in United A desperate population to share a common identity he braved in Neary long-term painful policies Farmers would resettled and land acquired old malls and temples mway for public housing roads and schools gangsters and Drug traffickers were detained without trial some people alleged that these policies lacked compassion but Mr Lee taught people how to fish and brought fish to Singapore Waters he housed and scool millions he gave us safe streets and parks he was a leader not a populist politician the outpouring of grief gratitude and love for him says it all people know that Mr Lee did immense good for them Mr Lee consulted wiely with colleagues and people he trusted he told his backbenchers to bring out the people's concerns and gossip from the coffee shops and the Haw Center Mr Lee never muzzled anyone but he robustly defended his convictions and Singapore's interests very often to the discomfort of his critics to those he believed to out to destroy Singapore he put on his knuckle dusters Mr Lee was a good teacher he was always scanning the future anticipating challenges preempting problems and thinking of solutions he shared with the cabinet useful articles his conversations with world leaders and insights from overseas trips he studied best practices and explored innovative ideas for Singapore where there were no precedence he thought out creative and innovative solutions Mr Lee was a warrior he worried incessantly whether Singapore will survive after he and the old God were gone he wanted to be judged on this not by the city he had built and the lives he had improved as Singapore prospered and hard times and history forgotten he did not believe that able committed and honest leaders would emerge naturally unlike his generation were born with fire in the Bellys to fight for independence multi-racial equality and a fair and just society and so Mr Lee single-mindedly planned for leadership succession he emphasized character motivation commitment and ability over academic grades he underlined the importance of having the moral authority to govern in pushing for leadership renewal he had to cut short the political careers of his old colleagues this was painful for him he said that it was emotionally difficult but necessary I had to do it whatever my own feelings I know he felt for them he would occasionally ask me about them learning from Mr Lee I to planned for leadership renewal he was surprised when soon after the 2001 general election I intimated my intention to step down he told me that there was no hurry I explained that Deputy Prime Minister lisan L was already approaching 50 I wanted to give him a long Runway to lead Singapore and developed the fourth generation leadership after I took over as prime minister Mr Lee was punctious in observing the protocol of my office he made sure he arrived before me for all events as I respected him as my Elder and Mentor I told him to dispense with this practice at nonformal events but he explained that it was important to observe this protocol otherwise people might draw the wrong conclusion that he did not respect me and take the queue from there I valued Mr Lee's advice when he was senior minister in my cabinet he sought to understand my thinking and objectives and suggest the refinements and sometimes alternatives to my policies and programs but he always made it clear that the Deion was my to make he was a supported a resource and data Bank we launched regularly our conversations never drifted far from his life's work we shared many common concerns including the emerging trend of income certification and social fragmentation he worried about almost every aspect of Singapore he never ceased sharing and I kept on learning once in a while he showed his soft side we talk about our families and health after Mrs Lee's death I glimpsed how lonely and sad he was sadly we had to discontinue our lunches in 2013 because of his health sadly his physical health declined sadly Mr Lee is gone I cannot put his legacy more eloquently than his old God comrade the late s reram he wrote there's one Monument which I think will bring warmth and comfort to him in the Twilight years of his life and that is a city and society which he more than anybody else has literally built out of nothing the question today is not what Mr Lee has done what he has done is on record and indelible but whether the city and Society has buil when du after he's gone and how much of the past they will help shape the future you'll be remembered and understood by succeeding Generations Mr Lee has completed his life Journey it transformed Our Lives it touched our hearts we grieve but I believe Mr Le would say what to do this is life he would want us to move on with the Singapore story he would want us to fight our own battles and Conquer our own Peaks he would want Singapore to succeed long after he's gone we must honor him I've seen and heard many acts of kindness over the past week singapor helping those who need help staying strong together even as we mourn this shared compassionate moment is a people's tribute to Mr Lee let us stay United across race and language religion across young and old AC across rich and poor across our whole society to write an exciting sequel to his and our Singapore story thank you Mr [Applause] Lee Mr Ang Pang member of the first cabinet will now deliver his eulogy the first time I heard of Mr leanu was during the 1952 postal worker strike when I was a student at the University of Malaya at the time the English and Chinese papers reported widely on how this legal advisor representing the unions argued successfully against the colonial government for the unions and workers welfare like many other young people I was deeply impressed by This brilliant lawyer so when the P decided to contest the 1955 election I did not hesitate to support the papap as a volunteer and was assigned to be m Le election agent but after the election my employer posted me to qualo and I thought that was the end of my political involvement in 1956 Mr Lee was on route to the Cameron Highlands for a holiday with his wife and eldest son and arranged to see me at a qual lumor station hotel to my surprise he asked me to join the pap as his organizing secretary I was determined to join the battle for independence from Colonial rule and accepted his offer without the second thought enjoying the March for change I have never regretted that decision as the P's organizing secretary I have to work closely with Secretary General Lee and other exco members this gave me a better understanding of Mr Lee he was a consumate and farsighted politician maximizing every opportunity to advance his political advantage and the P's interests although English educated he understood that power rested with the pro communist students from Chinese schools and the trade unions hence he was always worried that the P could be hijacked by the pro communists we fought with the pro communist several times in the early years but we won because Mr Lee had the strong support of likeminded comrades like Dr toing chai Dr go kingu and s rajar ratam in 1959 the P won the general election on the back of the Chinese educated voters of Singapore I joined the first Pap cabinet with Mr Lee as Singapore's first prime minister he was a dedicated prime minister with broad perspectives during cabinet meeting there would sometimes be differing views on certain issues but after active discussions he was able to accept alternative views and ideas I served in the cabinet until 1984 what struck me most about Mr Lee was his complete passion for Singapore he spent every moment thinking of how he could improve Singapore and singaporeans lives once he decided that a certain policy was in the interest of his beloved Singapore he would implement it even if it meant making himself unpopular there were critics who disagreed with Mr Lee's policies but I believe the man should be measured on the following considerations first everything Mr Lee did was to make Singapore better he could be forceful towards his political Co opponents and those who disagreed with him but throughout his life he was always wholeheartedly fighting for the best interest of this small and vulnerable Nation second without to Mr Lee the Singapore story will be quite different he was the lightning rod that galvanized The Pioneer Group of Pap leaders and grassroot supporters in our battles first against colonial rule and then the pro Communists and communalists in short Mr Leu was a farsighted leader who had the courage to realize his vision without him Singapore will not be what it is [Applause] today Mr s danab Balan former cabinet Min Minister will now deliver his eulogy as one who worked closely with Mr Leon you for period I want to focus on just four aspects of his leadership that remain with me first here an absolute Obsession to ensure an honest corruption-free political process and public administration system he had seen the damage a nation and Society suffer When well-meaning leaders allow those close to them to take advantage of their position Mr Lee demanded and expected honesty and probity from political colleagues from his equivalent of the Long March comrades public servants and from all members of his family he was seen as a hard-hearted man who acted without feelings but on the few occasions he discussed privately with me the decision to act against someone I know that he agonized over the decision he was convinced that a soft-hearted approach would undermine the ethos he wanted to embed deeply in public service the second second point is how he planned succession what is still Vivid in my mind is the time and mental energy he spent to prepare us for the responsibilities ahead much of the time in cabinet meetings was spent with him sharing his experience in politics in policym and policy implementation he circulated and discussed critically essays and commentaries from journalists journals and newspapers when he made official visits and went to conferences he always made it a point to take a few of us in the younger team along with him to familiarize us with how to interact with the leaders of other nations and observe how to Pro get a better understanding of global events he would always try to seek the relevance to Singapore of his as well as our observations we were deeply sensitized to looking at everything in terms of what we could do in and for Singapore or equally important what we should avoid doing Mr Lee never tired of repeating his War Stories observations and conclusions about events and personalities to me he was Minister Mentor from the time I started working with him the third point is the way he took decisions the myth is that he brooked no opposition to what he wanted and that the cabinet members merely fell in line that was not my experience he argued tirelessly to get cabinet to accept his views not because it was a PM's view but because of the strength of his arguments I think he felt he had failed were he not able to convince his cabinet colleagues when he spoke as prime minister at important occasions he spent he sent drafts of his speeches to his colleagues for views and suggestions before he settled the final version the idea that he expected his steam to follow him like a her of sheep without question completely misrepresents the man and his values the last Point concerns his reputation as the complete political pragmatist who did not allow idealism to get in the way of what would work in and for Singapore he was a pragmatist yet in a very deep sense he was an idealist he was obsessed with not only what would work in Singapore but what the feel and tumber of our society should be this is well illustrated by his approach to the language policy in a population comprising 75% Chinese the easiest way to ensure political support and electoral support would have been to Champion Chinese language and behind that Chinese CH shavinism he was convinced that for our nation to be distinct and different from other nations we had to be multilingual with English as a main language of administration and commerce but each racial group must maintain its cultural identity with the mother tongue as a second language to convert Chinese schools into National type schools and push for Mandarin against Chinese dialects were the acts of an idealist not the acts of a pragmatist today we come to say our FW well to Mr Le on you who is in a complete sense the father of all Singapore that we know up to the very end he was committed to this nation in the words of Tennison though made Weak by time and fate he remained strong in will determined not to rust unburnished but to shine in use farewell sir Mr sedc bin sanif former senior minister of state will now now deliver his eulogy so when Mr Lee asked me to stand as a candidate in the 19 1976 general elections I was surprised my decision to accept his offer to stand as a p candidate created quite a stir in the Malay Community just a few years earlier I had Express differing views from the government about education was a tough Taskmaster but always full of advice never waffle he would say be open be attentive firm but above all be polite his advice was to concentrate on education this would ensure our children would go on to become trustworthy Trustees of our nation when he when they grw up I am most grateful to Mr Lee for fully supporting the formation of the Mandi foundation in 1979 when I was to accompany hen then Minister of Finance to China Mr Lee asked me if I could take the cold Chinese winter do you have and over Court he asked I said that I would buy one no don't waste money he replied don't waste money after pausing he said ah has good Overcoat borrow from him what about boots to cover your shoes for walking I said I didn't have any but I would buy a pair no no don't waste money he paused borrow from Chong so off I went to China with a Bor overcoat and a Bor pair of boots Mr Lee believed in frugality both in his personal life as well as nationally and he worked the thought the episode is an example and also showed his fatherly character and his fatherly character and sharp eye for detail speaking of not being wasteful Mr Lee disliked wasting time he was not one to procrastinate in 2010 when I presented him with a copy of my book of speeches and news articles entitled The Singapore Malay Paradigm he sent me a personal note of best wishes a few days later I felt touched by his gesture and replied that the book would not have been possible but for Mr Le's foresight he responded on that very day itself with his own handwriting he said thank you C several opportunities to accompany him abroad when he Tred travel to Israel and Jordan in 1995 I was on the Singapore delegation Israeli Prime Minister yakin and Jordan's King Hussein both entertained us in their respective homes this was a classic example of Jewish and Arab Hospitality at most appreciation and respect being bestowed on our former prime minister a respect tinted in gold fellow singaporeans today we register our deepest respect and appreciation to this great man Mr Lee was the embodiment of the term Statesman someone who comes along once every few decades to make an indelible mark on society and the World At Large to his family the nation shares your sorrow that you feel please accept our heartfelt condolences may you be consoled in the knowledge that our Founding Father your father had lived a long and meaningful life singaporeans are indeed indepted to him let me recite a malan or short poem quatrine means that monetary debts can be paid off but depths of Good Deeds cannot be rep repay a person brings such depths to his grief there is also a Malay saying which means that a person who has done many great deeds will always be remembered Mr Lee we would like to assure you that your legacy remains intact we shall always cherish your advice especially in governing you said if you want to be popular all the time you will misg govern said he if you want to be popular all the time you will misg govern and you always Ed us to be pragmatic and above all we insisted we remain honest and clean two characters that has deep solid meaning p m m s m m mm farewell Farewell My friend [Applause] farewell Mr G Mutu kumaras Sami trade unionist will now deliver his eulogy Singapore Singapore re a few words about Singapore's former prime minister Mr Leu thank you for the opportunity given to me to say a few words there is so much to talk about Mr Lee not only an outstanding human being but an outstanding father as far as I know when I first saw him I was very proud today I'm standing here not only as a laborer but a trade unionist leader that glory is credited to him when I was young my father would often tell me about Mr Le because of him our Indian Community has progressed if not none of them would stand on their own feet because during those days my father used to say that most Indian families will not allow their woman to work there was a cultural boundary limiting only men to work as such it was very difficult for those families some children had to stop their studies halfway how to manage the families in such a situation with single incomes low income Mr Lee knew about this well upon knowing this he wanted to pay for pathway for the Indian Community he announced he asked Indian woman to join the workforce and gave the Assurance he wanted to protect the woman who come home from from work late in the night also he announced the housing plans encouraging people to allow women to work so that housing became affordable such fundamentals were formulated and many Indian woman started going to work that's why they are able to stand on their own feet I'm proud of it if he didn't do that then this would not have happened today it's a big thing it's a big Glory my father used to say this to me after some time after I finished finished my education I went to work I was an apprentice Wan at PWD many people told me guess what they said our prime minister Mr leanu is a person who gets angry very often if he dislikes he will fire someone I was not bothered about it I kept on doing my work once they brought me to work at Changi Cottage holid bangal when we got there we serviced the air conditioning system we didn't know who is coming to stay in that Bangalore we went there because there was work to do when I was servicing the airon in that room I suddenly saw Mr leanu Enter the room he gazed upon us how will you feel previous they warned us that he was a person who gets angry very often we were scared we couldn't do anything even then we controlled our minds we climbed down the ladder he asked us have you finished the work yes sir where is your supervisor outside bring him in we brought him in he told my I asked you to do the job not him now do it in front of me he was actually doing it we were confused we were worried that we had not done the job correctly when we kept quiet my reporting officer told me that he will tell me the meaning later when everything was completed Mr Lee finished in one sentence from now I must not see you in I must not see you in Chi holiday bangal look at how who will get this strictness only my father who has passed on Mr Le till now I think of him of what my father said about him we must live with a principle like him a duty commitment like him his philosophy and principle doesn't disappear at any point of time only because he formulated things as such then we are well off today also he was a good father for all the unions in one of his medday speeches he urged that employers must be such and employees must be such and the government must be such all three forces must work in one way you must sit down discuss and Implement he taught us in detail who will teach us like that apart from teaching us the details on that M speech he urged the lowincome workers to come forward there are a lot of causes for them to come forward and learn and progress he asked them to upgrade their skills many low-income workers upon hearing his advice did so they became technicians they became Engineers they learned handcraft skills I was one of them and I'm proud of them if he didn't do that that day we wouldn't have progressed today all this Glory goes to him and I pray for that Mr you I pray to God for your soul to rest in [Applause] peace Mr L Chun Lun and janaga Community leader will now deliver his eulogy Mr President family members of the late Mr lewo friends today we mourn the loss of the country's first prime minister Mr Le guu I've been a grassroot leader in tanaga constituency for 39 years I'm privileged to be able to stand here today to pay tribute to Mr lewo I consider him my leader and my friend his departure not only is a loss for the country but also a deep personal loss for myself having worked closely with him for so many years I have developed a profound respect and admiration of Mr Lee I now wish to share with you some stories of my encounters with him with this great man throughout these years back in the early days in Chinese New Year celebration would kick off with lightting of firecrackers and follow with singing of the national anthem and at a particular case when the firecrackers has been lit but it never go off getting a bit impatient the MC decided to carry on and play the national anthem but the moment that started the firecracker went off LLY so it sound very funny at that time but the Mr Lee was not amused at all he told us later that if we can't even do this things right how do we run the country the incident show us how serious he was about all things concerning Singapore and how he he always expected us to do our best Mr Lee care for his people as at a tanaga family day function we had uh set up a stage for the days activities the key officials were sitting on the stage and the resident was sitting in front of the stage the place was hot and sunny Mr Lee noticed that residents are piring and he turned and asked what are we going to do about it now he was always thinking of about the people and he expected us to put all the interest our interest above should not put our interest above uh the residents at constituency dinner Mr Lee light the seat with grassroot leaders so that he could talk to them we would we have always been arranging the seting such that as his old that his old friends would be SE on road to his table it would take him some time to get to his table as he would stop by to speak to every familiar faces when Mr Lee heard that the old friends were doing well his face would light up with pride even though Mr Lee is no longer with us his legacy is something that we singaporeans will always always [Applause] remember Miss Cassandra Chu former journalist will now deliver her eulogy I didn't know Mr leanu personally for most of my life we met while I was on two assignments as a journalist documenting his life at home and collecting photographs for a picture a book for his 90th birthday I met him up closed six times for meetings and interviews from July 2011 most were large formal meetings at the estana and naturally I was on my best behavior after all this was the man who had led Singapore to Independence triumphed over his opponents in a storied political career spanning over 60 years and transformed a sleep Colonial Outpost into a bustling metropolis and there he was in person I didn't dare say a word to him until my editor made me lead one of the interviews he thought Mr Lee would enjoy the interaction with a younger Singaporean I was so nervous I could hear my heart pounding before the meeting and actually felt a headache coming on I braced myself to be peppered with questions on whether I was married when I planned to have children or whether I spoke Mandarin often enough questions Mr Lee as you know was known to ask young singaporeans he met but there was none of that during the 18-minute interview which was focused on the beginnings of his political career there was no room for nervousness either he came in sat down and asked who's going to start and with that the interview began as always Mr Lee was focused on the task at hand over time I gained more glimpses of what he was like as a person for instance it was a thrill for me to learn from his a history that he once failed an art exam in primary school but there was of course a small blemish on his distinguished academic record I also learned that in his later years he craved his late mother's gado and mam which thankfully his sister mam Monica Lee could replicate I made at least eight visits to 38 oxy Road where I went into all the rooms but the only time I saw him at home was during our 20-minute photosoot which began in his study where he spent most of his time while at home he was in good spirits that day dressed in a white short sleeve shirt dark trousers and his trademark spot shoes it looked as if he had been going through his email at his desk which also had newspapers magazines binders of papers and stationer all neatly arranged it was clear that even at home his Focus was on his work it didn't matter to him that his f was more than 60 years old and outdated they served their purpose and that was all that mattered that was how he lived his life very simply and frugally and always putting the country first and his own Creature Comforts second we moved to the living room which was also a very private space because it was where the late Mrs Lee was remembered her photograph were displayed in two rows above her n and I was told Mr Lee would gaze at them daily as he had his meals I could feel how much Mr Lee missed his late wife she was his partner his anchor for more than 63 years the last set of photos we took at his home are my favorite Seated on a chair by a wooden table on the veranda Mr Lee flashed a bright smile they turned out to be the best photos on the Reel no one knows about this but to thank him for the photo shoot that day I had prepared two chocolate cupcakes after learning how much he enjoyed chocolate I even got the bakery to label each cupcake so he know exactly what kind of chocolate cupcake it was but on the day I was far too excited and dropped the Box before before I could present them to Mr Lee I been reflecting on what I was learning about Mr Lee as a person and founder of Independent Singapore and had just begun to understand just how much he and his family had sacrificed to ensure Singapore's success I realized how much I had taken for granted and how much more I had to thank him for to me Mr Lee had transformed from an elderly Statesman who our textbooks say did a lot for us but didn't quite seem relevant to my daily life to a man for whom I developed a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation so much of Singapore began to make sense to me now that I had seen the world through his eyes I decided to try to express my thanks again and and wrote him a thank you card I had so much to say but didn't know how to say it and ended up writing four simple lines a few weeks later I received a reply true to his personality his response was brief and to the point thank you he wrote and signed off as lky I was thrilled to have heard back from him but a little sad that I didn't convey what I felt in my heart this is my last chance Mr Lee thank you for everything some days I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have been born a Singaporean we don't have everything but we have more than most because of your lifelong labor on behalf of young singaporeans everywhere I'd like to say thank [Applause] you Mr lisian Yang will now deliver his eulogy for the family Mr President prime minister and members of the cabinet distinguished guests here to honor my father my fellow singaporeans and Friends of Singapore Singapore has lost the father to our nation for my family we have lost our beloved father and grandfather we are bere I was born in 1957 and for as long as I can remember Papa Was a public figure as a child I was only vaguely a aware that my father was in or basa or VIP in Malay all little children must think their fathers are special I do not remember when it dawned on me that he was not just my own special father and not just an ordinary or basa he was an extraordinary or Basa Papa was immersed in his work for much of my childhood in September 1998 he gave Fern and me our copy of his book The Singapore story in it he penned a note with a tinge of regret to Young and fern while I was running around as I describe in this book you grew up while I was running around as I described in this book perhaps in different circumstances he would have been a very successful businessman or an entrepreneur but he chose to dedicate his life and to serve the people of Singapore and to build a better future for all he wanted to ensure his three children had a normal childhood he didn't want us to grow up with a sense of privilege and entitlement as a teenager in secondary school seeking to assert my Independence I would sometimes ride the public bus Papa did not object and my poor security officer had to follow me around the buses when I was in junior college and keen on outdoor activities my my security officer had to Shadow me as I tracked around Pula ubin Pula takong and canoed around Singapore but Papa's principles ensured that I had as normal a childhood as possible and although I think I put out the security detail often family holidays were happy occasions we are able to see more of Papa we didn't go anywhere far way Posh or exotic the government rest houses in frasers Hill Cameron Highlands and later Changi Cottage a small two-bedroom Seaside Bungalow that holds many Precious Memories for me even if once in a while the airon there doesn't work and we have to call out for help golf was Papa's principal Recreation and a passion so golf featured prominently not only on vacations but also after work in the evenings the ninho whole cost in the estana grounds provided ample room for us children to find Adventure Whiley golf both long and I were sent for golf lessons we learned to hit a long drive from the tea box but neither of us really took to the game and we stopped when we grew up but eventually Papa too prompted by Ling gave up Golf and for exercise he took to jogging swimming stationary cycling as well as walking he had read of the benefits of aerobic exercise he had examined and accepted the evidence and he had changed his old habits Papa was like that firm in his convictions but open-minded enough to accept fresh evidence and to change even to sacrifice something he loved and enjoyed like golf like with much else that he had set his mind to do Papa remained disciplined and exercised regularly even to the last in January 1973 when I was 15 Ling and I joined Papa and Mama on a trip to visit long who was at University in Cambridge it was our first family holiday where we traveled so far away on that trip Papa and Mama took the family to Stratford upon Haven Shakespeare's birthplace we watched the Royal Shakespeare's company's production of cor lanus and tour the usual Shakespearean sites at Stratford I had assume that it was just Mama indulging her love for Shakespeare and trying to educate us whilst we on vacation but years later when Papa wrote his Memoirs we realized the hidden meaning this visit held for my parents they had married secretly in Stratford upon aan in December 1947 when fernn and I married in 1981 Papa was Keen to have us live with them at Oxley Road Mama perhaps because of her own difficulties living with in-laws as a new bride and my wife Fern took too had reservations so upon marriage friend and I made a home of our own when my brother Long's first wife mingyang died in late 1982 leaving along with two very young children the family felt the weight of the tragedy F and I wanted to help the family hold together and create some happy occasions to continue to share although growing up all our birthdays including those of Papa and Mama remain unmarked and uncelebrated we began inviting the family to our home for Papa's and Mama's respective birthdays for which I would cook a simple meal at the time the family included my father's father Kong Papa and Mama Ling long and his two children pap Papa Loved a good steak and he had a prakan sweet tooth for desserts over time the group grew larger the grandchildren had views of their own and they could be outspoken they were often ready to engage with Papa on issues of the day I recall one birthday dinner where shangu debated with his y yeah till late long after we had finished dinner both sides wanting to to ensure that the other understood his perspective and point of view whilst there have been public celebrations to mark my father's key birthdays these small private family celebrations were a source of much joy to him and Mama it was anticipated for months before and savored in the memory for months after and was part of the ritual of of each passing year the arrival of grandchildren was also a source of great joy for Papa and Mama Mama was traditional enough that she was thrilled that I had one son after another but Papa my sense is that Papa would have been equally delighted if F and I had had three daughters when the grandchildren were little Papa would love to have them playing around him as he exercised after work in the evenings at weekends he often took them out to the zoo the bird park the science center and other places where families would go our youngest son shiao arrived long after all the other grandchildren and long long after they had given up hope of any more grandchildren Papa was in his 70s and less active in public life so he and Mama took this as a wonderful opportunity to enjoy their last grandchild many know how privileged singaporeans are to have benefited from my father's contributions to building our nation I know that growing up as his son I've also been privileged to have witnessed what it means to be a good man a good husband a good father and grandfather to Singapore and singaporeans Papa was at various times PM SM mm but whatever his office he was actually always LK okay why even after he stopped being mm people found it awkward to refer to him by anything other than this alphabet Su but to his grandchildren he was always yeah yeah and to Fern and me he was and will always be Papa we will miss him dearly this past week week my family and I have received a deluge of messages expressing appreciation for my father father's life sometimes providing poignant memories of interactions with Papa and although in life Papa kept the two threads of public and private life apart and shielded mama and the children from the glare of the media in his passing the two threads come together as we share the grief of loss we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief and affection we have been touched beyond words by the many singaporeans who have braved the elements to pay their last respect at all hours of the night and day young and old on foot or aided by walking sticks in push chairs or wheel chairs you came to pay your last respects to sign condolence books and to write messages you posted touching tributes and poems online and waited patiently to greet his cage as it passed please accept my family's inadequate but deep and hot F thanks we know our loss is your loss too and that the loss is deep and keenly felt we are humbled that so many have come forward to demonstrate your affection for respect of and gratitude to my extraordinary father a father we share with Singapore fairw well [Music] Papa the Prime Minister will now lay a reef on behalf of the family for the president will now lay a reef on behalf of the state ladies and Gentlemen please rise for the last post followed by the observance of a minute of Silence to pay our last respect to the late Mr Lee Kuan [Music] Yu [Music] pap [Music] PA [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] pap for for [Music] a [Music] [Laughter] [Music] we'll now recite the national pledge together we the citizens of Singapore pledge ourselves as one United people regardless of race language or religion to build a Democratic Society based on Justice and equality so as to achieve happiness prosperity and progress for our [Music] [Applause] nation [Music] [Applause] I [Music] the [Music] please be seated this marks the end of the state Funeral Service Mr Le's cotage will leave for Monday crematorium for the private funeral service with this we end media corpse live coverage for

Channel: Prime Minister's Office, Singapore

Views: 520,947

Keywords: Language Interpretation (Literature Subject), Lee Kuan Yew (Politician), state funeral, lky, funeral

Id: b5vBUC-N1zM

Length: 279min 14sec (16754 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 06 2015