Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew

That day, that was in 2013, I saw him afar from the road that was the day of tree planting at Holland Village park. It was a huge crowded at that time, I knew instantly what day it was until I saw him! It was a planting tree to mark 50 years of Greening Singapore.

Holland Village Park was chosen as the tree planting site because it was close to Farrer Circus and because its close proximity to the site where Mr Lee planted the first tree. Holland Village Park is a new park developed to give Singaporeans a green space to use and enjoy surrounding at Holland Village area. Sadly, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was unable to foresee the new developments of Holland Village in the next few years as he passed on 23rd March 2015. I heard that it will be extended to new public spaces and developments. A Popular for its eateries and cafes, It is stated that Holland Village will have a new extension that will retain its “urban village” feel and pedestrian links to connect the streets to the town centre.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Rain Tree

Mourning Flowers lying on the grass beside the marker

In the last few days before 26th March 2015, I planned to make a visit to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew at Parliament House, I was then sent a message to my Nostalgic friends through facebook after I saw one of my Nostalgic friends who intended to visit on that day that we were supposed to pay respect to Mr Lee Kuan Yew whose body lying in state at Parliament House. Only left of us - my friend and I as they have either joined with communities members or church members.

It was not the first time, I went to pay my respect to the prominent and high respectable man whose body was lain in state at the Istana which was opened for public for two days., was non other than the late President B. H. Sheares who passed on in 1981, with more than 85,000 people turned up to pay their respects  The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew stated about him that Mr Sheares was a “good man who put his ability in the service of his fellow men".

On the 26th Mar 15, my friend and I went to pay our respects to our founding father of the Nation, Mr Lee Kuan Yew whom I respected most at Parliament House in early 'hot' afternoon. I arrived at City Hall at 1.30pm to meet my friend, Hercules who was waiting for me. After I arrived and we walked along St. Andrew Church and across the road where we met security officers who happened to safeguard the traffic flows and ushered us to the direction where the queue was. We reached the point and started the queue at 1.45pm. And it took us less than 2.5 hours to reach the Parliament House.

Six SAF men hold up the tents

While waiting for your turns, we saw six SAF men carried the tent, was for the public shelter away from the sun as it was terrifying heat weather. We had a free drinking bottles given by the kind volunteers from other organisations or sponsored company and also a "free" lending umbrellas too.

Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew

Upon reaching near the Parliament House, we saw Minister for Transport Mr Lui Tuck Yew passing by and was in front of us. Mr Lui asked us "How we came from?", my friend said we came by MRT and a short distance to the Padang and he smiled.

A card for Lee H L

Before we reached the Parliament's door where the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's body lying in state, we saw Minister Wong Kan Seng and he shake hands with me after he walked in front of me. He is a quiet guy and not talk much. I told my friend that I brought a card for PM Lee H L and I was wondered whether is it proper for me to write and drew a picture of Mr Lee KY in remembrance and wrote condolences words to PM Lee HL as I put my heart and soul to the card no matter what I was written down. On reaching near the door, I saw a table that was for mourning flowers and I noticed the cards also on the table so I put my card on top of other cards as it was not allowed to bring into the hall.

Finally, at 3.05pm, we reached the hall and followed the line-up and we happened to be in front and was able to see the state lying of Lee Kuan Yew clearly. We bowed and bowed to our founding father of the Nation twice as we walked slowly and went outside in just 18 seconds. I held up my sadness after seeing this thus made me wanted to cry. We completed our task at 3.23pm.

After we pay our respects to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, we walked to the shopping centre nearby, to have our late tea-break time. We walked pass by the shop that the shop hanged a portrait of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew outside the glass window and we snapped it as our remembrance.