Singapore Honors Lee With State Funeral


Thousands of mourners packed a 15-kilometer route on a rainy day in Singapore Sunday to pay respects to Singapore's late founder, Lee Kuan Yew.

His body was transported under glass on a gun carriage from parliament house to the National University of Singapore, where the state funeral will be held in the afternoon.

The former prime minister, who led the island nation from 1959 to 1990, died Monday at the age of 91.

He became Singapore's first prime minister when it gained full self-governance from Britain's colonial rule.  Lee remained the country's driving force long after his retirement three decades later.

He has been praised for laying the foundation for Singapore's massive growth and booming prosperity, but criticized by many who objected to his authoritarian style.

SOURCE: VOA News