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SINGAPORE : A remarkable man who exercised great subtlety and decisiveness - this is how Foreign Minister George Yeo remembers the former Indonesian President Suharto.
Mr Yeo joined many others at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore on Monday afternoon to pay his last respects.
They came from all walks of life - some Singaporeans, some Indonesians and ambassadors of various countries including Japan, Myanmar, and the Czech Republic.
There were also representatives of organisations, such as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, the Inter-Religious Organisation and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mr Yeo hailed the late Mr Suharto as a great man, who made a huge contribution to bilateral relations and regional resilience: "Without his leadership, I don't think ASEAN would have made the progress it made.
"That's because at critical moments he showed the way, that Indonesia exercised restraint as the biggest country in the region, that ASEAN was able to make good progress.
"Had he tried to dominate Southeast Asia, ASEAN would never have taken off. Between the time of Konfrontasi to the time he left office, our bilateral relations grew from strength to strength and our areas of cooperation extended steadily."
Mr Yeo also said he had fond memories of Mr Suharto: "I've called on him many times as minister and he's always been gracious, polite, and pointed in his remarks, never putting anything across in a blunt way, always in a nice way but in a clear way. He was a remarkable man, a man of great subtlety and decisiveness."
Many people who came to sign the condolence book did not know the late Mr Suharto personally, but they felt that the legacy he left and the contributions to Indonesia should not be forgotten.
Misri Wathiman, President, Javanese Society of Singapore, said: "He had done a lot of good for the people of Indonesia and even though some controversial, it's all human... Anyway for the good things that he's done, we need to respect (him)."
Fei Wong, Indonesian, said: "I hope that Indonesians can forgive Mr Suharto and family. I mean, after all they have been contributing."
Chua Thian Poh, President, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said: "We should appreciate what he had done for the country and for Singapore."
Members of the public can offer their condolences at the Indonesian Embassy from 10am to 4pm till Wednesday. - CNA/ch
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