Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Request for public to keep phones away, salute Mr Lee Kuan Yew on Sunday goes viral

SINGAPORE- A request for people to put their mobile phones away, and their hands up in salute during Mr Lee Kuan Yew's state funeral procession on Sunday has gone viral.

Facebook user Samuel Tan posted a photo saying: "Show our appreciation, not our phones" on Friday. Within 11 hours, the post received almost 10,000 shares and close to 10,000 likes.

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"Let us all give him a salute with our right hands," he urged, adding that there is no need for people to record videos or take photos to "prove your presence or capture any memories".

Referring to the many people who had their phones at the ready while the gun carriage carrying Mr Lee's body was en route to Parliament House on Wednesday (March 21), Mr Tan wrote: "It was truly heart-breaking to witness footage of thousands sticking their devices into the air as the carriage drove past, like empty shells; eyes transfixed on the little screens that don't matter."

The state funeral procession for Singapore's first Prime Minister, who died on Monday aged 91, will cover a distance of 15.4km. It will pass significant landmarks such as Old Parliament House, City Hall, the Padang, and NTUC Centre.

Mr Tan ended his appeal on a hopeful note.

"If everyone does their part in reminding each other, I'm sure we can free up our hands to give Sir Lee Kuan Yew the millions of salutes he deserves," he said.

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