SINGAPORE - Companies big and small in Singapore are making arrangements to help their staff pay their respects to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

The body of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, who passed away on March 23, will be lying in state at Parliament House until Saturday for the public to pay their last respects.

Tourism group Travel Corporation announced a half day leave on Friday (March 27) for that purpose.

Many others, like the Keppel group, have given staff time off to attend the public wake.

Singapore Press Holdings told its staff they may take time off before 11am or after 3pm to pay their last respects to Mr Lee.

At DBS, bus transport will be offered to staff three times a day during office hours - at 10am, 12pm and 4pm - from DBS Asia Hub and DBS Asia Gateway to Parliament House, its spokesperson told the Straits Times.

OCBC will also grant time-off to staff who would like to pay their respects at the public wake or leave tributes at condolence sites, HR planning head Jacinta Low said, adding that alternate arrangements will be made to ensure continuity in operations.

UOB is similarly in the midst of arranging a visit to the public wake, a spokesperson said. Staff will gather at an appointed time and walk to Parliament House together.

CapitaLand, which is organising a remembrance event at Raffles City on Friday, said that after the event, staff will walk together to Parliament House to pay their respects to Mr Lee, its spokesperson said.

Citigroup said it is allowing staff to pay respects to Mr Lee during working hours, subject to their managers' approval. For its employees at Changi Business Park, buses will be provided from today to Friday to take them to Funan Digitalife Mall, where they can join the queue for the public wake.