There was a public outpouring of grief in Singapore on Monday as the nation mourned the loss of its former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Lee, 91, died before dawn on Monday.
Hundreds flocked to Istana Park and the Parliament House to pay tribute to their late leader on the first day of a week-long national mourning period, leaving balloons, flowers and pinning messages on condolence boards.
State flags on all government buildings were flown at half-mast.
As the hearse carrying Lee's body arrived at the Istana - the Malay word for palace - crowds who had been waiting in sombre silence began to clap and shout: "Lee Kuan Yew!", with one person shouting out "Thank you, Lee Kuan Yew!"
Family members, cabinet ministers and members of parliament paid their last respects at a building inside the Istana where Lee's casket was laid.
The two-day private wake will end of Tuesday, after which his body will be laid in state at Parliament House until Saturday for the public to pay their last respects.
A state funeral service will be held on Sunday, followed by a private cremation.
Members of parliament paid their condolences, some via social media.
Senior minister of state for health and manpower, Dr Amy Khor, tweeted: "Mr Lee invites superlatives. He was a giant among men. I can only marvel at his razor sharp intellect, his astute political judgment, his debating skills, his discernment of global and regional trends, his far-sighted vision, and most of all, his devotion to the cause of Singapore."
The minister of state for trade and industry, Teo Ser Luck, wrote on Twitter: "We will miss you, Mr Lee and forever be grateful for what you have done for this country. #ThankYouLKY #oneandonly"
The chief of the opposition Workers' Party, Low Thia Khiang, also paid tribute to Lee, saying: "His passing marks an end of an era in Singapore's history. His contributions to Singapore will be remembered for generations to come."
Singaporeans wept openly.
A tearful Sharon Tan, 39, took her her five-year-old son, Ryan Mackay, to the Istana Park.
"I brought Ryan here to share an important part of Singapore's history to him and also to help him understand why mummy is so sad," she said.
Eugene Wee wrote on Twitter: "I have never known a Singapore without #LeeKuanYew. Till today, till today. #LKY #rememberingleekuanyew"
Even those away from home took a moment to remember him.
Faliq Ismail, a former pilot with Singapore Airlines now working in the UAE, said he was "deeply saddened" by the passing of Lee.
A Sri Lanka-born Singaporean, he said, "I really appreciate the way he brought a small city to what it is today. Singapore will not be what it is without him."
jtan@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting from Agence France-Presse
Outpouring of grief as Singapore bids farewell to patriarch
Hundreds pay tribute to their late leader Lee Kuan Yew on the first day of a week-long national mourning period, leaving balloons, flowers and pinning messages on condolence boards.
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