Saturday 28 March 2015

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Remembering Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew

Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew (Mdm. Kwa Geok Choo)

She is the late wife of the late ex-Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. I am learning a lot in terms of how to be a mother from her through the speech of our Prime Minister, the eulogies by her husband and her children. I am archiving this for learning and remembering.

Here is an extracts of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech from Singapore National Day 2008 that gives us a glimpse of what we can learn from her as a mom:

"I remember my own experience. I’m a beneficiary of this. My mother was a lawyer. But every day she came home to have lunch with us. So every day we come home from school, three of us, my mother is there, we have lunch. Nowadays you would call it quality time. This was before people invented such big words. All it meant was she had time for us, we had time to talk to her."

"And it was a tremendous help. She avoided going out at night for functions. She had to go for, accompany my father, but business functions, very seldom. What it meant is less takings as a lawyer, less work, less conveyancing, but she decided her children were more important to her. And she acted on that and I think she was happy with that. And we’re definitely very grateful for that."

Mr. Lee Lee Kuan Yew once said:

“If she weren’t an influence, supposing I had married somebody else, I might have become a different person, not that I would be a different person, but the things that I would have been able to do, the kind of backdrop I would have had, family, support, would have been different.”








Eulogy by Founding Father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew



Extracts of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech from Singapore National Day 2008

Eulogy by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong


Eulogy by Mr Lee Hsien Yang

Eulogy by Dr Lee Wei Ling


Eulogy by Li Shengwu

Eulogy by Li Xiuqi

Useful Links:
http://koppiemama.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/tribute-to-mrs-lee-kuan-yew/

http://daneshd.com/2010/10/

http://mohdazhar.wordpress.com/tag/mrs-lee-kuan-yew/

http://estherwritesat.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/singapores-mrs-lee-kuan-yew-illustrates-the-proverbs-31-woman/

http://www.divaasia.com/article/10910

http://danielyunhx.com/2013/08/09/a-feeling-of-coming-home/
http://rebelliousbuddhist.blogspot.sg/2013/08/one-mans-view-of-afterworld.html

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20101006-240957/4.html

http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/News/Pages/Mourning-my-mother.aspx

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/45920

http://danielyunhx.com/2010/10/03/mrs-lee-kuan-yew-the-lady-by-his-side-a-pioneer-in-her-own-right/

http://reuelwrites.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/r-i-p-mrs-lee-kuan-yew/

http://all4one4all.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/singapore-lee-kwan-yew-on-marriage-and-his-daughter/

http://leesjuanpatworld.blogspot.dk/2010/10/mdm-kwa-geok-choo-mrs-lee-kuan-yew.html
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Remembering Our Founding Father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew


Below are a list of information sources I would like to archive for the teaching and heritage education of our Little FECS:

This blog post of a fellow Singaporean articulated our feelings and summed up succinctly why we cried on the passing of our Founding Father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

https://thoughtsfromastarfish.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/singapore-cries/

A Letter to J: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew and our Pioneers Past and Present

http://www.familyfecs.com/2015/03/a-letter-to-joshua-remembering-lee-kuan.html

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

http://www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg/

Lee Kuan Yew: Founder of the Nation

https://www.facebook.com/pap.sg/videos/1012056985472368/?pnref=story

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

https://www.facebook.com/pap.sg/videos/1013475101997223/?pnref=story

One People, One Nation, One Singapore

https://www.facebook.com/pap.sg/videos/1014468421897891/?pnref=story

Lee Kuan Yew - National Anthem Tribute (By Disrupt)

https://www.facebook.com/pap.sg/videos/1014916378519762/?pnref=story

You First Believed - Thank you Mr Lee


Opposition party Mr Chiam See Tong paying respects to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

https://www.facebook.com/ChannelNewsAsiaSingapore/photos/a.106297597933.96699.93889432933/10152768276762934/?type=1&fref=nf&pnref=story

India declares a day of national mourning on Sunday for Mr Lee Kuan Yew


http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/india-declares-day-national-mourning-sunday-mr-lee-20150#xtor=CS1-10http://

http://www.todayonline.com/rememberinglky/india/village-tamil-nadu-pay-homage-lee-kuan-yew-memorial-event

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/indian-towns-plan-statue-museum-mr-lee-kuan-yew-20150407

News from Denmark

http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/udland/2015-03-22-singapores-landsfader-er-doed

Lesson from Mr Lee Kuan Yew was on frugality

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shanmugam-says-one-lesson/1748178.html?cid=fbsg

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/english-translation-mr-sidek-saniff%E2%80%99s-eulogy-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew

PM Lee Hsien Loong's eulogy

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/transcript-eulogy-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-funeral-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew-29-march




Statement by PM LEE Hsien Loong

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/statement-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong


Dr. Lee Wei Ling's eulogy

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/excerpt-eulogy-dr-lee-wei-ling-cremation-service-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew

Mr. Lee Hsien Yang's eulogy

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/mr-lee-hsien-yang%E2%80%99s-eulogy-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew




Eulogies from his grandchild Mr Li Hongyi

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/eulogy-mr-li-hongyi-cremation-service-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew


Eulogies from his grandchild Mr Li Shengwu

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/eulogy-mr-li-shengwu-cremation-service-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew


Eulogy from Emeritus Mr. Goh Chok Tong

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/emeritus-senior-minister-goh-chok-tong%E2%80%99s-eulogy-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew

Mr. S. Dhanabalan's eulogy

http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/mr-s-dhanabalan%E2%80%99s-eulogy-late-mr-lee-kuan-yew

Rhonda Wong

https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.wong.5/posts/799516063477443:0

Lianhe Zaobao

http://www.zaobao.com.sg/goodbyelky/

Friday 27 March 2015

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A Letter to J: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew and our Pioneers Past and Present




My dear Little FECS,

Experiencing two deaths in a row within a month are hard to bear... but in the midst of our griefs and pain, tears and reflections, mommy gained a deeper understanding of the history of Singapore, of grandpa's life and of life in general, that mommy never truly learned sitting in the classroom as a child. Mommy hopes to share with you in this letter.

The Singapore today is the fruit of the teamwork, cooperation, sweat and life of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his team the old guards, the present leaders and each and every of us Singaporean. Each one of us, our great-grandparents, our grandparents, our parents and now us have stood together and supported one another in ensuring the continual existence of Singapore.


Without our founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, we do not have what we have today.

Without the old guards in Mr. Lee’s team, Dr. Toh Chin Chye, Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr. S. Rajaratam, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong, and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the present leaders, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the pioneer people of Singapore united and supporting our government, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the good opposition party members of Singapore, Mr. Chiam See Tong and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the pioneer batch of ordinary and humble people like grandpa and grandma playing their parts, we would not have what we have today.

- Without the present people of Singapore, both in Singapore and overseas, united and supporting our government, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Most of all, without God’s blessings and protection, Singapore would not be what it is we have today, as we with all our abilities are but mere mortals.

The passing of our founding father and your grandpa led mommy to study more into the lives of the other pioneer leaders and the ordinary folks like your grandpa, and the common thread that ensured Singapore’s success emerged:

1. It is the integrity of character;

2. The love and commitment to marriage,

3. The devotion to the family;

4. The humility to serve the people;

5. The diligence to work hard;

6. The prudence to be thrifty;

7. The courage in the midst of difficulties and setbacks;

8. The compassion to humanity;

9. The passion for learning;

10. And last but not least, the fear of the Lord, as exhibited by their godly lives directly or indirectly.

Our pioneers were truly extraordinary and model for us an example to follow. It is their relentless effort to provide quality schooling for the population, which gives us a bright future. Each one of them, to the best of their ability and imperfections, gave or are giving their best to Singapore.

Singapore is a young nation of 50 years, but these are the same qualities that ensured the development of the Nordic nations for hundreds of years.

Our dear Little FECS, you are both fully Dane and fully Singaporean. Although you are not a Singaporean on passport, as Singapore does not recognize dual citizenship, in mommy's heart, you are, and mommy hopes you will see yourself as that.

What our pioneers and grandpa have taught us and modelled for us in their lives, mommy and daddy hope to teach you and model for you. Mommy and daddy hope that you will take education seriously and develop the joy and passion for learning. But we are mere mortals and imperfect, and we do not know how to teach or model for you. We pray and cry out to our Lord Jesus to help us to uphold these values.

One day, mommy and daddy will also pass on to meet with Jesus face-to-face… And we hope that when that time comes, that you will reflect back upon our lives and could honestly say that we have lived our lives and modelled for you integrity, commitment… to the best of our ability. And for any areas that we fall short, we hope that you will forgive us and look to Jesus as the perfect model.

Our dear Little FECS, when temptations come, run far away from them and pray to God to help you to uphold these values. When you are tested in situations, cry out to God to help you to uphold these values. Our God is faithful and He will help you and keep you righteous. Mommy is praying for you, even before you were born and right when you were a baby.

Mommy and daddy hope that you will model these values and pass on these values to your children and your children’s children.

Countries rise and fall with rampant corruption, self-centeredness and a lack of character. With a country ruled with a unity from its people with integrity and righteousness, Denmark and Singapore will survive. And you have to play your part in supporting and cooperating with the governments.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew painstakingly put all his efforts in writing his memoirs, because he wanted us to know the struggles Singapore and the old guards have gone through. Mommy has read it and gleaned some useful lessons from it, but it is only today, that mommy has really understood his deep and heartfelt sharing. In his resting place, Mr. Lee would be comforted that today many Singaporeans have understood what he has tried so hard to teach us in his memoirs all these years. Dear J, you are just a little boy of 6 years old now, far detached from the experience of history, but it is mommy’s prayer, that one day you will understand it too.

Our founding father's life and your grandpa's life have meaning. And we hope to live our lives with meaning too. We will keep your grandpa and our founding father Lee Kuan Yew in our hearts and in our memories.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

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A Letter to Pa


Dear Pa

I wish I have told you this.

Now that you have left us, I felt it even more.

You were not rich, but you gave out of your poverty, and set us an example. This example I have come to realize, only when you are gone.

From our humble background, you taught us compassion and empathy for the less fortunate.

You were not the most diplomatic person, but you were sincere. From it, you taught us integrity.

You did not have a super career seen in the eyes of the world, but you worked hard, and set us an example to be hard-working. And somehow, God has always managed to us make end meets. Through you, God has shown us His faithfulness.

You may not have acquired the Singapore Dream – the 4 Cs, but your life has taught me that we are loved for who we are. And I only see it more clearly at the end of it.

In our grief, the love and support of friends and families who came each night at your wake, warmed our hearts and showed how much you are loved, for simply being you. Through it all, it shows how much you are loved by God.

Mr. FECS said, how you were always a cheerful person, even to the very end. You never complained about the pain and sufferings that you were going through. Through it, I have realised, you have taught me to be brave when facing the end of life by your example. You have taught me to be positive.

Mr. FECS also said, admirably, how you were always able to strike a conversation with complete strangers, wherever you went, even walking down the streets of Denmark. I used to feel embarrassed by it, but now I realized that you were teaching me to learn to step out of my comfort zone. I have come to appreciate your God-given talent.

Cat shared how you were poor and had to give up your studies to support your siblings when you were young, but how you passionately pursued the passion of your work and taught yourself to be an electrician through night courses. In your elderly years, you asked me to teach you how to use the computer, the internet and skype. And you mastered it through practice and had been skyping me to keep in touch. From your example, you taught us the passion for life-long learning.

Dear Pa

I have never told you this. I wish I have done so, while you were alive. But I will do it here. That you are a great dad, and the best one for us. I hope Jesus will tell it to you for us in heaven.

I have to learn to tell it to ma, while she is still with us, and not make the same mistake again.

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Thursday 12 March 2015

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Remembering Pa


This is the first morning we woke up after sending you off.
Walking along the street, Singapore seems different.

Singapore seems different without you.
Singapore looks empty without you.
Singapore sounds quiet without you.
Singapore feels strange without you.

You are one of the main reasons we came home to Singapore.
Now this reason is gone, and we are filled with a deep sense of loss.
Yet we are surrounded with the love and warmth of relatives and friends.

This city used to be your city.
The hustle and bustle of the city life hums on... but it is not the same without you.

Because we love, so we grieve.
For without love, there can be no grief.

We love you, pa.
We grieve, pa.
We take comfort that you are saved, safe in the tight embrace of our Lord Jesus.
We rejoice with the hope to be reunited together one day.
The day when God will wipe away all our tears, and there will be no more tears.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end."- Lamentations 3:22

Thursday 5 March 2015

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A Birthday Letter to Our Little FECS


Dear Little FECS,

6 years ago, you were born.
And mommy couldn't wait to see you smile, turn, sit, crawl, take your first step and speak your first word.
But you took your own sweet time to learn... very slowly but steadily...
In the process, you taught mommy - the "kiasu" Singaporean-bred Merlion mom, to have patience and to slow down...

Yet, you are growing up so fast.
With the blink of an eye, you are turning 6 years old today.
You will be starting school this year.
Now it is mommy's turn to ask you to please slow down.
Don't grow up so fast.

Thank you for the last 6 golden early childhood years. It went by way too fast.
Mommy and Daddy, together holding God's hand, look forward to the next 6 golden years together.

Thank you for being a part of our family.
God through you have taught us much about life, and the meaning of it, that mommy never knew, until you entered our lives.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy
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