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‘When they grow up, they will remember who he was’

SINGAPORE — Many had paid their respects earlier, but that did not stop them from gathering along Queensway and braving the heavy downpour to bid their last farewell to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as his funeral cortege passed the area.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's cortege arrives at Queensway to people lining up with Singapore flags. Photo: Low Wei Xin

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's cortege arrives at Queensway to people lining up with Singapore flags. Photo: Low Wei Xin

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SINGAPORE — Many had paid their respects earlier, but that did not stop them from gathering along Queensway and braving the heavy downpour to bid their last farewell to founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as his funeral cortege passed the area.

“I went to queue at the Parliament House at 5am on Friday. I’ve already paid my respects there, but I still wanted to be here. I think everyone feels the same, that this is the time for us to say our last goodbye to Mr Lee Kuan Yew,” said a 57-year-old Queenstown resident, who gave his name as Mr Heng. He and a few friends had arrived at Queensway around 10.30am to secure a good spot.

There were also those among the crowd, such as 30-year-old Warrick Tan, who came because it was their last opportunity to pay tribute to the man widely known as the founding father of modern Singapore.

Mr Tan told TODAY that he had not had the chance to visit Parliament House, where Mr Lee’s body had been lying in state, or any of the community tribute sites this week.

“I didn’t have time to past my respect so this is the only time I can do so, that’s why I have to be here today,” he said as he settled down on a spot at around 11am along the road where the cortège carrying Mr Lee’s body was scheduled to pass.

Others came in groups, such as a contingent of more than 100 people from the nearby Mujahidin Mosque who made their way across the overhead bridge to Queensway to catch the funeral procession.

The group of students and volunteers carried a banner in Malay, which read: “Condolences to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his family on the passing on his beloved father Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We will always remember what you did for us, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. From staff and volunteers of Mujahidin Mosque.”

Executive chairman Muhammad Khairul Jameel Bin Yahya said while the mosque’s representatives had paid their tributes at Tanjong Pagar community tribute site in the past two days, they felt the need to show their support to Mr Lee Hsien Loong today (March 29).

As the drizzle turned into a downpour around to noon, umbrellas were whipped out and volunteers stationed along the pathway quickly ran out ponchos, leaving only enough for younger children and the elderly. Still, a steady stream of people continued to fill area.

At about 1pm, the crowd felt silent and traffic came to a stop — as the presence of traffic police officers signalled that the funeral cortege was about to come by at any moment.

When the cortege emerged about 30 minutes later, the crowd remained largely silent, although a few shouts of “Lee Kuan Yew” could be heard as the procession passed them.

“I came to see Mr Lee Kuan Yew. (The cortege) passed by very quickly, but it’s okay, I get to send off the man who built Singapore,” Ms Agnes Lee, 26, who was there with a friend.

As the crowd dispersed at around 1.35pm after the funeral cortege went out of sight, a mother who was there with her two primary school boys, was heard telling them: “Next time when people talk about this day, you can tell them you were here, you were part of history.”

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