'Honour his legacy': Singapore leaders pay tribute on 10th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s death
Members of the public pay their respects during the state funeral of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in March 2015. (Photo: MCI)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore leaders marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on Sunday (Mar 23) with tributes to his leadership and reflections on his contributions to the nation.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Mr Lee and his pioneering team defied the odds to build a nation anchored in meritocracy, strengthened by economic resilience and held together by a deep commitment to harmony.
“Singapore today stands as a living testament to his vision - a clean, green, and dynamic city-state, admired and respected around the world,” he wrote on Facebook.
“As we mark SG60 and chart our next chapter, let us honour his legacy not just in remembrance, but in action. The Singapore story is still being written. Together, let’s forge a brighter future worthy of the foundation he laid.”
Mr Wong also shared a photo of people lining the streets, holding Singapore flags and umbrellas, as Mr Lee’s coffin was transported via gun carriage from Parliament House for his state funeral service at the University Cultural Centre.
The state funeral procession covered a distance of 15.4km and passed significant landmarks such as City Hall, the Padang as well as heartland areas. Thousands lined the streets to pay tribute despite wet weather.
“Ten years on. The recent rains remind us of that solemn day in March 2015, when Singapore stood united under heavy skies to bid farewell to our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew,” said Mr Wong.
"ALWAYS DO HIM PROUD"
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong also reflected on Mr Lee’s passing and said that Singaporeans remember him for all he did for the nation.
“To me and my family, he was our father or grandfather, and meant the world to us. May we live up to his hopes and expectations, and always do him proud.”
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Singapore would be a very different place if not for Mr Lee.
“We survived as a small nation, became a multiracial society, and kept climbing up in the world because of him, the team he led, and his insistence that every generation should have its own leaders - and its own ideals and aspirations for the future,” he said.
President Tharman added that to live up to Mr Lee’s legacy is to “keep imagining a better future, and making it possible”.
“To keep striving to be a place that uplifts every Singaporean, makes us all that we can be together, and uplifts the spirit.”
POLITICAL CAREER
The late Mr Lee was born on Sep 16, 1923. He was educated at Raffles College, Singapore and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, England.
In 1954, he was a founder of the People's Action Party and was Secretary General up to 1992.
He became Singapore's Prime Minister in 1959, serving successive terms until he resigned in November 1990.
Mr Lee was then appointed Senior Minister by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. He was re-appointed again after the 1991, 1997 and 2001 General Elections.
He was appointed Minister Mentor by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in August 2004, and was reappointed again after the 2006 General Elections
He stepped down as Minister Mentor in May 2011, and was appointed Senior Advisor to the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.
He died on Mar 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
