Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

SAF to bid farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew with the 'highest honours'

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Armed Forces will join the nation to bid farewell to former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Sunday, giving him "the highest honours" on land, air and sea.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post on Friday that four ceremonial 25-pounders at the Padang will fire the 21-gun salute when the funeral procession of Mr Lee passes through the Padang and Old Parliament House.

//

At the same time, four F-16 fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s aerial display team, the Black Knights, will fly overhead in a "missing man" formation, which is a long-held tradition to honour digitaries who have died or fallen soldiers.

It requires the aircraft to fly in a V-shape with two to the left of the flight leader and one on the right. As the V-formation approaches City Hall, the aircraft immediately to the left of the flight leader will leave the formation and head west, signifying the deceased's final flight towards the setting sun. The other three aircraft will continue on the flight path. What is left is an asymmetric flight of three fighter jets with a visible gap where the departed aircraft used to be. That last formation is a conspicuous symbol of the Missing Man.

As Mr Lee's body crosses the Esplanade Bridge, Patrol Vessels RSS Dauntless and RSS Resilience will conduct a ceremonial sailpast off the Marina Barrage as the final salute, said Dr Ng.

"It will be a painful moment of finality and parting, but life will go on."

Dr Ng added: "Mr Lee Kuan Yew would encourage us to continue to live life to its fullest, to take Singapore further and make the World proud of what more we can accomplish from what he had started."

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.