As Singapore's prime minister ordered all flags in the country to be flown at half-mast for the week, condolences poured in honoring Lee Kuan Yew, the formidable but influential statesman who many considered modern Singapore's founding father.
"To many Singaporeans, and indeed others too, Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore," said Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's prime minister and Lee's son, addressing the nation in English, Malay and Chinese, and struggling to choke back tears. "He fought for our independence, built a nation where there was none and made us proud to be Singaporeans. We won't see another man like him."
Lee's body will lie in state in Singapore's parliament for five days starting Wednesday and a state funeral service is planned for Sunday afternoon.
Many citizens expressed their sorrow in condolence books provided outside the Istana, Singapore's official presidential residence, and through Facebook messages and an online message board created by the government.
"What words can be used to portray the long and arduous journey that he took to help turn a little red dot into one of the most admired countries in the world," wrote Liew Patrick in one such tribute. "Every breath of fresh air, every drop of water, every morsel of food, every shelter above our heads … carries marks of his effort and contribution."
"A leader with an iron fist, they might say, but if this is what Singapore had to have to become the impeccably clean and efficient city-state it now is, we are more than thankful," wrote Jeremy Teng in a Facebook post. "As you said, you did your best, and indeed so you did to make Singapore the best it could be."
World leaders also expressed their condolences to the leaders and people of Singapore on Monday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Lee a "far-sighted statesman and a lion among leaders," in a message posted on Twitter. "May his soul rest in peace."
In a letter to Lee Hsien Loong, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang credited Lee with "opening the gate for the friendly cooperation" between the two countries, adding that Lee's contributions to "China's reform and opening up will surely be marked by history."
"Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was an old friend of the Chinese people," Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a letter to Singapore's president, Tony Tan, the Wall Street Journal reported.
President Obama called Lee a "visionary leader" who was "sometimes uncompromising" but who spearheaded Singapore's incredible economic growth during his tenure.
Expressing his condolences on behalf of "all Malaysians," Prime Minister Najib Razak said that Lee's "achievements were great, and his legacy is assured."
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