Lee Kuan Yew in May 2002 | |
Date | 23–29 March 2015 |
---|---|
Venue | Sri Temasek (private wake) Parliament House (state funeral) Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium (cremation) |
Location | Singapore General Hospital (place of death) |
Coordinates | 1°16′43.32″N103°50′3.84″E / 1.2787000°N 103.8344000°E Coordinates: 1°16′43.32″N103°50′3.84″E / 1.2787000°N 103.8344000°E |
Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore and former leader of the People's Action Party, died at the age of 91 on 23 March 2015, after being hospitalised with severe pneumonia on 5 February 2015. Many world leaders issued public condolences. [1]
Lee Kuan Yew, commonly referred to by his initials LKY and sometimes referred to in his earlier years as Harry Lee, was the first Prime Minister of Singapore, governing for three decades. Lee is recognised as the nation's founding father, with the country described as transitioning from the "third world to first world in a single generation" under his leadership.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore, and the country's most powerful political figure. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament (MP) who, in his or her opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs. In practice, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the majority party in the legislature.
The People's Action Party is a major centre-right political party in Singapore.
A week-long period of national mourning was declared by the government, from 23 to 29 March 2015. All flags, including the National Flag, were flown at half-mast during the period. [2]
The national flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the republic gained independence on 9 August 1965. Prior to its independence, it was the only state flag in Malaysia not to have a 1:2 ratio. The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, overlaid in the canton by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals.
Half-mast refers to a flag flying on a ship and half-staff refers to a flag flying below the summit on a pole on land or on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salute. Flags are said to be half-mast if flown from ships and half-staff if on land, although this distinction is mainly observed in the United States – places such as Canada and the United Kingdom do not have ‘half-staff’ in their vocabulary and rely solely on using the term ‘half-mast’ when ordering flags to fly lowered.
All times are set out in Singapore Standard Time (UTC+08:00).
Singapore Standard Time (SST) or Waktu Piawai Singapura (WPS), also known as Singapore Time (SGT), is used in Singapore and is 8 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+08:00). Singapore does not currently observe daylight saving time.
UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as 2019-02-07T23:28:34+08:00.
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821. SGH was ranked as the third best hospital in the world by Newsweek in 2019.
Lee Hsien Loong is a Singaporean politician. He is the current and third Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004. He took over the leadership of the People's Action Party (PAP) when former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong stepped down from the position to become the new Senior Minister. Lee then led his party to victory in the 2006, 2011 and 2015 general elections. He began his current term on 15 January 2016 following the opening of Singapore's 13th Parliament. Lee is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
He was from Raffles Institution, and the entire school was mobilized to write condolence cards to the family. The cards were given to the Lee family, and a copy of all the condolence cards are available in the Raffles Archives and Museum.
Raffles Institution (RI), founded in 1823, is the oldest school in Singapore for pre-tertiary education. It is an independent school, providing secondary education through a boys-only Year 1-4 section and pre-university education through a coeducational Year 5-6 section. Its current campus is in Bishan.
On 23 March 2015 at 1:00 pm, Lee's body was brought to the Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore and the office of the Prime Minister. It was placed in Sri Temasek, the Prime Minister's official residence in the Istana grounds, where a private wake was held from 23 to 25 March 2015. [6]
The President of the Republic of Singapore is the country's head of state. Singapore has a parliamentary system of government. Executive authority is exercised by the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Singapore. The current president is Halimah Yacob, who was elected unopposed at the 2017 presidential election. She is the first female President of Singapore and first Malay head of state in 47 years since the death of Yusof Ishak, Singapore's first president.
Sri Temasek is a two-storey detached house built in 1869 which is sited within the grounds of the Istana in Singapore. During the island's colonial era, it served as the residence of the Colonial Secretary or Chief Secretary. Since the establishment of the State of Singapore in 1959, it has been the official residence of the Prime Minister of Singapore, though none of Singapore's Prime Ministers have ever lived there. Together with the Istana, it was gazetted a national monument on 14 February 1992.
The government declared a week long mourning period from 23 March to 29 March 2015 for Lee Kuan Yew. Flags were lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect. Most events and activities were scaled down, postponed or cancelled completely throughout the mourning period. Entertainment outlets, such as cinemas, theatres, nightclubs and bars announced that they would be closed or operate under reduced hours during this period.
Upon the announcement of his passing, all free-to-air television channels and radio stations suspended their regular programming and simulcast special programmes from broadcasters Mediacorp and SPH Media, which consisted of a montage of videos and photos of Lee Kuan Yew's life, accompanied by coverage of live events from the Istana, Parliament House and the state funeral procession. Some pay-TV channels were blacked out and replaced by this programming too. Most Singaporean and some international websites switched to greyscale colour schemes as well.
18 community tribute sites were set up islandwide during the mourning period, to allow citizens and residents to pay tribute to the late Prime Minister. Each community tribute site consisted of wreaths from various citizens and organisations, as well as a projection screen showing montages of Lee Kuan Yew's life. Memorial ceremonies were held during certain evenings as well.
Singapore Turf Club announced they will cancel all the race meetings during the period of National Mourning.
The body of Lee Kuan Yew was conveyed by gun carriage from the Istana to the Parliament House on the morning of 25 March 2015. [7] After leaving Sri Temasek, the gun carriage paused in front of the main Istana building to allow President Tony Tan Keng Yam, his wife Mrs. Mary Tan, Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, and Istana staff to pay their respects. During this time, a piper from the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force played "Auld Lang Syne" from the roof of the building. The cortege then made its way down Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, which were lined with members of the public, to Parliament House.
Lee's body lay in state at Parliament House from 25 March 2015 to 28 March 2015, which was subsequently opened 24 hours for the public to pay their respects. [8] To facilitate this, Mass Rapid Transit services, Light Rail Transit services, and selected bus services ran for 24 hours on 25 and 27 March and throughout the early hours of the morning of 26 March 2015 and 28 March 2015. [9] The Land Transport Authority announced that public transport services would end later than usual after midnight on 27 March 2015, but would not run throughout the night due to essential maintenance works. [10]
About 447,000 people paid their last respects to Lee at Singapore's Parliament House throughout the 24 hours from Wednesday 10.00 am until Saturday 8.00 pm, 28 March. In addition, thousands of people lined the roads to watch Lee move from the Istana to Parliament House on 25 March in the morning. In total, more than 1.2 million paid their respects and tribute to Lee at Parliament House and in the 18 tribute centres across the island. More than 100,000 people also lined the streets in torrential rain from Parliament House to the National University of Singapore University Cultural Centre on Sunday, 29 March 2015 to see Lee off.
Lee was also accorded the highest form of respect given by the Singapore Armed Forces, where a vigil guard consisting members of the top military brass consisting of Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng (current Education Minister); together with Chief of Army, Major-General Perry Lim; Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han; Chief of Air Force, Major-General Hoo Cher Mou; and Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Brigadier-General Chia Choon Hoong stood guard during the lying in state. This honour is akin to the Vigil of the Princes where male members of the British Royal Family have stood guard during the lying in state of one of their relatives during or as part of a British state funeral or ceremonial funeral.
On 26 March 2015 at 4:00 pm, a special parliamentary session was held for Members of Parliament to pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew. They included: [11]
This section needs additional citations for verification . (March 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
Lee's state and private funeral services was held on Sunday, 29 March 2015. [12] 87 bus services were either diverted, shortened or suspended from 11:30 am to 7:00 pm to facilitate the road closures. [13] [13] The SCDF Public Warning System siren was sounded twice islandwide at 4:35 pm to signal the start and end of a minute of silence in honour of Mr Lee. Prior to the minute of silence, all MRT trains stopped at stations and opened their doors. Similarly, buses scheduled to depart from bus interchanges or terminals were held back during the one minute of silence. Passenger Information Displays in the MRT network and bus interchanges showed "One minute of silence for Mr Lee Kuan Yew". Announcements were also made at stations and on-board trains. [14]
The state funeral was held at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore, from 2:00 pm. It was attended by members of Lee's family, the President, Cabinet Ministers, members of the Judiciary, Members of Parliament, and foreign leaders. Ordinary Singaporeans from all walks of life have also been invited to attend. The Master of Ceremonies was Peter Ong, Head of the Civil Service. Ten eulogies were delivered, in the following order:
The state funeral was followed by a private funeral at 5:00 pm at Mandai Crematorium for invited guests. [15]
On 27 March 2015, Singapore's defence minister Ng Eng Hen mentioned in a Facebook post that the Singapore Armed Forces will accord Mr Lee due military honours. On the day of the state funeral, a 21-gun salute was fired by four ceremonial 25-pounder guns as the procession headed to University Cultural Centre. In addition, four Republic of Singapore Air Force black knights made a fly pass salute. The originally planned missing man formation was not flown due to rainy weather. [16] As his body passed Esplanade Bridge, both RSS Dauntless and RSS Resilience conducted a ceremonial sailpast. [17]
The 21-gun salute honour is traditionally only accorded to the heads of state. As Lee Kuan Yew was only a former head of government, he would typically only be entitled to a 19-gun salute. Special permission was given for the 21-gun salute to honour him for his exceptional contributions to Singapore and to the rest of the world.
Notable mourners at the private wake at Sri Temasek:
Country | Title | Name |
---|---|---|
Sultan of Brunei | Hassanal Bolkiah [18] | |
Hong Kong business magnate | Li Ka-shing [18] | |
Hong Kong businessman | Richard Li [18] | |
Hong Kong businessman | Victor Li [18] | |
President of the Republic of China | Ma Ying-jeou [19] | |
Australian businesswomen | Gina Rinehart [20] |
Foreign dignitaries who paid their respects at Parliament House: [21]
Foreign dignitaries who represented their countries at Lee's state funeral at the University Cultural Centre, NUS, on 29 March 2015: [31]
Prior to the death of Lee Kuan Yew, when he was hospitalised at the Singapore General Hospital on 5 February, Singaporeans expressed concern for his health through social media websites. On 17 March 2015, the Prime Minister's office announced that Lee's condition has worsened due to an infection. Following that, many Singaporeans went to the hospital to pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew, however as Lee was in the Intensive Care Unit, no visitors were allowed and the hospital could not accept gifts such as flowers and cards. On 20 March 2015, the Singapore General Hospital designated an area for well-wishers to leave cards and flowers for Lee Kuan Yew. Several Singaporeans and Foreigners were seen leaving cards and flowers at the designated site. Additionally, the Tanjong Pagar Community Club set up a "get well corner" for residents to write messages and leave flowers and cards for Lee Kuan Yew.
After the death of Lee Kuan Yew was announced on 23 March 2015, an estimated 447,299 Singaporeans & non-Singaporeans went to the Parliament House of Singapore to pay their respects to Lee Kuan Yew. A tribute site was set up at the Istana, as well as other community clubs around the country for Singaporeans to pen their wishes for the late Lee Kuan Yew.
On 25 March 2015, as the private wake for friends and family of Lee Kuan Yew ended, a ceremonial gun carriage carried the body of Lee Kuan Yew from the Istana to Parliament House. Singaporeans lined up from the gates of parliament house to the Istana. Many in the crowd outside the Istana clapped and cheered Mr Lee Kuan Yew's name as his hearse drove past, while some wept for Lee. Members of the public were soon allowed inside parliament house to pay their respects to Lee Kuan Yew. A queue started to form from parliament house stretching to Hong Lim Park and Fort Canning Park. Authorities advised members of the public not to join the queue as the wait was estimated to be 8 hours.
Led by People's Association deputy chairman Chan Chun Sing, more than a hundred remembrance events were held across the island in March 2016, including a tree-planting exercise at Jurong Lake Park and a brisk walk at Sembawang Park. A remembrance service was held at Tanjong Pagar Community Club on 23 March 2016. [139]
Goh Chok Tong is a Singaporean politician. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he became Singapore's second Prime Minister on 28 November 1990, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, and served in the role until 12 August 2004, when he stepped down and was succeeded by Lee Hsien Loong. He subsequently served as Senior Minister until May 2011, and as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). He continues to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency and holds the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister". Recently, in November 2018, he released his autobiography, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story which would be the first volume of a two-part biography.
Ong Teng Cheong, was a Singaporean politician and architect who was the fifth President of Singapore from 1993 to 1999. Formerly a member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and was a Member of Parliament representing Toa Payoh GRC from 1991 to 1993. Prior to taking office as President and was Singapore's first directly elected president, serving a six-year term from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999.
Kwa Geok Choo was a Singaporean lawyer and the wife of Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, and the mother of Lee Hsien Loong, the third and current Prime Minister. She was the co-founder and partner of law firm Lee & Lee.
Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, DUT ,, was a Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1980–85, a long-serving Minister and member of the Cabinet from 1959–88 and a short story writer. He was one of the pioneer leaders of independent Singapore as it achieved self-government in 1959 and later independence in 1965. He devoted much of his adult life to public service, and helped shape the mentality of Singaporeans on contemporary issues. One of the schools of Nanyang Technological University, is named the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in honour of him, as is the S. Rajaratnam block of his alma mater, Raffles Institution.
Toh Chin Chye was a Singaporean politician. He was a prominent member of the country's first generation of political leaders after Singapore became independent in 1965, serving as Deputy Prime Minister (1965–1968), Minister for Science and Technology (1968–1975) and Minister for Health (1975–1981). He served as the Chairman of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1954 to 1981, and as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Singapore from 1968 to 1975. After he left the Cabinet in 1981, he continued to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) on the backbenches until he retired from politics in 1988.
Singapore was one of the 14 states of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 in the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the former British colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This marked the end of a 144-year British rule in Singapore which began with the founding of modern Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.
Teh Cheang Wan was an architect who was in charge of the Housing Development Board as Minister for National Development of Singapore. He served as the minister between 1979 and 1986. Teh was investigated for corruption in November 1986 and was found dead on 14 December 1986.
Howe Yoon ChongDUBC PJG was a Minister in the Cabinet of Singapore and a member of parliament for Potong Pasir from 1979 to 1984. He was key in developing Singapore's infrastructural and financial framework, including the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, Singapore Changi Airport and public housing. In 1984, during his term as Minister for Health, to address issues raised by a greying population, he made the controversial proposal to raise the age for the withdrawal of Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings from 55 to 60 years in order that Singaporeans might have more money to live on in their old age.
The National Day Rally is an annual address that the Prime Minister of Singapore makes to the entire nation, on the first or second Sunday after National Day on 9 August. A yearly event since 1966, the Prime Minister uses the rally to address the nation on its key challenges and announce major policy changes, and is comparable to the State of the Union address delivered by the President of the United States.
Heng Swee Keat is a Singaporean politician. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. He was previously the Minister for Education from May 2011 to September 2015. He has been a member of parliament (MP) representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency since the 2011 general election.. He is currently the first assistant secretary-general of the People's Action Party and is poised to be the next Prime Minister of Singapore, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong On 1 May 2019, Heng would take on the role as the 12th Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. He is also the first solo Deputy PM in 34 years. From 1985 to 2019, Singapore had two sitting deputy prime ministers working at the same time.
Singapore–Taiwan relations are the international relations between Singapore and Taiwan. Taiwan has a representative office in Singapore. Singapore operates the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei in Taiwan, both of whom are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Presidential Envoy of ROC and Prime Minister of Singapore regularly meet, in the form similar to private state-to-state gesture diplomacy at APEC.
On 15 October 2012, former Cambodian King and Prime Minister Norodom Sihanouk died at the age of 89, in Beijing, China, after suffering health issues. His death was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nhek Bun Chhay. His body was brought back on 17 October 2012 by King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen. State flags flew at half mast, and the government announced a 7-day mourning period for the former king.
The following lists events that happened during 2015 in the Republic of Singapore.
1965 is a 2015 Singaporean historical thriller film directed by Randy Ang and co-directed by Daniel Yun. The film was released to commemorate Singapore's fifty years of independence. Released in cinemas on July 30, 2015. It stars Qi Yuwu, Deanna Yusoff, Joanne Peh, James Seah, Sezairi Sezali, Mike Kasem, and Lim Kay Tong as Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Chee Hong Tat is a Singaporean politician. A member of the People's Action Party, he is currently the Senior Minister of State. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency since 2015.
Both Hong Kong and the Republic of Singapore are former British colonies which have maintained trade relations since the 19th century, and have both become important financial centre, maintaining diplomatic missions and trade offices to further their bilateral relations.
Number 38, Oxley Road was the residence of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew from the 1940s until his death in 2015. The house was built in the late 19th century and is an eight-bedroom two-story bungalow located near Orchard Road. The first meeting of the People's Action Party (PAP) occurred in the basement.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Funeral of Lee Kuan Yew . |