PM Lee comments on ideas of honouring founding father Lee Kuan Yew

Will Changi Airport or other significant buildings be renamed after the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew?

These ideas are too soon, especially barely three weeks after Mr Lee's death, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament yesterday.

PM Lee said in a speech: "We should allow some time to pass, consider the ideas carefully and make calm, considered decisions which will stand the test of time.

"Most importantly, how we honour Mr Lee must be faithful to the ideals he lived by and fought for.

"Mr Lee made it very clear throughout his life that he did not need and did not want any monument."

Suggestions to honour Singapore's late founding father Lee Kuan Yew were debated in Parliament, after several MPs raised several ideas to commemorate Mr Lee's legacy.

Here were other proposals raised:

CAN MR LEE'S IMAGE BE ON THE SINGAPORE CURRENCY? 

MP Dr Lily Neo, who made the suggestion, said: "A strong Singapore currency associated with successful Singapore is a legacy attributable to our first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Having his picture on our currency notes will remind present and future generations of his important fundamental principles that have worked for us."

This is something that we can consider for the future, said PM Lee, reiterating that such changes should take time.

Nonetheless, the Monetary Authority of Singapore will issue a $50 note with a transparent panel showing Mr Lee with fist raised, leading the crowd with the rallying cry of "Merdeka!" said Mr Lee.

This is part of a set of commemorative notes and coins for the SG50 celebrations and will be released later this year. The notes were designed before Mr Lee died.

Said PM Lee: "We had settled this last year and the notes are in production. We had hoped that Mr Lee would launch the commemorative set of notes himself. Sadly, that is not to be."

The set of notes, comprising five $10 notes and one $50 note, will capture significant achievements in our history.

CAN WE DESIGNATE A DAY IN A YEAR AS FOUNDER'S DAY TO REMEMBER MR LEE'S CONTRIBUTIONS AND IDEALS?

The suggestion for a Founder's Day was raised by MP Foo Mee Har, who suggested that it would provide Singaporeans the opportunity to remember the struggles of the country in the early years and remind us of the nation's founding values and principles.

Esplanade chairman Lee Tzu-Yang will helm a committee to gather views from the public and conceptualise such a memorial for our founding fathers, said PM Lee.

If the idea of a Founders' Memorial finds resonance among Singaporeans, the committee will take the project further, he added.

PM Lee said that Mr Lee was always conscious that he did not act alone but as a member of a team. His core team included Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr S Rajaratnam, Mr Othman Wok, Mr Hon Sui Sen and Mr Lim Kim San, among others.

He added: "A founder's memorial need not be a grand structure but it must stand for our ideals, our values, our hopes and aspirations." A founder's memorial need not be a grand structure, but it must stand for our ideals, our values, our hopes and aspirations.

- PM Lee Hsien Loong on plans to honour his father's memory

This article was first published on APRIL 14, 2015.
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