Overheard from Edwin Chua
Our solemn duty is done. Days of standing silent vigil, with swords inverted and heads bowed while hundreds of thousands file past in respect. Standing there, I saw only the feet of people who came to say goodbye.
I saw the tiny shoes of toddlers, the white Bata shoes of school children, the slippers of heartlanders, the shiny leather shoes and stilettos of working professionals. I also saw the wheelchairs and walking sticks of the elderly, those who could barely stand or walk but braved the hours-long queue anyway. Singaporeans from all walks of life came to see, for one last time, the man who gave his life in duty to Singapore.
He built a country with universal health insurance, free basic education for all, and subsidised public housing – welfare beyond the wildest dreams of any socialist.
He built a country where global corporations site their headquarters, with world leading industries and stable financial structures beyond the imaginations of any capitalist.
Most of all, he built a nation where none existed, melding disparate peoples together just as he melded opposing ideas together – doing the right things and doing things right, using pragmatic means to reach idealistic ends.
His duty is done.
Our duty has only begun. This week, some have honoured him with words; others have honoured him through their actions. Going forward, it is now our duty to bring Singapore towards greater heights. The best way of honouring his memory would be to build a Singapore that will celebrate SG100 better, stronger and more united than how Singapore celebrates SG50 this year.
Our duty has only begun.
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Days of standing silent vigil for Mr Lee Kuan Yew
