The Funeral Service for Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister was held at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre on 29 Mar 2015. The nation came together as one to say its final goodbye to Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Residents at Yishun light candles as they pay tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. In the background, a bagpipe performer plays a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”.

Acts of kindness: Community spirit continues to run high

Singaporeans have continued to show their generosity and kindness throughout this mourning period for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Jasper Tan, YEO’s sales representative, made it a point to involve his children – 8-year-old Seth and 7-year-old Shain-ann – in the distribution of drinks and bottled water to those waiting in line on the third day of the Lying-in-State. Students from the Anglo-Chinese Junior College also did their part in handing out drinks and food at the Padang.

Photo Credit: Mediacorp

Maybank employees also contributed by giving out more than 4,000 bottles of water. Vitagen also provided chilled drinks on Cavenagh Bridge to help the people in line cope with the heat while waiting in line. Staff from Tiong Bahru Bakery and BreadTalk helped relieve their hunger pangs.

Photo Credit: Mediacorp

Photo Credit: Mediacorp.

Many other unsung heroes also helped ensure that the place remained clean. A member of public was seen voluntarily picking up litter at the Padang, an endeavour which Youth Corps Singapore’s volunteers also took on. Workers, such as staff from SMRT, technicians and cleaners from Hong Lim Park, also worked tirelessly through the night to help make the wait more comfortable.

Photo Credit: MediaCorp

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Businesses are also doing their part.

As a tribute to our nation’s founding father and “in loving memory of his lifelong dedication towards the development of Singapore”, Grabtaxi is donating $1 for every ride completed with the code, “thankyouLKY” throughout this period of national mourning. According to GrabTaxi’s Facebook posting, the donations will go to the MOE’s Education Fund and NTUC-U CareFund. Local entrepreneurs are also exercising their creativity and providing members of public with various ways in which they can pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

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The vigil guards is the nation’s highest form of respect given to the deceased. It is made up of uniformed officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police. They will stand solemnly in formation – four on each corner of the casket, and one senior officer at the head of it facing inwards. They will stand guard round the clock as the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew lies in state at the Parliament House, their heads slightly bowed, making no eye contact with anyone, their swords inverted.

Every 30 minutes, the four guards near the casket will change shifts. There are 60 vigil guards in total. We manage to get some of the Vigil guards who are getting ready to relieve their colleagues to share with us their emotional experience.

Companies also took the initiative to create their own tribute sites to honour the late Mr Lee. Below are some pictures from these tribute sites.

They may have not experienced first-hand the trying times of Singapore’s building years. Yet they came to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Across the island, young children have been visiting community sites to pen tribute messages for Mr Lee, a man they have only read about in books or heard about from their parents and teachers.

This young girl came with her parents to thank Mr Lee. When she arrived, observers saw her rush to the board and tip-toe to pick up a marker. Without hesitation, she proceeded to draw a circle bigger than her heart and penned a message to Mr Lee.

This is what she said:

“Dear Mr Lee, Thank you for everything I have today, my flat, my education, my famili/s (sic) peaceful times when everywhere in this world people worry about basic necessities. I am the first in my family to be able to complete my education and is the first graduate, to my parents who are near illiterate. Thank you for changing our lives.”

Mr Lee Kuan Yew not only touched the lives of Singaporeans, but also the lives of many who came to work in Singapore. Upon hearing of Mr Lee’s passing, these former workers set up their own tribute site back in Tamil Nadu, India, to pay their respects.

Sometimes, pictures are just not enough to capture the emotions on the ground. We took the opportunity to do a “From the Ground” series capturing the raw emotions as the public brave queues to pay their last respects to Mr Lee.

Find out what Singaporeans of all ages and walks of life have to say as we put them on camera.

“Senior citizens, who lived through Singapore’s tumultuous times, braved the queue to pay their last respects.”

“Some have made it a family affair to say their final goodbyes.”

“Hear what the young ones are doing to pay tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.”

Schools and offices are paying tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. From personal condolence notes, to entire organisations observing a minute of silence together, Singaporeans banded together to say their last goodbyes to the nation’s first Prime Minister.

Pre-schoolers from Modern Montessori International (Bedok Reservoir) pen notes in tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Students from PCF Sparkletots Preschool at Cheng San-Seletar Blk 435 penned messages to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and printed their fingerprints on the tribute board. The students, together with their parents and teachers also visited the community tribute site at Ang Mo Kio to present their message board and to pay their respects. (Photo: PCF Sparkletots Preschool)

Students of Telok Kurau Primary School made paper flowers as a tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lee was a student in this school back in the 1930s, when it was known as Telok Kurau English School. (Photo: MOE)

Students from Connect And Be Inspired Now (C.A.B.I.N) conducted a mini tribute at Northlight School and Balestier Hill Secondary to express their gratitude for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. (Photo: C.A.B.I.N)

Students of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s alma matter, Raffles Institution, paid tribute to him in an observance ceremony. (Photo: MOE)

Watch a video of students sharing their thoughts on the late Mr Lee here.

Uniquely Singapore – Personal tributes to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

35-year-old local entrepreneur Alex Lim of Agraphix Large Format announced on Facebook that his company would print and provide free car decals to fellow Singaporeans, in order to provide other avenues for members of the public to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

When contacted, Mr Lim shared his plans to print 50,000 of such car decals, at an estimated cost of $10,000. As at 26 Mar afternoon, approximately 10,000 decals had been given out.

Jordan Chua, a Primary 2 student from Anderson Primary sealed this moment in history with a LEGO set-up of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s cortege after seeing it on television.

(Pic: @Christian Chua)

Ten volunteers from social enterprise Castle Beach devoted over eight hours to create this large sand sculpture on the beaches of East Coast Park as a creative tribute to the founding father of Singapore. The volunteer crew reportedly ranged from aged 20 to 67.

(Picture by @Edmond Wong)

Acts of Kindness: Keeping the “Kampung Spirit” Alive

On the second day of Lying-in-State, the community continued to rally round with gestures of support for the thousands who stood in line to pay their last respects to Mr Lee Kuan Yew at Parliament House.

Volunteers from Temasek loaned out more than 30,000 umbrellas people queuing in the blazing sun. Ponchos and biscuits were also given out.

(Photo courtesy of MediaCorp)

Others helped to counter the blistering heat and quench thirst. Uncle Tony Coffeeshop at Sengkang CC provided free drinks to those at the Community Tribute Site in Sengkang; Marigold deployed staff to hand out packet drinks; Bank of China staff distributed bottled water to those waiting to enter Parliament House; and Youth Corps Singapore started a movement to distribute water with over 100 volunteers from all walks of life.

(Top: Photo courtesy of MediaCorp. Bottom: Photo courtesy of Youth Corps Singapore)

A Solemn Farewell to Our Founding Father

Singapore bade a final farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the State Funeral Service (SFS). The cortege arrived at the University Cultural Centre at around 2pm, after winding through rain-soaked streets lined with tens of thousands calling out to Mr Lee, passing landmarks that are symbolic of Mr Lee’s accomplishments. Singapore bade a final farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the State Funeral Service (SFS). The cortege arrived at the University Cultural Centre at around 2pm, after winding through rain-soaked streets lined with tens of thousands calling out to Mr Lee, passing landmarks that are symbolic of Mr Lee’s accomplishments.

Community sites have been set up around Singapore for members of the public to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Apart from paying their respects at the Lying-In-State in Parliament House, Singaporeans have also been visiting their local community sites. In Tampines, MP Baey Yam Keng and his residents pen tribute messages for Mr Lee, with many leaving behind flowers and cards.

Staff and volunteers brought seniors from a nearby Home who had requested to pay tribute to Mr Lee to the Nee Soon community tribute site. Many of them were emotional and sat in silence for minutes as they recalled their growing up years and the Singapore we have today.

At the community tribute site in Marine Parade GRC, a man stood apart from the crowd as he observed a moment of silence and mourned the passing of Mr Lee and all that he had contributed to Singapore.

At the community tribute site in Nee Soon, PCF and local kindergartens came to pay their final respects. Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim led them in a minute of silence.

Acts of Kindness: Community Comes Together in Show of Support

The community stepped forward to show support with gestures of kindness while thousands turned up on the first day of Lying-in-State to pay their last respects to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew:

(All photos and videos courtesy of MediaCorp)

The National Taxi Association gave out bottle of water to those in line

Japanese restaurant Takumen, along Circular Road offering free iced water to members of public in queue. Its owner, Mr Hiroshi Ichiki is a Singapore Permanent Resident and had spent his childhood in Singapore

New Shah Alam restaurant offering water and canned drinks to those in the queue

Staff from Crazy Elephant placing iced water at a convenient spot for waiting in line

Volunteers also distributed water in from of Fullerton Hotel and near UOB Plaza

Emotions ran high as Singaporeans paid their final respects to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the Parliament House

The High Street Building became a spontaneous tribute site for Singaporeans and well-wishers to share their thoughts and express their gratitude to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

A passerby stops to read some of the tributes at a spontaneous tribute site at High Street Building.

Among the tributes, a small collage of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, the late Mdm Kwa Geok Choo.

A well-wisher thanking the late Mr Lee for his devotion in building up the nation. A child’s drawing as a tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

A well-wisher thanking the late Mr Lee for building a strong education system.

Paying Tribute to One Man in Diverse Ways

The widely-familiar image of a black ribbon framing Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s profile has birthed car decals, badges, T-shirt logos, stickers and more. Created by Member of Parliament Alex Yam and his team, the logo was also printed on 1,000 customised balloons, produced by a group of Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents who were brought together by a common sense of grief and a wish to honour the late Mr Lee. The passing of founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew saw a nation coming together to both honour and mourn, in a myriad of manner and form. It would not be possible to put together an exhaustive list of tributes conceptualised and paid; the following are but some of the highlights.

A Final Send-off: Crowds Line State Funeral Procession Route

The skies opened and heavy rain fell on the crowds lining the State Funeral procession route. However, they were not deterred and stayed put, determined to bid a final farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Heeding the calls to dress in either black or white, members of public at the Padang armed themselves with umbrellas and ponchos and waited patiently in the downpour for the departure of the gun carriage bearing Mr Lee’s casket from Parliament House. Thousands lined the streets from St Andrews Road to Shenton Way, Cantonment Road to Clementi Road, bearing the Singapore flag in an emotional send-off.

Even as the rain poured, Singaporeans braved the elements, lining the streets to catch a glimpse of the funeral procession and gathering at various Community Tribute Sites with their fellow Singaporeans to witness the State Funeral Service for Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

The mood was sombre as the cortege made its way to the University Cultural Centre, where 10 eulogies were delivered. Many could not hold back their tears as the nation bids its final farewell to the leader who built Singapore.

Tributes continued to flow in even during the final moments.

The week of national mourning saw Singaporeans across all ages and races, and from all walks of life come together to celebrate Mr Lee’s lifetime of achievements, grieve for his passing and relive moments of our history. In his passing, Mr Lee Kuan Yew once again united the nation as only he can. As Singaporeans joined our voices to recite the pledge and sing the national anthem, it is clear that we are more determined than ever to safeguard the legacy that he has left behind. (Photo Credits: MediaCorp)

There has been an outpouring of tributes from Singaporeans to Mr Lee Kuan Yew since his passing on 23 March 2015. From young children who drew up beautiful cards expressing their gratitude and affection for Mr Lee, to adults who left sincere accolades, Singaporeans of all ages and from different walks of life gathered at Community Tribute Sites to pay homage to a respected and beloved leader.

At the Pasir Ris Punggol Community Tribute Site, one senior who had never had the benefit of a formal education, asked a young volunteer to help her write down her thoughts before she could sign it off. It was a heartfelt tribute to Mr Lee. Parents encouraged their children to leave words of appreciation, knowing that they would understand the poignancy of Mr Lee’s passing and his immense contributions to Singapore, in time to come.

A Nation Mourns

Singapore’s founding Prime Minister passed away on 23 March 2015. As the nation mourns, an unprecedented number of people turned up to say their final goodbyes personally to Mr Lee as he lies in state at the Parliament House before the funeral procession.

Religious and Community Groups Salute Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Church Bells to Toll on Sunday, 29 March 2015

As a mark of respect for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, bells of the Roman Catholic Churches throughout Singapore that do not have Masses in progress will toll at 12.30pm tomorrow when Mr Lee’s hearse leaves Parliament House to begin its journey to the University Cultural Centre (UCC). At 2pm, the bells of all Roman Catholic churches will toll in unison when the funeral service begins at UCC.

Paying Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s Role in Building a Harmonious Society

While Mr Lee Kuan Yew was Lying-in-State, religious and community leaders came together to remember Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy in promoting harmony between different races and faiths.

Archbishop William Goh led a 5000-strong Catholic community in a mass at St. Joseph’s Church on Friday to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Archbishop Goh noted that Mr Lee had a deep respect for people of all faiths and was a staunch advocate of inter-religious dialogue, although he professed himself an agnostic.

In his Friday sermon at Muhajirin Mosque, Uztaz Irwan Hadi Md Shuhaimy said that Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team worked hard to develop Singapore into a prosperous country. This was achieved through the harmonious relationship between people of different races, economic development and an excellent education system.

Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, who was also at the mosque for the Friday prayers, said that Mr Lee was always very concerned about what was happening with the Malay-Muslim community and would always ask “What more can be done?” Over 2000 worshippers took part in a prayer session organised by the Singapore Buddhist Federation at the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery on Thursday.

Over at the San Qing Gong Temple, the Taoist Federation led more than 300 followers in paying tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Taoist Federation Chairman, Mr Tan Thiam Lye and the founding Chairman, Master Tan Kok Hian, offered fresh flowers as a mark of respect. A minute’s silence was also observed by those present in memory of Mr Lee.

More than 2000 representatives from eight community organisations paid tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the Kallang Theatre on Friday night. Leaders from the Malay, Eurasian, Indian and Chinese communities thanked Mr Lee for uniting Singaporeans while recognising the importance of maintaining one’s heritage. Speaking at the event, DPM Teo Chee Hean said that Mr Lee and his team were determined to build Singapore with multi-racialism as its foundation.

As our nation grieves, each and every written tribute bears testimonial to how Mr Lee has touched our lives and built an extraordinary country, a legacy that would be honoured by generations to come.

Nee Soon lit up in memory of Mr Lee Kuan Yew last night (27 March, Friday). In a special memorial event, more than 15,000 people from all walks of life, from all over Singapore, including Minister K Shanmugam and fellow Nee Soon MPs, paid tribute to our founding father.

They came, they said their thanks, they cried.

Some wore their hearts on their sleeves. Others kept a brave and stoic front. But it was clear that Mr Lee touched the lives of all who came.

Candles were lit to form a picture of our island, with a portrait of Mr Lee in the middle. Each candle signified the gratitude that some found hard to articulate, and their love for a country which they call home.

It was a heartfelt and meaningful event.

Mr Lee fought for his fellow Singaporeans and gave his life so that we could dare to dream and hope for a better future, so that our children could have a better home and a better life.

He may no longer be with us, but his light will continue shining brightly in Singapore.

Businesses Suspend Operations on Sunday to Mark Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s Passing

As a mark of respect to the passing of our nation’s founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew, several businesses will be suspending business operations tomorrow (29 March, Sunday), the day of Mr Lee’s State Funeral. These include:

Tangs and Metro department store outlets islandwide, as well as all Mothercare stores, will not be opening for business tomorrow.

All Singapore Pool branches, authorised retail outlets and Livewire venues will be closed on Sunday. (Photo credit: Singapore Pools)

Ya Kun Kaya Toast Coffeestall would be ceasing operations at most of their outlets between 2pm and 4pm, while the State Funeral Service (SFS) is in progress. Customers can remain in the outlets and view the live streaming of the SFS on their electronic devices.

Dancepointe Academy and Kindermusick studio will be cancelling all classes tomorrow, while Real Yoga studio will be closed from 3pm.

The casinos of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) will be closed from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday. MBS is also cancelling its light and water show for a week, while RWS will be cancelling its nightly shows – Crane Dance and Lake of Dreams – from 23 to 31 March.