As our Prime Minister and as a son of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
It is not easy to deliver this speech.
This post has nothing to do with Korea but I just wanna pen down how I feel. 23 Mar 2015 is a gloomy day for Singapore.
I woke up at 4.08am this morning to check for updates on Mr Lee’s condition, and saw the news that I do not wish to see most. Can’t control my tears even till this moment. I do not belong to the era where our Founding Father of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew built our nation from scratch, but he has always been my idol since I was young. Death comes to all living beings. Part of me was glad that he is now free from sickness but still, I am sad that we have lost such a great man. Nobody can replace him.
Becos of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I am proud to call myself a Singaporean especially when I travelled overseas and was asked where I came from. Many foreigners were surprised that I can speak both English and Mandarin. In fact, I was puzzled by their responses cos being bilingual is normal (to me)in Singapore. I will always proudly reply them, "Yes! Thanks to Mr Lee Kuan Yew who insisted on bilingualism". This was just one of the things that I have taken for granted and assumed it was only natural to study both Mandarin and English in school. I began to realise how useful and important it was to know both English and Chinese when I started travelling overseas. Many of my foreign friends envy the fact that we have a bilingual educational system. Seriously, it never crossed my mind that people would envy this until my foreign friends told me so.
Becos of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I am proud of my red passport. Becos of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I can hold my head up high becos this little red dot shines so prominently on world map. From time to time, it makes me wonder how many of us, Singaporeans actually feel thankful and blessed to be living in Singapore.
There are people who hate him. You can hate him all you want. Hate him and his team but at the same time, enjoying the fruits of their labour. What a joke! To people who hates the rules and regulations in Singapore, just pack and leave. I reckon we won’t suffer a “big” loss with your departure. I truly wish you can find happiness of the “ideal” home you long desired.
Mr Lee, I don’t care what others said about you. All I know is, without your immerse foresight and wisdom, there will not be Singapore of today. I cannot imagine myself living in slums and squatters. I cannot imagine myself living in fear of safety and unstability everyday. I cannot imagine myself living in a third world country. No. I can't and I don't want to. Without Mr Lee Kuan Yew, my family and I could have been leading a much different life right now.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, you are like my Ah Gong(Grandpa) and I love you so. My family and I are deeply grateful to you. Thank you so so much for building us a place that we can proudly call HOME. Though you have physically left us, you will be remembered in our hearts for the great legacy you have left behind.
May you rest in peace. 南无阿弥陀佛.
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