Overnight campers among crowd near Padang
SINGAPORE — Armed with snacks, drinks and umbrellas, Mr Jeffrey Hoh, 46, and three of his friends camped overnight near the Padang to make sure they got a good spot to send off Mr Lee Kuan Yew on his final journey.
Adding that the group arrived at the Padang at 12.30am yesterday (March 29) and stayed all the way until the procession begun about 12 hours later, Mr Hoh noted the area had special national significance.
“(We wanted) to send him off on his last journey,” said the tour manager.
By morning yesterday, a crowd had started to build. Ms Mona Ismail, who is in her early 50s, were among those who made their way to the Padang early. Along with seven friends, she arrived at the area at around 7.30am.
“It’s worth it for our founding father. He did so much for 50 years. What we are doing only takes maybe 9 or 10 hours. This is nothing to us,” said the sales manager, adding that the group brought mats and snacks along.
A few hours before the procession started, items such as flags and black ribbons were being distributed for free.
Ms Lee Seah Peng, 42, is a partner at Heartlink Trading, which sells party items. She brought 16 family members, aged 11 to 82 years old, to the City Hall area at 9am to distribute 10,000 flags. She said they hoped the people gathered to witness the procession would wave the flags when Mr Lee’s cortege passed through the area.
At the Supreme Court, two women in their 30s were handing out black ribbons to members of the public. “We hope they can wear it on their shirt when the casket (drives by),” said one of them who wanted to be known only as Ms Goh.
The wait was made more challenging when heavy rain fell at about 11am, but those who had lined St Andrew’s Road and Stamford Road at the Padang were undeterred. Some whipped out their umbrellas while others put on their ponchos or raincoats.
There was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air as the crowd waited patiently for the procession to start.
At about 12.15pm, volunteers and soldiers started positioning themselves along the roads. This was the cue that the crowd had been waiting for. Some in the crowd shouted for others to keep their umbrellas and not block the view, and people generally obliged despite the rain. As the cortege made its way out of Parliament and passed by the Padang, some in the crowd gave a salute while others cheered. Cries of “Mr Lee Kuan Yew” and “Thank you” also broke out.
Among those who braved the rain to watch the procession at the Padang was Mr Eric Yeo, 52. Mr Yeo, who is self-employed, said: “It’s his final journey and I want to show my support and be soaked in the atmosphere ... It’s a very special occasion. My family and I decided we should be here no matter what.”
IT Director Kannan Krishnan, 51, noted how there was also a heavy downpour during the 1968 National Day Parade.
“Nothing stopped then. We are here to send him off for one last time,” said Mr Kannan, who came with his wife and six-year-old daughter. “I wanted my daughter to see this momentous occasion.”
