A coin to mark the 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew's birth is in the works
Government and grassroots initiatives will also be held to honour the legacy of Singapore's first prime minister
SINGAPORE — The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will issue a commemorative coin later this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
The announcement was made by Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng in Parliament on Tuesday (7 February), who was responding on behalf of Minister of Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong.
Tan said the coin was a reminder of the values and visions of the former prime minister, who was born 16 September 1923.
Other agencies have also planned initiatives for this year
Responding to a parliamentary question by Potong Pasir Member of Parliament Sitoh Yih Pin, Tan also said a travelling exhibition is currently on display at Singapore's Founder's Memorial, as part of the National Heritage Board's public call for artefacts and stories from Singapore's nation-building phase.
Later this year, the National Museum will hold a "more extensive" exhibition on "key historical milestones our founding leaders rallied our people through", Tan added.
The National Parks Board will also hold various activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Singapore's Greening Campaign, which Lee launched with the first tree planting campaign in 1963.
Lee died on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91.
Commemoration efforts should serve as a reminder of Lee's values and ideals
Tan said, "Lee had a special place in Singapore's history, and many groups from the community, such as business leaders, grassroots, academia, and the media, have come up with ideas to pay tribute to Lee and his ideals."
These groups aimed to raise awareness of Lee's contributions among Singapore's youth because they were too young to experience them, added the Manpower Minister.
Different groups have also proposed several ways to commemorate Lee's legacy, values, and life. These include working and engaging youth about Lee's role in Singapore's history, such as through conferences, publications, and activities.
"Some business leaders have proposed a fund for private donations that would support educational causes. Education was a cause dear to Mr Lee's heart, and they felt the fund would be a fitting tribute to him," Tan said.
"The government is working with these parties to coordinate these efforts. We welcome these ground-up initiatives and the spirit in which they've been conceived."
Tan said efforts to commemorate the anniversary should serve as a reminder of the values and ideals Lee and his fellow founding leaders stood and fought for.
"We hope that the new generation of Singaporeans will be inspired and continue the work of our pioneer and Merdeka generations in nation building," Tan concluded.
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