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Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Initiative also a way to show

confidence in continuing
Mr Lees legacy, says group
MATTHIAS TAY

matthiastay@mediacorp.com.sg

group of 50 grassroots leaders

and residents from East Coast
GRC has called on all Singaporeans to display the national flag at
their homes on Sunday when the
state funeral service for Mr Lee Kuan
Yew will be held as a tribute to him.
The group has submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) for its approval. The flag initiative comes in the
midst of online debate on what is the
best colour for Singaporeans to wear
on Sunday.
According to the National Heritage
Board website, the Singapore flag can
be flown without a flag pole and night
illumination between July 1 and Sept 30
each year for National Day celebrations.
A ministry spokesperson, confirming that a request had been submitted,
said: MCCY has noted the request
from young Singaporeans and we are
looking into it.
The organisers said they had raised
the idea of the flag with Mr Lim Swee
Say, East Coast GRCs Member of Parliament and adviser to the constituencys grassroots organisations, on
Wednesday evening. They chose the
flag because it is the one item representing the countrys unity that most
Singaporeans would possess.
Mr Lim felt the idea of displaying the
national flag is probably the best way
to bid farewell to the Republics founding Prime Minister, since it would allow
Singaporeans to show unity and confidence in building an even better Sin-

Display flag as a tribute, suggest

grassroots leaders, residents

Mr Lim Swee Say

(seated first from
left) with the group
who has called on
the Government to
let Singaporeans
display the flag on
Sunday in honour of
Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Photo: Tristan Loh

gapore by the time SG100 approaches.

We want to tell Mr Lee, Dont worry
about us, rest in peace, Mr Lim, who
is also Minister in the Prime Ministers
Office, told reporters yesterday.
The organisers said the flag display
is also a way for Singaporeans to show
they have the confidence to carry on
Mr Lees legacy.
You can express grief definitely,
but you can at the same time express

confidence in the future, confidence

that we have what it takes as a people
to punch above our weight and carry
on the legacy that has been around for
the past 50 years, said Dr Yusuf Ali,
36, one of the grassroots volunteers
and an assistant professor at Nanyang
Technological Universitys Lee Kong
Chian School of Medicine.
Another volunteer, 31-year-old
Nicole Leong, who works in A*STAR

as a technology-adoption programme
assistant head, added: We can show
Mr Lee that we will stand together ...
(and) assure him that ... we are (united)
and Singapore will move forward to
build on the foundation he has built.
A Bedok resident, who wanted to be
known only as Ms Lim, told TODAY:
The flag is a symbol of his (Mr Lees)
hard work ... sending him off with the
flag is a good idea.

Black or white, only the heart matters: Chuan-Jin

Laura Philomin

lauraphilomin@mediacorp.com,sg

day after an anonymous message asking Singaporeans to

wear black on Sunday, when
the State Funeral Service will be held
for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, started
circulating, another message urging
people to wear white instead has been
making the rounds.
An online debate about the appropriate colour to wear in mourning
prompted Manpower Minister Tan
Chuan-Jin yesterday to put up a Facebook post stating: White? Black?
Whats in a colour? Just wear your
heart on your sleeve.
He added: I for one believe that even
as we mourn and grieve, we are also
celebrating his life and our Singapore.
Its something really remarkable, isnt
it? So whether its the gorgeous hues of
sunset in Marina Bay, a Red and White
tribute of a significant line in our pledge
on my personal page profile shot or a
black-and-white profile shot ... we are
of one heart.

I for one
believe that
even as we
mourn and
grieve, we
are also
celebrating his
life and our
Singapore.
Its something
really
remarkable,
isnt it? So
whether its the
gorgeous hues
of sunset in
Marina Bay ...
we are of
one heart.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin
Manpower Minister

The minister recounted how he had

met a man who had rushed down from
work to pay his respects to Mr Lee, and
had apologised repeatedly for being in
a brightly coloured shirt.
Uncle, what matters is that you cared
enough to come. The colour doesnt matter. Thank you, Mr Tan wrote.
On Tuesday, an anonymous message calling for five million people in
black to mourn for Mr Lee started
circulating on whatsapp and social
media, as well as via email.
A day later, another message did the
rounds, urging people against taking
up the call.
It said: If the entire population of
Singapore wear(s) black, it is to say
that after the passing of Lee Kuan Yew
comes the beginning of a dark day for
Singapore ... Show your respect and be
thankful by wearing white.
Netizens were divided on the issue. Facebook user Diana Loo said
that people should not bother about
superficialities.
However, others believed wearing
black or white at funerals is a sign of

Social media is divided over the colour to wear for the State Funeral Service. Photo: Facebook

respect and is a universal and unspoken code.

Ms Jasmine Teo said: We dont
wear shorts and flip-flops to weddings,
do we? Same reason we dont wear
bright red to funerals.
People can choose to do what they
want, dress how they want, regardless
of protocol, rules, since its not against
the law. I have been taught to dress
appropriately for occasions as a mark
of respect.

Tributes from readers

Ian Wong: A death, a legend, a son

and a new day tdy.sg/ltrlegendmar27
Benjamin Ho Chi Hao: A tribute to
the iron within Lee Kuan Yew
tdy.sg/ltrironmar27

Edwin Teong Ying Keat: Many

achievements, one that is respected the
most tdy.sg/ltrrespectmar27
Letitia Ng: Allow the grievers to grieve
tdy.sg/ltrgrievemar27