SINGAPORE - There will be a tribute segment dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew during this year's National Day Parade, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Tuesday.
"In addition, as a mark of remembrance, his empty seat will be among us as we watch the show at the Padang," Dr Ng wrote in a Facebook post.
Mr Lee died on March 23, aged 91. He had attended every single National Day Parade since the first in 1966.
"All of us wished that Mr Lee Kuan Yew could be here to celebrate NDP2015 with all Singaporeans. It would have made it so special, the culmination of his life's work," Dr Ng wrote. "But it was not to be. We have to move on, as Mr Lee would want us to."
This year's show, which celebrates Singapore's 50th year of independence, will still adopt a celebratory tone to reflect the Republic's progress and achievements, he added.
The theme of the Aug 9 show is Majulah Singapura, the title of the National Anthem, which in Malay means "onward Singapore". The main show will be at the Padang, where the first NDP was held in 1966, and it will be coupled with a bayside show at The Float @ Marina Bay.
Together, the venues will double the number of seats that will be up for grabs for Singaporeans and permanent residents. Besides the 26,000 seats at the Padang, people can also choose to ballot for the 25,000 seats at the floating platform to catch the NDP action.
Parade organisers also plan to recreate the parade of the 1960s and 70s, which will also showcase participants, including the nation's pioneers, in the army's old Temasek green uniforms and now-defunct Fire Brigade's helmets.
Two e-books on the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew free for download
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.
