Family, govt leaders attend S R Nathan's cremation service
SINGAPORE — After the State Funeral Service, a brief and solemn private cremation service for the late Mr S R Nathan was held on Friday (Aug 26) at the Mandai Crematorium, attended by family members and close friends.
About 80 to 90 people were present, including government leaders and Members of Parliament such as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong — accompanied by his wife, Madam Ho Ching — Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing.
Mr Nathan’s wife, Mdm Urmila Nandey, and daughter Juthika, did not attend the service because of religious customs.
After departing from the University Cultural Centre, where the State Funeral Service was held, Mr Nathan’s cortege arrived at the service hall at about 5.50pm and was received by eight pall-bearers. The service, which lasted less than 10 minutes, started at about 6pm.
Several Hindu rites were performed, led by Mr Nathan’s son, Mr Osith Ramanathan. After the rites, Mr Ramanathan left the service hall with Mr Nathan’s portrait and entered a waiting car with relatives. At about 6.06pm, the coffin was wheeled out of the service hall for cremation and the guests departed the hall.
The proceedings were screened live to two nearby service halls, which were set aside for members of the public.
Among those who made their way to the Mandai Crematorium was Mr Lee Hock Yang, 66, a retired Ceylon Road fruit seller, who has known Mr Nathan for many years. He had also attended Mr Nathan’s private wake at his Ceylon Road residence on Tuesday.
Mr Lee, who took public transport from his Bedok Reservoir View home to the crematorium, said in Mandarin: “I am an insignificant person, he was a high-ranking official and yet he had shown me respect … I wanted to catch one last glimpse of him.”
