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Thousands of mourners lined up on the streets — from Orchard Road to North Bridge Road — some as early as seven in the morning to witness the transfer of Lee Kuan Yew’s flag-draped coffin in a gun carriage, from Istana to Parliament House. He was accompanied by representatives of the military and government.
After a two-day private family wake at Sri Temasek, the former Prime Minister’s body now lies in state in the country’s Civic District, where the public can pay their last respects from today until Saturday, from 10am-midnight.
Condolence boards have been set up in front of the House for folks to leave messages, flowers and gifts.
Applause and shouts of “We love you!” and “Lee Kuan Yew!” broke out as the dark brown coffin, draped in the red-and-white Singapore flag, emerged inside a tempered glass case atop a gun carriage pulled by an open-topped military truck.
In scenes that evoked Singapore’s colonial past, Lee’s coffin stopped in front of the Istana main building, where British administrators once worked, as a bagpiper from Singapore’s Gurkha Contingent — the city-state’s special guard force —played “Auld Lang Syne”.
It was brought down tree-lined Edinburgh Road to the Istana’s main gate, and then made a slow turn to Parliament House as crowds including schoolgirls in uniform with black arm bands waited behind barricades.
Many along the route were in tears as they raised cameras and mobile phones to record the historic event. Some threw flowers on the path of the carriage.
People also watched from the windows of high-rise buildings along the route.
Local media said Singaporeans began queueing up after midnight Tuesday for a chance to be among the first to pay their respects to the man popularly known by his initials “LKY”.
Before Wednesday’s lunch break, the line was already snaking for up to two kilometres (1.2 miles) as Singaporeans patiently awaited their turn to enter the viewing hall in the riverside parliament.
The visiting hours were extended until midnight in response to the turnout.
“These are amazing scenes. I have not seen anything like this in my lifetime,” bank executive Zhang Wei Jie, 36, told AFP.
The State Funeral Service is on Sunday, 2pm, at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore.
It will be attended by the Lee’s family, friends and staff, the President, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Old Guards, senior civil servants, grassroots leaders and Singaporeans from all walks of life.
The State Funeral Service will be followed by a private cremation at Mandai Crematorium. With AFP.
It’s been an honor #LKY pic.twitter.com/vXg939bNcn
— Serene Lo Sze Ting (@SereneSCREWSTOP) March 25, 2015
Crowds waits by Istana. Funeral procession for #LKY will then head slowly to Parliament House http://t.co/jtgnBDXuRL pic.twitter.com/JldY52t3lM
— Jack Board (@JackBoard) March 25, 2015
Crowds gather to pay their respects to Mr #LeeKuanYew along procession route http://t.co/a3D0NTVRdk #RememberingLKY pic.twitter.com/1cItbuV7HU
— TODAY (@TODAYonline) March 25, 2015
Crowds gather to pay their respects to Mr #LeeKuanYew along procession route http://t.co/a3D0NTVRdk #RememberingLKY pic.twitter.com/1cItbuV7HU
— TODAY (@TODAYonline) March 25, 2015
