SINGAPORE – You probably thought that they would be discarded after they were used even in a historic event.
But no, the artillery shell casings from the 21-gun salute fired during last year’s State Funeral procession of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew were collected and are being given to people and organisations closely associated with him.
In a statement released today, the Prime Minister’s Office said: “The Government has decided to present the shell casings to the eulogists at the State Funeral service, the organisers of the State funeral and institutions and organisations that have been closely associated with Mr Lee.”
PM Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post this morning that he had asked the SAF to collect casings so that they would be “be presented to people, institutions and organisations that were closely linked to Mr Lee”.
Among the recipients will be the Singapore Parliament, Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force, the People’s Association, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the National Parks Board, and PUB, Singapore’s national water agency.
Singaporeans who will be given the casings include Old Guard leader and former education minister Ong Pang Boon, and former senior minister of state for education and environment Sidek Saniff.
PM Lee wrote: “My deep thanks to all of them for the roles they played in my father’s life and for their contributions to the nation.”
The death of Mr Lee on March 23 last year saw a week of unprecedented national mourning.
The solemn funeral procession on March 29 was accompanied by booming sounds from the 21-gun salute fired at the Padang by four ceremonial 25-pounder howitzers from the Singapore Artillery’s 21st Battalion.
Casings can be viewed at CPIB exhibition, HDB gallery
The CPIB said the shell casing it received will be displayed at its exhibition “Declassified – Corruption Matters”, to be held from April 7 to May 22 at the Plaza @ National Library.
The exhibition on Singapore’s anti-corruption drive will also highlight the CPIB officers’ experiences in their fight against corruption. It will be launched by PM Lee on April 7.
“Recognising the CPIB’s instrumental role in keeping the system clean, the late Mr Lee backed the Bureau with the resources, the legislation and the independence to carry out its work without fear or favour,” said CPIB in its press statement today.
The casing that HDB is receiving will be displayed at the HDB Gallery in the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.
Dr Cheong Koon Hean, HDB CEO, said: “The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew is the key driver of public housing in Singapore. His vision of a home-owning society has given Singaporeans a tangible stake in the nation. Without his vision, Singaporeans today would not have a home they can call their own, upon which they can build their family and lives. Nor would HDB have the privilege to house almost an entire nation.”
chenj@sph.com.sg
