Raffles Institution to curate mini-exhibition, present written tributes to Lee family

SINGAPORE — Raffles Institution (RI), the alma mater of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, will not only curate a mini-exhibition within the school’s museum but also present students’ written tributes to his family at Parliament House, where Mr Lee’s body will lie in state from Wednesday (March 25) to Saturday (March 28).

Singapore’s first prime minister died at 3.18am today (March 23) at the Singapore General Hospital. He was 91.

Today, flags at Ministry of Education (MOE) schools flew at half-mast as a mark of respect to Mr Lee. Schools also observed a minute of silence during their morning assemblies, said an MOE spokesperson.

Tomorrow, school leaders are expected to address students and staff during assembly to reflect on Mr Lee’s life and legacy. Teachers, staff and students from government schools, post-secondary education institutions and staff from MOE headquarters will also participate in state events, such as the special Parliament sitting and state funeral service.

RI principal Chan Poh Meng told TODAY that the “mini-exhibition” is expected to be ready by Thursday, where his staff will put together materials and photos of Mr Lee in an exhibit within the Raffles Archives and Museum. Mr Lee was a student in the old RI at Stamford Road from 1936 to 1940.

“He is definitely an exemplary Rafflesian and he’s led the way with regards to many things that he has done, and what more for the nation,” said Mr Chan, 58.

Open only to the school’s students, staff and alumni, the exhibition is expected to be up for at least half a month.

Mr Chan said the present batch of 4,500 RI students will also spend another two sessions with their civics tutors to further reflect on Mr Lee’s contributions and pen their thoughts.

The written tributes will be compiled into A3-sized documents, which Mr Chan said he hopes to present to the Lee family on Saturday.

At Telok Kurau Primary School — the primary school Mr Lee attended — students today started making paper flowers during their recess breaks. The paper flowers will be bundled to create a bouquet that will be placed at the Parliament House tribute area, said principal Charis Wong.

It will also conduct a special assembly tomorrow to pay tribute to Mr Lee, she said.

Separately, in an e-mail to the Nanyang Technological University alumni, its president Bertil Andersson noted how Mr Lee had taken a personal interest in the development of the university from its early days. Mr Lee would visit the campus unannounced to observe how the initial academic buildings were shaping up and suggested various improvements for the school.

“In the passing of Mr Lee, we are reminded of the ideals we should all aspire towards, including a dedication to nurturing the younger generation who will strengthen and sustain Singapore’s success globally,” said Prof Andersson.

A memorial service will be held at NTU’s Nanyang Auditorium, and more details will be released in the subsequent e-mail to the alumni.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) will also hold a special memorial ceremony in Mr Lee’s honour tomorrow from 2pm to 3pm at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

NUS president Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said: “There are many things for which we thank Mr Lee, including his unwavering focus on building an outstanding educational system in Singapore. All of us at NUS mourn the passing of an eminent alumnus, an inspirational leader, and a true icon of our times.”

The Singapore Management University has set up a page on its website for staff and students, both past and present, to pay their tributes to the late Mr Lee.