SINGAPORE - Lee Kuan Yew is the man retired lecturer Leong Chun Chong, 73, admires the most, and so he found it especially meaningful to plant a tree on the 100th anniversary of Mr Lee’s birth.
After all, Mr Lee is often said to be Singapore’s chief gardener for his vision in greening the country and transforming it into a garden city.
The Republic’s first prime minister and the man who is widely described as the founding father of modern Singapore died in 2015 at the age of 91.
Mr Leong said: “I admire Mr Lee Kuan Yew the most for his incredible foresight, and my generation benefited the most (from his leadership).
“We went from being a mud-flat to a modern metropolis.”
The tree-planting event was also special for him, as he and his wife, Lily, who is in her 70s, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on Saturday. His 11-year-old granddaughter joined them to plant a derum bukit tree.
The Leongs were among the more than 45 families who planted a total of 50 coastal and native trees, such as pink mempat and false lime, at Pasir Ris Park on Saturday morning to commemorate the occasion.
NTUC Club organised the event, which also contributes to a nationwide effort by the National Parks Board to plant one million more trees by 2030.
Mr Heng Chee How, NTUC’s deputy secretary-general and Senior Minister of State for Defence, who was guest of honour at the event, said 2023 also marked the 60th anniversary since Mr Lee launched the first nationwide tree planting campaign in 1963.
Mr Heng told the media it is important to remember the values and foundation Mr Lee and the founding leaders have established and to build on that foundation.
He said that events such as tree planting are a symbol of Singaporeans committing to protecting the country’s assets, be they natural or financial, for the current generation and the generations to come.
Various other events were held across the island to mark Mr Lee’s birth anniversary.
The Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC Grassroots Organisations launched a video to commemorate Mr Lee’s contributions to Singapore.
About 250 guests watched the 40-minute video, which features two students interviewing members of the community to gain a deeper understanding of Mr Lee’s legacy, at the Serangoon Community Club on Saturday morning.
The video is also posted on the Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC’s social media platforms.
A 67m long and 1.7m high mural, titled Singapore On Canvas, was also unveiled at Tanjong Pagar MRT station on Saturday.
Self-taught local artist Ng Peng Sing, 69, took almost two years to complete the mural, which depicts key events and figures in Singapore’s history.
It will be on display at Tanjong Pagar MRT station for at least a year.
SMRT Trains and the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Grassroots Organisations launched the mural, which they touted as the longest hand-drawn historical art mural in Singapore.
Tanjong Pagar has long been associated with Mr Lee, who represented residents there for 60 years until his death in 2015.
SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said the mural celebrates Singapore’s momentous development in the past 200 years and commemorates Mr Lee’s 100th birth anniversary.
Mr Ng told The Straits Times that he hopes younger Singaporeans will learn about the country’s history through the mural. He added that Mr Lee played a pivotal role in Singapore’s development.
He said of the man whom he greatly admired: “Mr Lee was a man of great vision, and he really put his whole heart into building up Singapore. Leaders like him are very hard to come by.”
