Mr Lee's red box to go on display

Mr Lee's red box to go on display

The red box that former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew used to store and carry his working documents may go on display, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

He revealed: "The National Heritage Board (NHB) is thinking of having it as a display item and I fully support that."

He was at an event at Changkat Primary School where he announced revisions to the Junior Sports Academy programme.

Mr Heng first shared about Mr Lee's red box on March 24 in his Facebook post on Singapore's founding father, who died aged 91 a day earlier.

Mr Heng had first-hand knowledge as he was Mr Lee's principal private secretary from 1997 till 2000.

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The red box was used to store documents on whatever Mr Lee was working on at the time. It could have "communications with foreign leaders, observations about the financial crisis, instructions for the Istana grounds staff or even questions about some trees he had seen on the expressway", Mr Heng had elaborated in his Facebook post.

Yesterday, he said: "I think it is so much a part of Mr Lee's life, all his life. It is such a symbol of his dedication to Singapore and we should let fellow Singaporeans have a view of this box."

NHB told The Straits Times yesterday evening: "NHB would be honoured to receive the red box as we acknowledge its historic significance.

"Upon receipt of the item, we will accession it into the National Collection and present it together with other relevant items in the National Museum of Singapore's revamped galleries."

This article by The Straits Times was published in MyPaper, a free, bilingual newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

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