Public mourning for Nathan starts Thursday

SINGAPORE — The mourning for former President S R Nathan moves into the public and ceremonial phase on Thursday (Aug 25), when his casket will be moved to Parliament House.

Members of the public can pay their last respects to Mr Nathan from 10am to 10pm, before a State Funeral on Friday afternoon. 

The Republic’s sixth President died on Monday at 9.48pm at Singapore General Hospital, where he had been warded since he suffered a stroke on July 31. He was 92.

A private wake had been held at his Ceylon Road home since Tuesday, while condolence boards were also put up at the Istana’s main gate that morning, where hundreds have left notes of appreciation and tributes.

At 8.45am on Thursday, his casket will be carried by a private hearse to Parliament House, where it will be received by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, said the State Funeral Organising Committee in a release on Wednesday.

The Coffin Bearer Party — comprising nine officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police Force — will transfer the casket onto the bier for the Lying In State at the Parliament House.

A career civil servant who rose from humble beginnings to the top office of the land, Mr Nathan will be accorded the highest State honour of having the State flag draped over his casket. This will be done in the presence of his family.

The State flag will be placed over the casket with the crescent and stars lying over the head and close to the heart. 

As a “special mark of respect”, the Government will also mount Vigil Guards — performed by officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police Force — for the lying in state. The Vigil Guards comprises four uniformed officers each standing at a corner of the casket with his head bowed, back turned away and ceremonial sword inverted. They will be led by a senior officer at the head of the casket.

“The traditional mounting of Vigil Guards during the Lying In State symbolises the highest form of respect accorded to the deceased,” added the committee.

Medals representing Mr Nathan’s achievements will also be displayed. These include the The Order of Temasek (First Class) he received in 2013 — Singapore’s highest honour given to a rare few — for his distinguished career in public service.

For his part in negotiating the release of hostages taken by the Japanese Red Army on the ferryboat named Laju in 1974, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award. His other medals that will be on display are the Public Administration Medal (Silver) he got in 1967, and Public Service Star in 1964.

President Tony Tan and Mrs Tan will pay their respects to the late Mr Nathan first. Members of the public may enter from 10am onwards. The line to the entrance will start from the Padang near City Hall MRT Station. Security screening will be carried out at the entry point. Members of the diplomatic corps and other officials may pay their last respects to Mr Nathan from 9am till noon on Friday.

The State Funeral will take place at 3pm on Friday, at the University Cultural Centre. It will be attended by Mr Nathan’s family, friends and former colleagues, President Tony Tan, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, civil servants, as well as Singaporeans from all walks of life.

The funeral service will be followed by a private cremation at Mandai Crematorium.

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR LYING IN STATE

Security screening stations are in operation at the Promenade, which is the entry point to the Parliament House for the lying in state.

Members of the public are encouraged to use public transport and proceed on foot to join the queue to the Parliament House at the Padang via Saint Andrew's Road (as indicated in the map), said the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in a statement.

The MCI also reminds the public that the areas surrounding the Parliament House is gazetted as a Protected Area under the Air Navigation Act. "It is an offence to fly an unmanned aircraft, including drones, into or within immediate vicinity of the Protected Area without a valid permit," said the statement.

TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS

Several lanes and roads near Parliament House will be closed to vehicular traffic from Wednesday 10pm (Aug 24) to Friday, 5pm. Click here for more details.

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