Mps Hail Mr Lee's 60 Years in House
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MASAGOS CHIA INDRANEE CHRISTOPHER MPs’ ZULKIFLI YONG YONG RAJAH DE SOUZA TRIBUTES MR LEE I WOULD NOT HE CARED THANK YOU, SAFEGUARDED BE WHAT I AM DEEPLY FOR MR LEE, TO MINORITIES’ TODAY IF SINGAPOREANS FOR YOUR MR LEE SELF-ESTEEM NOT FOR HIM AND SINGAPORE ENCOURAGEMENT PAGES A6-7 FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 MPs hail Mr Lee’s 60 years in House Longest-serving MP had served Tanjong Pagar since 1955, became founding PM, and shaped today’s Singapore At yesterday’s special sitting of Parliament to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, a spray of white flowers occupied his chair (left). The simple, 110-minute session ended with a minute of silence. PHOTOS: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION By CHUA MUI HOONG Yesterday, the House that Mr ber for Tanjong Pagar in 1955. Mr Lee over the decades. ter a state funeral. OPINION EDITOR Lee served for 60 years gave him He led the People’s Action Par- Leader of the House Ng Eng INSIDE Ms Indranee said Singaporeans a fitting farewell, with a special ty to victory and self-government Hen highlighted one milestone – responded thus because they AN EMPTY chair with a small 110-minute sitting both understat- in 1959. He went on to lead Singa- Mr Lee’s call to Singaporeans to knew that all of Mr Lee’s actions spray of white flowers was a ed and simple. Most male MPs pore for 31 years till 1990 as adapt to the reality of the British sprang from his deep care for Sin- poignant reminder of a vast gap in wore white shirts and dark ties Prime Minister, and remained in military withdrawal in 1968, tak- gaporeans. She said that was Mr Parliament House yesterday. with black ribbons; the women Cabinet until 2011. He was still ing away one-fifth of Singapore’s Lee’s legacy: “a people united; a Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s seat in the came in dark dresses and jackets, representing Tanjong Pagar when GDP: “Adapt and adjust, without people with heart; a nation strong front row, fourth from the corner, white roses on their chests. he died on Monday, aged 91, the any whimpering or wringing of and free”. opposite the Front Bench, was In the public galleries were longest-serving MP. hands.” He added that “the world The most emotional tribute empty. former MPs, unionists, civil serv- Madam Halimah highlighted re- does not owe us a living and ... we came from someone who never He will never sit there again. ants, students and members of marks he made in 1999, when cannot live by the begging bowl”. met Mr Lee. When former deputy prime the Lee family. MPs moved from the old Parlia- That hard-headed approach Nominated MP Chia Yong minister Wong Kan Seng came in The 11 MPs who spoke record- ment House to the current build- would extend to debates on bilin- Yong, who uses a wheelchair, said and was confronted with the ed the nation’s thanks for Mr ing. Noting that Parliament was gualism, the judiciary, ministerial that if she had been born any- sight, he took his seat next to it Lee’s contributions and highlight- an arena for the contest of ideas salaries and race, among others. where else in Asia, “as a girl with and dabbed his eyes discreetly. He ed his role in leading Singapore on policies, he said: “In this Cham- Mr Low Thia Khiang of the a disability coming from a poor later described the day as one of from mudflats to metropolis and ber, we are playing for keeps. The Workers’ Party credited Mr Lee’s í UP TO 8-HOUR WAIT TO GET family with no connections, I the saddest of his life. in building a multiracial society. future of Singapore and its “outstanding wisdom and cour- INTO PARLIAMENT HOUSE: A2-3 would not have been able to go to Mr Goh Chok Tong, whose seat Speaker Halimah Yacob kicked people… is not a question for age” in promoting Singapore to school, enter a profession and is on the other side of Mr Lee’s, off the proceedings, recounting light-hearted banter.” the world, and winning the re- í MORE REPORTS AND PICTURES: serve the community today”. kept looking left. “But he was not how Mr Lee entered the colonial Matters of life and death, of spect of major powers. A4-19 In words that drew hearty there,” he said later. Legislative Assembly as the Mem- policy and politics, were raised by But his remark that “many Sin- thumps of approval in the House, gaporeans were sacrificed during and will resonate with many more the process of nation-building special treatment for minorities. outside it, Ms Chia said: “Son of and policymaking” drew a swift re- Mr Vikram Nair quoted lines Singapore. Father of Singapore. Germanwings co-pilot ‘deliberately crashed plane’ buttal from Ms Indranee Rajah from a poem in Tamil that praised Pardon my inability to craft a trib- 112 PAGES IN FIVE PARTS that the sacrifice required was to Mr Lee for treating all races equal- ute worthy of you. Words fail me. TO SUBSCRIBE: 6388-3838 THE co-pilot of the refused to reopen the door and “set aside divisions and animosity ly, and for making Tamil one of “And today, all that I can say www.sphsubscription.com.sg Germanwings plane that crashed operated a control that sent the in the interest of national unity”. the four official languages. to you, my first Prime Minister, is 90 cents in the French Alps, killing all 150 plane into its fatal descent on Mr Masagos Zulkifli said in Ma- Several MPs also alluded to the what I never had the opportunity people aboard, appears to have Tuesday, the prosecutor from the lay that Mr Lee’s most precious way Singaporeans had queued for to tell you in person: Thank you, brought the A-320 Airbus down city of Marseille said. The legacy is “a harmonious, multira- hours in the sun, or overnight, Mr Lee.” A Singapore Press Holdings deliberately, a French prosecutor prosecutor said Lubitz was not cial society”. The Malay communi- without complaint, to wait their MPs then stood to observe a publication said yesterday. known to be a terrorist and there ty in Singapore, he said, was turn to pay respects to Mr Lee. minute of silence, before filing German Andreas Lubitz, 28, were no grounds to consider the proud that it could compete and His body lies in state in the lob- out in groups to pay homage to MCI (P) 032/02/2015 ## left in control of the Airbus after crash to be a terrorist incident. excel in education and employ- by of Parliament House until Sun- the man who started it all. the captain left the cockpit, í TOP OF THE NEWS A20 ment on an equal footing, without day when he will be cremated af- [email protected] A2 FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 A3 LYING IN STATE 1923 - 2015 STABLE AND PROSPEROUS Turnout exceeded our “Before the time of the People’s Action Party (PAP), my father had been bedridden More organised, expectations: Khaw since I was 11. There was very little financial aid for us, and we all suffered because of it. THE crowds that turned up in the found that we were wrong. And Now, my job relies on tens of thousands to bid Mr Lee now even with 24 hours, we are people having stable finances, Kuan Yew a final goodbye were afraid that we will not be able to and the fact that the job is but more people far bigger than expected, said fully fulfil the wishes of Singapore- doing well means that the National Development Minister ans. But we will do our best.” country is doing well, Khaw Boon Wan yesterday. What was reassuring was that something that we owe to Mr set up. Work continued through About 147,800 people have despite the long wait, people were Lee. I think that Mr Lee has Wait more pleasant with new queue the afternoon to set up more tents. paid their last respects to Mr Lee calm, Mr Khaw said. helped our little red dot to Engineer Elvin Foo, 33, who at Parliament House in the last “People are sad, yes, but there glow like a sun.” system, but delay is as long as before works in the area, said he had in- two days, with people waiting in isn’t this fear or worry that the tended to join the queue on Wednes- long queues round the clock. great man has passed on and Sin- – Mr Low Kim Suan, 67, a By RACHEL AU-YONG, However, those in the crowd day with his colleagues. “The queue “When we planned this one gapore will collapse,” he said. financial consultant at NTUC Income, recalling the lack of MIRANDA YEO and WALTER SIM said the wait was made more was all over the place,” he said. week of national mourning, we of “That shows the great achieve- social assistance before Mr Lee pleasant than the day before “It’s much better today, with one course expected a tremendous out- ment of this man. He made sure and the PAP came to power thanks to better organisation, shel- place to join the queue.” pouring of emotions. But the reali- that a post-Lee Kuan Yew society A NEW queue system put in place ter, clear instructions from ushers Mrs Suzie Laing, 57, a real es- ty exceeded our expectations,” will continue to be sustainable yesterday for people to pay their and refreshments handed out tate agent, said: “Today’s queues Mr Khaw said at a tribute to Mr and continue to be successful.” GOLDEN HANDSHAKE last respects to the late Mr Lee along the way by well-wishers.