Loss of a leader felt from miles away

It was about 9.20pm in England when the BBC newsflash came on my mobile phone. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, the architect of an economic powerhouse, had died.

Even miles away, in a different time zone, a sense of loss engulfed me. His passing was in the headlines of the BBC1 10pm news. Not many world leaders make it to the headlines in such urgent manner, forcing news editors to change their line-up. His death warranted it.

Condolences have been pouring in from leaders and think-tanks, but a true measure of a person’s greatness is the way he touched the hearts of ordinary people. Thousands of Facebookers have changed their profile images to either a picture of Mr Lee or of Singapore’s landscape to show their sadness.

It is pretty much the same in other social media, with people sharing their grief and admiration for this political giant. How did he touch so many hearts and generations?

He was a leader, father, husband, son and the architect of Singapore. He could not have done it without his people’s support, but it was he, the trailblazer, who held the torch.

What next? Sceptics and critics may try to hint at uncertainty. What they need to know is that with vision and determination, Mr Lee built Singapore on a strong foundation of values, discipline and merit.

This Lion City will grow from strength to strength. I have faith in its present and future generations to continue leading and living by adapting to the political, economic and social climate.

Some will take longer than a week to mourn. When Singapore celebrates its 50th National Day, people will remember and pay tribute to this man who made a difference, nationally and globally, and be proud to be Singaporean. Majulah Singapura!