MPs to pay homage at special Parliament sitting
State flag being flown at half-mast at Parliament House. Photo: Robin Choo
SINGAPORE — Leader of the House Ng Eng Hen and Opposition leader Low Thia Khiang will be among the speakers who will pay a tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the special Parliament sitting tomorrow (March 26).
In all, 11 Members of Parliament (MPs) will speak during the session, which will start at 4pm.
Apart from Dr Ng and Mr Low, the other speakers are Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Seng Han Thong; former Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng; Nominated MP Thomas Chua; Senior Minister of State (Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs) Masagos Zulkifli; Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair; Minister of State (Education and Communications and Information) Sim Ann; Nominated MP Chia Yong Yong; and Holland‐Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza.
The final speaker will be Senior Minister of State (Law and Education) Indranee Rajah, who is also the late Mr Lee’s fellow MP from Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Following the tributes, the House will observe a minute of silence and all MPs, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will the pay homage to the nation’s founding Prime Minister.
The special parliamentary session will also be attended by a group of invited guests, including grassroots leaders and students, who will be wearing black ribbons to mark the occasion.
Mr Seng told TODAY that his tribute speech will cite policies implemented under Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership, such as on housing and bilingualism, as well as the late leader’s beliefs on meritocracy and a multi-racial society.
“I will be speaking about the legacy that (Mr Lee) left behind...that of a Singapore system which can be flexible (and) sustainable in view of the (global) changes,” said Mr Seng.
He will also be using the analogy of an iPhone smartphone that can undergo upgrading and download new applications to improve its functions, adding that Singapore has a good team of young leaders who will carry the nation through in the face of future challenges.
For Mr Nair, his tribute in Tamil, which will end off with a poem, will focus on Mr Lee’s achievements in ensuring education and jobs, among other things.
“I will also talk about (Mr Lee’s) values, the important things about good and clean government and most importantly, equality — which is something that a minority in Singapore would pretty much take for granted.
“Especially for the Indian community, it is quite special (that) despite being less than 10 per cent of the population, Tamil is one of the national languages,” Mr Nair added.
NMP Chia said she will be taking the perspective of an ordinary citizen, who was not born during the era of the country’s independence but is able to benefit from what modern Singapore has to offer today.
“It will be a personal tribute...essentially to convey my own deep sense of gratitude for what Mr Lee has done at the national level and yet, so deeply impacts each one of us,” she added.
