The late Lee Kuan Yew may have died eight years ago but the legacy of his accomplishments lives on.
The latest marker of that legacy is a commemorative coin that will mark the 100th anniversary of the former Prime Minister’s birth.
The coin is part of a slew of planned initiatives meant to pay tribute to Lee, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng told Parliament today.
He said that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will issue a commemorative coin later this year “as a reminder of Mr. Lee’s values and vision”.
Besides issuing cash money for circulation, MAS also rolls out special commemorative and numismatic (that means the study or collection of currency – including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects) notes and coins for significant national events and achievements.
The National Parks Board (NParks) is also honoring Lee by commemorating the 60th year since he started Singapore’s greening journey with his first tree-planting campaign in 1963. The National Heritage Board will also be organizing a traveling exhibition about the legacy of Singapore’s pioneers.
Tan said that many groups in the community had ideas to pay tribute to LKY.
“They especially wanted to raise the awareness of Mr. Lee’s contributions amongst Singaporean youths, many of whom were very young or not yet born when Mr. Lee stepped down from the Cabinet,” Tan said, while um, explaining what youth means.
He said that the ideas include conferences to discuss Lee’s legacy, publications inspired by his work and views, and other activities to engage the youth about his role in Singapore’s history.
Also among the initiatives are plans to set up funds for private donations to help with educational causes that he was passionate about.
FYI, the founding PM’s birthday was Sep. 16, 1923, which makes him a Virgo. Do you think he would approve of having his legacy commemorated this way?
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