Feature: Thousands pay tribute to Singapore's founding father

The passing of Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at 3:18 a.m. on Monday at the age of 91, triggered an outpouring of grief from its citizens, thousands of whom paid tribute to the country's founding father at Singapore General Hospital after the prime minister's office broke the news.

At around five o'clock in the morning, some local citizens went to the Quad, outside of Block 7, Singapore General Hospital, to pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew.

A taxi driver told Xinhua that he headed straight for the hospital once he heard the news on the radio. "I was devastated about hearing of Lee Kuan Yew's passing," he said.

A tearful Lua Su Yean, 55, left a card for Lee Kuan Yew, saying that she' had just returned from overseas when she heard the shocking news. She planned to pray for Lee Kuan Yew's speedy recovery when she was writing this card in the morning. However, she didn't expect to find that the founding father of Singapore had passed away just as she was getting out of her car.

"My heart broke on the spot and I was so upset I was lost for words," she said. "Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has been my hero since I was in primary school. He offered us public units to live, and did a lot for us. My family and I respect him so much," a weeping Lua Su Yean told Xinhua.

She reminisced on how, as a middle-school-aged pupil she remembered watching the former Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew in tears on TV during the historic separation from the Malaysian Federation. She recalled how as a child she too had been deeply moved by this and the former prime minister's efforts to build Singapore.

"I have seen how much Singapore has progressed thanks to the determination and effort of our founding father. Mr. Lee had devoted his whole life to building Singapore, including through the tough times of its separation from Malaysia,"Lua Su Yean said.

"As a small country with no resources, this was a huge effort on the part of the former prime minister," she added. Radio stations in Singapore stopped their original programming to break the news of Lee Kuan Yew's death and as a mark of respect played solemn music thereafter.

One driver told Xinhua the music moved him to tears as he quietly reflected on everything the former prime minister had done for Singapore and its people.

A special zone to pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew has been set up outside Istana since 8:00 a.m. this morning. Thousands of mourners have flocked to this site to pay their respects.

Local residents Mr. and Mrs. Ong headed directly to Istana as soon as they heard the news.

"We can't live without him as I was told about all he had achieved when I was a child. He loved the country and its people and devoted all his life to the building of our nation. We are really grateful for everything he has done," said an emotional Mrs. Ong.

"The world recognized how rapidly Singapore had changed in just a few years, and this was all due to Mr. Lee's love and effort," said Mr. Ong.

The couple said that it was a pity that they didn't have a chance to shake hands with former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and that's why they wanted to pay their respects to the late leader in person.

Jarprakash came to Istana with a small notebook held firmly in his hand. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's signature was written on the book, which had become one of the 66-year-old's most cherished possessions.

"When I was about 15 years old, I went to a PAP rally at Bukit Panjang primary school, and I gave the notebook to him, saying,' Sir, would you please sign this for me?' He signed it and told me to be a good boy."

That same child became a member of the "pioneer generation," Jarprakash said. "He is a great man. Today you're talking to me, and I'm standing here, it's all because of him. All the other nations are looking at us very highly. I have a great family, I have nothing to complain about, I am so sad that he left."

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was "grief- stricken beyond words" at the passing of Lee Kuan Yew in his TV speech on Monday morning. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also called on Singaporeans to honor Lee Kuan Yew's spirit and dedicate themselves to "building on his foundations, strive for his ideals, and keep Singapore exceptional and successful for many years to come."

Lee Hsien Loong declared a period of national mourning for former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew from Monday to Sunday, with the state flags on all government buildings lowered to half-mast during the same period.

Lee's body will lie in state at Parliament House from Wednesday to Saturday for the public to pay their respects.

A State Funeral Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the University Cultural Center, National University of Singapore. Endi