As if he did not think the people know who he was, how
powerful he was, he made the nation stood under heavy downpour for a solid one whole
hour, to wait for him, even when he is dead. The area around the Padang
was thronged with people to be with him on his last journey from this mortal
world. The streets that his cortege would pass were lined with people to keep
him company, to let him know he was not alone.
The man god of Singapore,
where his name was not to be spoken freely, like YHWH, not to be spoken, was
affectionately called LKY. And heaven opened up, wept for him with the people
of a country he helped to found. They braved the tropical monsoon rain, all
soaking wet, my two cameras ‘konked’ but not before taking a few shots for this
post. I was prepared for shooting in the rain but not the kind of downpour this
afternoon, as if by clockwork precision, on his command, it fell dogs and cats
at 12 noon until his cortege went
past City Hall, the very same spot he aroused a people to bring him into power
for the last 50 years. He was the god of this island, have no doubt about this.
Singapore
lost its most illustrious son, son, man or god, it is the holy trinity. The
world lost an elder statesman they would miss for a long time to come. There
would be no more Oracle to consult should any leader needs that badly needed
words of wisdom. Yes, the Oracle is gone forever. But he would remain in the
hearts of many Singaporeans. Today is history in the making, the final chapter
of a man god who would not come again, maybe he would, if his words were to be
believed.
Tomorrow Singaporeans would wake up in a Singapore
without LKY.
The photos above were the last moments of this man god’s
presence on this island, on earth. The photos were touched up to give a little
brightness and colour. The originals were all dark and grey. The sadness in the air was pervasive and a
bit depressing. The people were there to witness this moment of a life time, to
see the passing of an extraordinary man, a brief moment in history.
Captions of photos from top to bottom
1. Students and spectators arriving at the Padang while the rain just started to fall
2. WW1 Cenotaph with umbrellas all up
3. City Hall and the former Supreme Court
4. Gunners preparing the gun in a flooded Padang
5. Water everywhere in the Padang while cortege passing in front of City Hall
6. Cortege passing St Andrew Catheral towards the Recreation Club
7. First salvo of the 21 gun salute
8. Spectators opposite the Durians
9. Spectators lining the whole of Benjamin Sheares Bridge
Captions of photos from top to bottom
1. Students and spectators arriving at the Padang while the rain just started to fall
2. WW1 Cenotaph with umbrellas all up
3. City Hall and the former Supreme Court
4. Gunners preparing the gun in a flooded Padang
5. Water everywhere in the Padang while cortege passing in front of City Hall
6. Cortege passing St Andrew Catheral towards the Recreation Club
7. First salvo of the 21 gun salute
8. Spectators opposite the Durians
9. Spectators lining the whole of Benjamin Sheares Bridge