When I woke up on the morning of the March 23rd 2015, I thought my radio-alarm had gone bonkers. The usual chatter of the morning DJs on the bilingual 883jiafm station was nowhere to be heard and there was music going on without end. For the next few

minutes I turned the dial on the radio, trying to get my familiar morning broadcast back.

After some time I finally heard a human voice. It was the DJ of one of the Malay stations. While I have no idea what she was talking about because I do not understand Malay, I could hear the terms Lee Kuan Yew, PAP etc. It suddenly dawned on me, that one of Singapore’s Founding Fathers has passed away while I slept.

Even though his death has been discussed, it still came as a surprise. There’s a number of us who had noticed that the vitality had slowly drained from the man after the death of his beloved wife. It was as if the furnace has suddenly burnt out, and the red hot iron within has begun to cool. Even so, a friend and I had wished that he would be able to there to witness this year’s National Day Parade, as we sincerely believed that he should be there to share the joy of the SG50 celebrations. It was with deep sadness, to know that our wish will never be fulfilled.

Regardless whether we hated or loved Lee Kuan Yew for whatever he has done in his life, there is no denying that he will be one of those who deserved credit for the Singapore we inherited today. We have inherited a Singapore we can all be proud of. It might not be perfect, but it is a place we can call home. A place where I can walk the streets late into the night and still feel safe.

I grieved for the lost of Singapore’s most famous son, and we may perhaps never see another one like him again. The only way we can honor his memory, is to take Singapore to even greater heights.

Rest in peace, Mr Lee. You have fought the good fight.

一路走好。