SINGAPORE - People waiting to pay their respects to Mr Lee Kuan Yew started queueing at the Padang field just before 5.30am on Thursday morning, as organisers instituted a new queueing system on the second day of public mourning.
As at 6am, the waiting time is three hours, according to the state funeral organisers' website Remembering Lee Kuan Yew.
At City Hall MRT station members of the public followed signs and traffic marshals directing them to the Padang field.
The elderly, pregnant women, families with children under six years old and those with special needs could join a special lane at the white tents near Parliament House, where the security clearance points are located.
Those joining the priority queue might need to produce some form of identification with their birthdate, or a doctor's note for pregnant women, said organisers of the state funeral on Facebook.
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In the early hours of the morning, military personnel worked tirelessly to set up barriers for crowd control on the Padang field in preparation for the day ahead, while at the City Hall MRT station, staff put up fresh signs directing commuters to the grounds.
Lines snaked ceaselessly around the Padang field through the night as the crowds awaited their turn to enter Parliament House to see Singapore's founding prime minister, who died on Monday at the age of 91.
Before 6am, the queue beginning at Hong Lim Park closed. Members of the public were advised to head to the Padang instead, according to the organisers' Facebook page.
And as dawn approached, the crowd began swelling again, as early birds hoped to squeeze in a visit to Parliament House before heading to work or school.
