Singapore State Funeral Procession personal thoughts
**(This post is not a representation of my current political views)** Today marks the last day of the National Mourning week for a great man, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who brought Singapore up to who we are today. Through endless hardship and uncertainties for our small fishing village that can't even be seen on the world map, we became a developed and civilised society and made a mark on the world map. The British abandoned and post-war colonial Singapore was in total wreck... We were left to fend for ourselves. He may have made mistakes along the way while holding his post and had us held at iron grip, but these are the things that cultured us all into civilised citizens. Singapore is made up of people from different ethnicity with different social norms and beliefs. We were cultured to be tolerant, to compromise towards ethnicities, religions and tongues different from our own. Singapore had its fair share of racial disharmony and riots that resulted in unnecessary deaths; where people of different ethnicities can't even be seen hanging out together. Even within the Chinese. But it was him, the late Mr Lee, that fought for us all and united us as one. He pushed for bilingual education so that proper communication would take place. Misunderstandings and miscommunication were reduced so much as we understood each other through our newly adapted first language after gaining full independence - English. My kindergarten was set up by the PAP. My primary school and home used to be a swamp, a cemetery. My secondary school was an abandoned British army base. My polytechnic was a secluded place along the Singapore-Malaysia border. This was the effort he'd placed into education and housing for us. Nobody said it was easy, but he was the one that build us up bit by bit. He did not let the perceptions and discouragements around dictate how our lives will turn out. He was the man who firmly believed that there are some things only we can do; that new PR and "foreign talents" couldn't ever do. He was one of the few men who brought us stability and livelihood. People said we won't survive the Singapore-Malaysia separation; but we did, and we thrived! From an island full of slums, plantations, pests and opium dens, we became an international trading port and a first world country within half a century. As I lined myself alongside the route of the State Funeral Procession under a heavy downpour lasting throughout the whole procession, we were people of different ethnicities but people of our beloved homeland. A wave of new uncertainties rushed through me as the late Mr Lee's casket passed by. But a part of me was glad that he'll meet his beloved Madam Kwa in the afterlife. Rest in peace, Sir. There is really no place like home... Especially the overwhelming feeling when we touch down at Changi International Airport after our holidays/work trips. There were endless selfless contributions by the late Mr Lee that I can continue on and on about, but we can only etch his contributions in our hearts forever now. He's our hero. He's no dictator like some media have portrayed him out to be. That's the difference between western and eastern ideology. This also marks the end of a week of monochrome mourning coordinates.
