RIP Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923 – 2015)

One week of national mourning with half mast state flag

Three days before our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew left us, I blogged about my Malaysian passenger expressing his gratitude to him. Like that passenger, many of us could sense his imminent passing. It was a true account captured vividly on my blog post.

Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE) and The Real Singapore (TRS) as usual re-posted that article on their sites. They usually do that whenever I blog something interesting. That blog post attracted more than one hundred hate comments on TRE. Wicked and insulting comments on my character and integrity. I really detest them. I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly inform TRS and TRE from henceforth to stop publishing my blog posts on their sites. There is no necessity for me to be there to be verbally abused repeatedly. Those coward hiding behind anonymity just shoot like nobody’s business. Uncivilized haters out there who behave like animals and do not care about others’ feelings. Click here for the link.

I was quite sad reading those remarks not only on that Malaysian passenger article but also on my previous other blog posts especially the conversation I had with Lao Si about whether our Prime Minister pay is very high? Even my dear friend Lao Si was attacked with all kinds of hate comments and lies! Some of the things those morons uttered on TRE site were imaginary lies hitting at Lao Si and me. Why should I subject myself to such unwarranted abuse?

When I read about one lady blogger suing another lady blogger (or court protection order I’m not sure cuz I didn’t follow their public spats) over some remarks made which she termed “cyber bullying”, I could empathize with her. For that, I fully support initiatives to protect and safeguard online discussion. Catch them by their necks and squeeze them when they go beyond normal decency and decorum! Say ‘NO’ to cyber bullying!

Of course, there is freedom of speech here in Singapore. We are not North Korea. As long as one gives opinion responsibly with facts and fair comments, no one is going to fault us. Like what one Minister said something to that effect, “If you call him stupid, he could take it. But if you accuse him of taking money then you better back up with evidence.” Freedom of speech does not mean that you can verbally abuse, insult or spread lies about others.

Earlier I said that I was quite sad when I read those wicked comments on my blog posts. My previous blog post had more than 100 wicked comments without any positive comment supporting me. I was disheartened and perturbed. I was sad cuz I thought that lots of our fellow Singaporeans were like them. I was proven wrong. I was vindicated. Over the past one week of national mourning for our founding Prime Minister, I could see with my own eyes that most Singaporeans are not like those crazy trigger happy online retards! The tens of thousands of Singaporeans young and old queuing for hours sometimes up to 10 hours just to pay respects to Mr Lee and many more thousands lining the roads braving the heavy downpour to bid their final farewell to Mr Lee are irrefutable facts. Only retards and morons will label such unprecedented phenomenon in our 50 years of existence as propaganda. Like my dear friend Lohcifer commented that unlike North Korea, “ours is a spontaneous outpour of public grief!” Read Mr Brown’s blog here where he has beautifully captured those historic moments earning PM’s praise.

Mr Lee’s passing has also touched many foreigners. Not only that Malaysian passenger I blogged about, but so many other nationalities especially the Indians. Those Southern Indians are extremely grateful to Mr Lee and his team for bringing progress even to far away poor Indian villagers where they could find jobs here and bring food back to their families in their hometown like that Malaysian passenger. Click here to watch the video here to see for yourself. Is it staged propaganda? You decide for yourself. Like what I said on my previous blog post, “A Titan whose powerful brilliant light shines far and wide, as the name says it even though he’s en-caged on a tiny piece of rock!”

My dear fren Encik ' s tribute to Mr Lee which he WhatsApp to us.

Even foreigners working here also paid tributes to Mr Lee

Talking about Malaysians, my dear friend Encik penned his tribute to Mr Lee at one of the community tribute sites. His eyes welled up with tears but he refused to admit saying that it’s the smoke that got into his eyes! Yup, he was crying when he wrote those lines of tribute to Mr Lee. Encik came from Penang at age 18 years. Served in the RSAF for 37 yrs until he retired at age 55 yrs. Mr Lee and Singapore gave him not only a career but a family with 2 scholar kids and a HDB mansionate! If he were to remain in Penang would he be better off? He is more loyal than those locally born; at least more grateful than those haters on TRE site.

Throughout the week long national morning, I could see Singaporeans becoming like a big family. Some giving out drinks, snacks, umbrellas, LKY logo stickers etc to those queuing for hours under the scorching sun to pay their last respects to Mr Lee at Parliament House. Even one PRC lady passenger asked me whether I had paid my respects to “国父?” She said she would go later even if the queue was very  long. I had a highly educated local lady passenger saying that if not many of us pay our respects to Mr Lee, others (foreigners) would see us differently. The hundreds of thousands standing in line to pay respects to Mr Lee has already shown to the whole world that Singaporeans are a united people putting away their differences who love their country and will stand together thru thick and thin as a society! Don’t play play with us lah!

Mr Lee acted like a bridge between the west and east.

Just this afternoon when I fetched my 72 years old mother home, she told me that the Taoist temple opposite Bedok Fire Station (Civil Defense) has set up Mr Lee’s altar for their followers to pay respects. I could not believe her when she told me that her colleagues – locals, PRCs and Malaysians went there to burn joss sticks to worship Mr Lee! The traditional Taoist Chinese believe that the burning of joss sticks is the medium to communicate with those departed souls. I will go check it up about the altar.

Throughout Chinese history, past great historical figures like Confucius, General Kwan, General Yue Fei, Justice Bao, Zhuge Liang etc when they passed on, are being worshipped by the Chinese in temples and shrines. I sense that Mr Lee will follow suit. Elevated to that order of great Chinese historical figures for their timeless traits and noble characteristics that the Chinese for generations adore. Even myself am a great admirer of General Kwan. Whenever I come across General Kwan in a Chinese temple, I would light up joss sticks to pay my respects! May be 50 years from now or sooner, it might just happen to Mr Lee?

As Singaporeans, we are proud of you. We will always remember you for what you have done for us. Farewell Mr Lee.

Mr Lee Kwan Yew I have a confession to make.

Silent majority speak up.

Singapore : A fascinating alternative to the welfare state.