Singaporeans Brave Heavy Rain To Send Off Founding Father Lee Kwan Yew

Mar 29, 2015 08:33 AM EDT

(Photo : Reuters) Pallbearers carry the casket of former leader Lee Kuan Yew as they depart for the final journey to the crematorium at the University Cultural Centre at the National University of Singapore March 29, 2015. Grieving Singaporeans were joined by world leaders on Sunday to pay their final respects to the country's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, as the nation came to a near-halt to honour its "founding father". REUTERS/Edgar Su

After a week of wake where an estimated 1.5 million people paid tribute to Singapore's founding father, Lee Kwan Yew, the nation buried their leader on Sunday. The former prime minister died on Monday at the age of 91.

He was hospitalized since February for pneumonia. Lee leaves behind a legacy of iron rule that brought prosperity to the city-state from a small trading post to a first world nation.

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Thousands of Singaporeans lined up the streets where his coffin passed, not minding the heavy downpour. There was a private family cremation rite, followed by a state funeral at the National University of Singapore attended by world leaders, BBC reports.

Among those who attended were former U.S. President Bill Clinton, ex-U.S. State Secretary Henry Kissinger, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Indian PM Narendra Modi, Cambodian PM Hun Sen and British First Secretary of State William Hague, reports the New York Times.

Lee's biggest legacy, though, is his eldest son, the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, who spoke of his father's love for the nation he created and prospered. He described his father as the country's light whose flame has been extinguished.

The former PM's body left Parliament House at 12:30 p.m. As his coffin was being taken out, there was a 21-gun salute that echoed throughout the city. The procession went through the business district and Tanjong Pagar, the home of Lee. While military jets flew, two Singaporean navy vessels sailed past the Marina Bay.

Lee missed the 50^th anniversary celebration of Singapore's founding to be held later this year, but his son said the former PM's monument is all around the nation to remind them of its founding father.

In honor of Lee, the prime minister asked Singaporeans to say the national pledge of allegiance and join the singing of the national anthem. His coffin has been brought to the Mandai crematorium.

Despite his iron fist rule, many leaders and nations acknowledge that Lee was a great national leader. In 2010, Lee told the New York Times, "I'm not saying that everything that I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose."

TagsLee Kwan Yew, funeral