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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2015)
ASIA / PACIFIC April 6, 2015 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3 Lee Kuan Yew eulogized at funeral as architect of Singapore By Stephen Wright and Jeanette Tan The Associated Press S INGAPORE — Singaporeans bid farewell to longtime leader Lee Kuan Yew with an elaborate procession and a three-hour state funeral at which his son, the current prime minister, eulogized the statesman and declared that the wealthy city-state he helped build is his monument. Undeterred by heavy rain, about 100,000 people lined a nine-mile route through the city to catch a glimpse of the funeral cortège. Lee’s coffin, draped in Singapore’s red and white flag and protected from the downpour by a glass casing, lay atop a ceremonial gun carriage that was solemnly led past city landmarks from parliament to a cultural center where the state funeral was held. Along the way, crowds of people chanted “Lee Kuan Yew,” snapped photos with smartphones, and waved Singapore’s flag. Four howitzers were fired in a nearby field, air force fighter jets streaked over the island, with one peeling off in a “missing man” formation, and navy patrol ships blasted horns. “To those who seek Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s monument, Singaporeans can reply proudly: Look around you,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in the first of 10 eulogies at the funeral, which was attended by more than 2,000 people, including schoolchildren, Singapore’s elite, world leaders, and royalty. Occasionally drawing tears and laughter, Lee said an important part of his father’s legacy is that “Singapore’s voice is heard and we enjoy far more influence on the international stage than we have any reason to expect.” As the service neared its conclusion, civil defense sirens blared across the island to signal a minute of silence. The government had asked trains and busses to stand still. During a week of national mourning after Lee’s death at age 91, some 450,000 people lined up for hours to briefly view the statesman’s coffin at Parliament House. A million people visited tribute sites at community centers around the city. The expansive show of emotion is a rare event for Singapore and its 5.5 million people. The island nation, about four times the size of Washington, D.C., is known around the world as a wealthy trade and finance center with a strict social order that includes a ban on chewing gum and caning for some crimes. Lee was Singapore’s prime minister for more than three decades, ruling with an iron grip until 1990. He is regarded by Singaporeans as the architect of their nation’s prosperity and harmonious relations among ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indian populations. But his authoritarian rule and crushing of dissent has also left a legacy of restrictions on free speech, a tame media, and a stunted democracy. “He did everything for us Singaporeans regardless of race, language, or religion,” said Jennie Yeo, a teacher who arrived at 7:00am to stake out front row positions with two friends. “Education, housing, everything you can think of, he’s taken care of for us.” Lawmakers paid a teary tribute to Lee in a special sitting of parliament. Low Thia Khiang, the leader of Singapore’s tiny political opposition, acknowledged Lee’s role in nation-building in a brief speech, but said he did not believe one-party rule was the key to the country’s economic development. “Many Singaporeans were sacrificed during the process SINGAPORE STATESMAN. A portrait of the late Lee Kuan Yew is carried during the state funeral held at the University Cultural Center in Singapore. During a week of national mourning, some 450,000 people queued for hours for a glimpse of Lee’s coffin at Parliament House. A mil- lion people visited tribute sites at community centers across the island and leaders and dignitaries from more than two dozen countries attended the state funeral. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) of nation-building and policymaking, and our society has paid a price for it,” he said. “This is why Mr. Lee is also a controversial figure in some people’s eyes.” Leaders and dignitaries from more than two dozen countries attended the funeral. The U.S. delegation was led by former President Bill Clinton. Others included the prime ministers of India, Japan, and Australia. Abroad, India declared a national day of mourning and New Zealand government flags were at half-staff. Lee’s achievements and legacy are likely to be argued for years. Though his widely read memoirs are titled From Third World to First, Singapore never knew grim poverty. Before independence in the first half of the 20th century, it was by the standards of the region a prosperous commercial hub of the British Empire. But after its split in 1965 from a short-lived and acrimo- nious federation with Malaysia, Singapore’s future was highly uncertain. It lacked natural resources, having to import even water, and was surrounded by hostile neigh- bors. In control of all policy levers, Lee and his government obliterated independent trade unions, imprisoned political opponents, reconfigured the education system to produce workers who met the needs of foreign investors, and pushed through other changes to make the island Continued on page 13 ‘Spicy’ scent of a Burger King store entices cologne buyers TOKYO (AP) — The whiff of a Whopper made hundreds of customers hungry for a Burger King special on April 1 — “Flame Grilled” cologne. Bottles of the fragrance were sold at the fast-food chain’s stores in Japan for 5,000 yen (about $40), including one Whopper burger. At a downtown Tokyo outlet, 17-year-old student Yuki Ishibashi bought one out of curiosity. He learned about the cologne and “I really wanted to try it,” Ishibashi said. He took a whiff of the spray and described the scent as “spicy.” Nanako Katabami bought one as an unusual gift, and quoted her friend as saying it smelled like a Burger King store. Burger King said the cologne sold out at about half of its 90 Japanese outlets by evening. The promotion, available only in Japan, was timed deliberately for April Fools’ Day. The company said it hoped the scent would make customers identify Burger King with a grilled-beef burger smell. FLAME-BROILED FRAGRANCE. A customer enters a Burger King fast-food restaurant in Tokyo on April 1, 2015. For hamburger aficio- nados who wanted the smell even when they couldn’t get a bite, Burger King put the scent into a limited-edition fragrance. Burger King said the Whopper grilled-beef-burger-scented cologne was sold only on April 1, and only in Japan. 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