In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew – exhibition

In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew traces the life story of Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Held at the National Museum of Singapore, the exhibition pays tribute to Mr Lee’s life-long dedication and contributions to Singapore.

The National Museum of Singapore is undergoing a revamp and only two exhibitions are held at its galleries at time of writing. The other exhibition – SINGAPURA: 700 YEARS – will be featured in another entry. In Memoriam is held at the Glass Pavilion at the back of the Museum complex.

A memorial to Mr Lee’s contributions to Singapore, the exhibition chronicles Mr Lee journey – from his years of reading Law in Cambridge to being Asia’s eminent statesman.

Defining moments from Mr Lee’s political career – such as his gripping speeches and Singapore’s nation-building milestones – are highlighted through panels filled with photographs and videos. Also, many personal artifacts are displayed for the first time.

Barrister Wig – handmade by Ravenscroft in London.

A Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch – given to Mr Lee by the unionists he represented over a wage dispute in the 1950s.

A glass master plate used for printing leaflets in the 1955 General Election.

Leaflets used during Mr Lee’s early political career.

The Battle for Merger – a series of radio talks delivered in 1961.

The rosewood rostrum used to deliver National Day Rally speeches in the 1970s.

Visitors may also write in the books of condolences, and leave tribute gifts and flowers at the exhibition.

I’ve decided not to join the hours-long queue at the Padang, despite it being my very last chance to pay respects to Singapore’s Founding Father at the Parliament House. While my experience in the museum can’t quite compare with The Great Singapore Queue, it served as a salient reminder of the man’s conviction and foresight. I would recommend dropping by the National Museum for an opportunity to reflect on his contributions that have built the Singapore we see today.

In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew is held at the National Museum of Singapore’s Glass Pavilion from now till 26 April 2015. Admission is free. Visitors may need to wait in line for 15-30 minutes as the museum exercises crowd management at the venue.