SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Parliament on Monday that a committee will be formed to conceptualise a memorial for Singapore's founding fathers, including the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
PM Lee said he has asked Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu Yang to head the committee which will take in views from the public.
He noted that Mr Lee, who died on March 23, disdained monuments and personality cults. In his life, Mr Lee consented to lend his name only to institutions and initiatives that he felt passionate about, or where his name served a greater purpose.
For example, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, created at the National University of Singapore on his 80th birthday, would help "establish the Singapore brand of governance and advance the school's mission - to raise standards of governance in Asia, improve the lives of people and contribute to the transformation of the region," said PM Lee.
The Lee Kuan Yew water prize and the Lee Kuan Yew fund for bilingualism had to do with causes that were Mr Lee's lifelong passions.
"Mr Lee lived his life for Singapore, not for himself. Let us take time to consider the best way to honour his memory, in a way that is in keeping with his ideals," PM Lee concluded.
"In remembering the past, we must also look to the future. Whatever memorial we decide upon should not only be right for Singaporeans living today, but also for generations not yet born. The memorial should reflect and strengthen in all of us our sense of what it means to be a Singaporean, why Singapore is worth striving and fighting for, and how we can continue to build a harmonious and successful Singapore for future generations."
Straits Times e-books on Mr Lee Kuan Yew
The e-books are available on Apple's iPad (but not iPhone), and Android tablets and smartphones from The Straits Times Star E-books app. To get them:
- Go to the Apple App store on your iPad, or Google Play Store on your Android tablet or smartphone.
- Type "The Straits Times Star" to search for The Straits Times Star E-books app.
- Download it onto your iPad or Android device.
- Go to "I'm just browsing"
- You will find Lee Kuan Yew: The Final Journey and Lee Kuan Yew: The Man And His Ideas inside the app.
The app is designed to work on iPad devices running iOS 6 and above. The app is best viewed on tablets.
Due to its size, it is best downloaded over Wi-Fi.
The Straits Times has also released the PDFs of its print coverage of Mr Lee's death, from March 23 to March 30. This is also sponsored by DBS Bank.
