CONDOLATORY ADDRESS (DEATH OF YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG)

3.18 p.m.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, I beg to move,

That an Address be sent to His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara in the following terms:-

"This Assembly has learned with deep sorrow of the death of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya, and pray that Your Excellency will be pleased to convey to the Government of the Federation of Malaya this Assembly's deep sense of the loss which the whole country has sustained, and their profound sympathy with the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the late Yang di-Pertuan Agong's family and with the Government and people of the Federation of Malaya."

In expressing our sorrow over the death of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya, we are paying tribute not only to a man who was held in high esteem by the people of the Federation, but also to a man who was called upon to symbolise the continuity and dignity of a new and developing nation.

It is not my intention today to add to the tributes already paid to his personality. This has been done more exhaustively by those who knew him well and intimately both as a person and as the Head of State.

We can only judge him by the manner in which he discharged the onerous and exacting task of being the constitutional Head of a State. The role of a constitutional Head is twofold: first, to symbolise by his acts and demeanour the power and dignity of the State. The second is to provide the State with continuity and, therefore, with political stability. Governments can change but the State must go on. It is this permanence of the State that the constitutional Head must symbolise. These tasks the late Paramount Ruler discharged in full measure.

I would also like to extend the sympathy of the people of Singapore to the Raja Permaisuri Agong, to the late Yang di-Pertuan Agong's family, and to the people of the Federation of Malaya over the loss of an esteemed and respected Head of State.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Tun Lim Yew Hock (Cairnhill): Mr Speaker, Sir, in rising to support the motion before the House, I wish to associate with all that the Deputy Prime Minister has said.

Sir, the sudden death of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong came as a great shock to the whole nation. Malaya was stunned by the sad news and there was a deep sense of loss. Sir, those of us who had been near enough to see him at functions had been struck by his grace, his charm and his friendliness. He had a smile and a kind word for everyone - the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the young and the old. And those of us who had the honour of knowing him can appreciate more the deep sense of loss, which Malaya has sustained through his death.

He was indeed a good king and during his reign Malaya prospered. He was a wise king and his Ministers and his people revered him. He was imbued with a great love for his people. His first thoughts were for their well being.

Sir, many tributes have been paid to him, but there is one tribute that surpasses all. Thousands and thousands of Malayans shed tears when they heard of the death of their king and protector who had been a father unto them.

3.29 p.m.

Dato Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Jumat (Geylang Serai): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, with a deep sense of loss, I rise, together with my colleague, the Member for Cairnhill, to support the motion which has been tabled by the Deputy Prime Minister today.

Mr Speaker, Malaya is our close neighbour, and it is appropriate that if our neighbour suffers a loss, we feel the loss also. This is all the more so when we realise that the majority of the people of Singapore have come from the Federation of Malaya. Likewise, it could be said here that a great majority of the Members of this Assembly have had their origins in the Federation of Malaya. Therefore, with such a state of affairs, we must express our deep sense of loss over the death of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. We must express our sympathy with our friends in the Federation of Malaya if we share their happiness or unhappiness. At this moment, the people in the Federation of Malaya are grieved over the loss of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. As close friends we must also share with them in this loss, which we feel as deeply as if we had lost our fathers.

Let us pray that God will give his blessing to His late Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. To the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the family of His late Majesty, we in this Assembly express our condolences. God alone will give his blessing to them.

3.32 p.m.

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Mr Speaker, Sir, I was privileged to represent the Government and the people of Singapore at the funeral of His Majesty the late Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It was an experience for me to watch Malays, Chinese and Indians lining the streets to pay homage not only to his personality, but also to the institutions of State, which he represented at the apex.

May we in this Assembly extend our deepest sympathies to the people of the Federation on this a sad occasion for them all?

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That an Address be sent to His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara in the following terms:-

"This Assembly has learned with deep sorrow of the death of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation of Malaya, and pray that Your Excellency will be pleased to convey to the Government of the Federation of Malaya - this Assembly's deep sense of the loss which the whole country has sustained, and their profound sympathy with the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the late Yang di-Pertuan Agong's family and with the Government and people of the Federation of Malaya."

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, may I request you to declare whether the motion has been agreed to nemine contradicente?

Mr Speaker: There being no dissentient voice, I so declare.