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Singapore: The State funeral service in honour of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee will be held on Sunday, 23 May at 2.30pm at the Singapore Conference Hall.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said the service will be attended by members of the late Dr Goh's family, Singapore's President Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Cabinet Ministers, dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps.
Attendance will be by invitation only due to the limited space.
Before the funeral on Sunday, the body of the late Dr Goh will lie in state at Parliament House. This will be from 20–22 May, and members of the public may pay their last respects from noon to 8pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10am to 6pm on Saturday.
Members of the public with enquiries can call a hotline 98313889 daily from 9am to 9pm, ending at 5pm on Sunday.
As a mark of respect to the late Dr Goh, the State flag on all Government buildings will be flown at half mast from 20-23 May.
Meanwhile, people from all walks of life continued to attend Dr Goh's wake at his residence.
Visitors - young and old - kept streaming in to pay their last respects to Dr Goh on Monday.
Some had worked with Dr Goh, including several former Cabinet members like Othman Wok who said: "He was a man who never wasted time. He was a good man and I don't think we will have another Goh Keng Swee."
Mr Lee Yock Suan, another former Cabinet Minister, said: "I remember once when we were in Parliament debating about the (education) streaming policy and he was sort of a little fed up with all the debate, and he threw his arms up in mock surrender."
And there were those who were inspired by Dr Goh's personality.
Mr Wen Khai Meng, chief investment officer at CapitaLand, said: "He came to New Zealand for an official visit and he invited a few of us who were studying to meet him. To our surprise, he met us in his hotel room and he was still in pyjamas.... while we were feasting on beer and potato chips, we had a very interesting chat about the challenges facing Singapore."
Mr Howard Hunter, president of Singapore Management University, said: "His ideas on the development of economic policies and education, have gone around the world and the influence is not just in Singapore but many other parts of the world."
Also paying his respects was the King of Lesotho who is in Singapore for a visit. He was accompanied by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zainul Abidin Rasheed.
Members of the Inter-Religious Organisation were also at the wake to offer prayers for Dr Goh and his family.
Ameerali Abdeali, honorary secretary of Inter-Religious Organisation, said: "Dr Goh has always promoted inter-religious harmony and he has certainly been instrumental to what Singapore is today in terms of the racial and religious harmony which we enjoy today."
Many of those who went to pay their last respects left with something to remember Dr Goh by - a book titled "Public Figure, Private Man", which was written by Dr Goh's wife and it depicts Dr Goh's contributions to Singapore as well as the legacy he had left behind.
- CNA/sf/ir
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