The past week has not been a easy one as anguished Singaporeans come to terms with his demise since news of it broke on early Monday (March 23) morning.
Pulled by an open-topped ceremonial land rover, Mr Lee's body was brought to Sri Temasek atop a Gun Carriage for a two-day private wake inside the Istana where President Tony Tan Keng Yam, the Sultan of Brunei and Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing were among the visitors.
On Wednesday (March 25) morning, Mr Lee's casket was once again conveyed by a Gun Carriage to the Parliament House for a public wake where Singaporeans could pay their tributes for the next four days until Sunday (March 29).
Thousands have joined the queue which stretched a few kilometers from the Parliament House but the crowd kept coming still. People were willing to join the queue even though it meant a eight to ten hours wait. The queue to the lie-in-state was eventually cut at 8pm on Saturday (March 28) in preparation for the State Funeral the following day.
And today is the day.
Just before the State Funeral begins, the skies begin to pour.
Singaporeans lining the route outside the Parliament House braved the unusually heavy rain. The weather had been hot and sweltering just days before.
At about 12.30pm, the Coffin Bearer Party, comprising of eight officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police, entered the Parliament House to place the casket bearing Mr Lee's body atop the Gun Carriage.
As the cortege moved out of the Parliament House, the people clapped and chanted his name, thanking him for the legacy he has built and left behind.
The cortege then embarked for the UCC (University Cultural Centre) at the NUS (National University of Singapore) while passing several landmarks associated with Mr Lee's 60-year political career.
The landmarks included Old Parliament House, City Hall, the Padang, NTUC Centre, Singapore Conference Hall and the heartland areas, covering a total distance of 15.4km.
World leaders and dignitaries attending the funeral service were already seated at the UCC waiting for the arrival of the cortege. When it did, 10 moving eulogies were delivered by the people whom the late Mr Lee had worked closely with before. The opening and concluding eulogies were delivered by his sons - Mr Lee Hsien Loong and Mr Lee Hsien Yang respectively.
| COUNTRY/REGION | REPRESENTATIVES |
| Australia | Prime Minister Tony Abott |
| Brunei | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah |
| Bhutan | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck & Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck |
| Cambodia | Prime Minister Hun Sen |
| Canada | Governor-General David Johnston |
| India | Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
| Indonesia | President Joko Widodo and Spouse |
| Israel | President Reuven Rivlin |
| Japan | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe |
| Kazakhstan | Prime Minister Karim Massimov |
| Lao PDR | Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong |
| Malaysia | King Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah |
| Myanmar | President U Thein Sein |
| New Zealand | Governor-General Jerry Mateparae |
| Phillipines | President of the Senate Franklin Drilon |
| PRC | Vice President Li Yuanchao |
| ROK | President Park Geun-hye |
| Qatar | Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani |
| Russia | First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov |
| Thailand | Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha & Spouse |
| UK | First Secretary of State & Leader of the House of Commons William Hague |
| US | Former President Bill Clinton |
| Former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon | |
| Vietnam | Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung |
At the conclusion of the funeral service, the late Mr Lee make his
final journey to the Mandai Crematorium where he was cremated in a private service for family and friends.
Rest in peace, Sir.
Rest in peace, Sir.
UPDATE: Watch Mr Lee Kuan Yew's State Funeral that was telecast 'live' on TV here (in Mandarin).
