Monday, March 23^rd, 2015.

A fateful day that we Singaporeans lost our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He had passed away at 3:18am at the age of 91 from severe pneumonia at the Singapore General Hospital.

The whole nation is now in mourning.

Tributes abundance, tears flow, sadness overwhelming, an aching loss.

Over the years, I have garnered my own fair share of grouses and complaints, some aimed at the ruling government because of certain policies and administrations that made survival in Singapore nearly impossible and it gets harder as the years passed. I am not going to elaborate but that was my thought as well as many others around me.

As an average Singaporean, the high cost and standard of living reaches to an almost smothering level. What’s not to complain about? Singaporeans are famous for that anyway, myself inclusive.

But who wouldn’t? Millions of people across the globe, regardless of their race and nationality, would, at one point or another, criticise and pinpoint at their respective governments for crazy decisions that greatly affected their lives in negative ways.

There is absolutely no way to please everyone. Progress is imminent and hurt is en route.

The light at the end of the tunnel would put a lot Singaporeans to shame. Policies that were once thought to be stupid and far-fetched are now what most, if not all, of us are immensely thankful for. We are basking in the fruits of their labour, are we not? From mudflats to a bustling metropolis with global recognition, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team of right-hand men brought forth a future that is rich and rewarding, vibrant and alive for us all.

They put Singapore on the world map.

I can’t say for others but to me, I now feel blessed to have such strong arms stretched over my head, reaching far and wide into the future, foreseeing and building the intricate patterns of roads and paving the way for me to travel on with lesser stumbles and slips, shielding me right from the beginning. So what’s there to complain about?

Contradicting? Perhaps. Despite such conflicting emotions, I don’t bite the hand that feeds me even though life tossed a pinch of sand into my bowl of steaming white rice.

The below is a quote from Mr K. Shanmugan, our Law and Foreign Minister, who appropriately summarises up Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s contributions and achievements:

“Everywhere you turn - from the housing estates, the clean and efficient roads, the corruption-free systems, the schools, the world-class universities, the leading financial centre that we are today, the good jobs and good quality of life our people have, the hospitals, the clean and green environment, the vibrancy of this metropolis, the fact that it is now one of the great cities of the world – Mr Lee was the chief architect of the system that produced all of this. Mr. Lee oversaw the transformation of Singapore.”

True enough, Singapore is and always will be the definition of safe, transparent, clean and green.

I am grateful to Mr Lee Kuan Yew for what he has done for the country, dedicating all of his adult life into building and making Singapore into a home to call my own.

I am proud to be a Singaporean :)

I extend my deepest condolences to our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and his family.

Rest in peace, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. You will be missed and remembered.