SINGAPORE: As Tanjong Pagar Members of Parliament gathered to mark the death anniversary of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Ms Indranee Rajah recalled one lesson he taught her - that walking the ground is one of the most important things an MP can do.

"To see people in their homes, in their houses, understand how they live, what they’re eating, what they’re doing, because these are the things that keep you in touch," said Ms Indranee, who is the grassroots adviser for the constituency, as well as a minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

This was one of several stories of Mr Lee’s legacy shared at the launch of the Remembering Lee Kuan Yew – Reflecting and Renewing Exhibition on Saturday (Mar 22), a day before the 10th anniversary of Mr Lee’s passing.

Mr Lee was first elected in Tanjong Pagar when it was a Single Member Constituency (SMC) in 1955 and remained MP in the constituency for close to 60 years.

It is now a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

Following the redrawing of electoral boundaries, parts of West Coast GRC will move to Tanjong Pagar GRC. A new Queenstown SMC was also carved from Tanjong Pagar to maintain its five-member quota.

The polling districts under West Coast GRC that will be absorbed into Tanjong Pagar are largely represented by MP Rachel Ong. 

She was introduced at Saturday's event by Ms Indranee as a "special guest".

Other Tanjong Pagar MPs like Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing and Ms Joan Pereira - both grassroots advisers for the constituency - as well as Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong were in attendance.

Speaking to residents and members of the public gathered at the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree in Duxton Plain Park, Mr Chan said Mr Lee was the “most pragmatic of us all” and left behind an ethos of meritocracy, multiracialism and incorruptibility. 

"Our greatest tribute to Mr Lee is to keep Singapore going. When the job gets done, while we are still around, we are not impressed. When the job still gets done, even when we are no longer around, then we can be impressed," said Mr Chan.

A LEGACY OF SERVICE 

Guests gathered at the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree and observed a minute of silence before placing flowers around the tree. 

At the Tanjong Pagar Community Club, a 67m-long painting dubbed "Singapore on Canvas" by artist Ng Peng Sing was unveiled, depicting Singapore’s transformation from a fishing village to the city it is today.

The surrounding exhibition also contained a collection of portraits and artefacts displaying Mr Lee’s thoughts on leadership and his connections with his Tanjong Pagar constituents through the generations. 

Mr Jagjeet Singh, a 79-year-old school counsellor who described himself as "one of the surviving grassroots leaders" from Mr Lee’s time, attended the exhibition with his wife Jasbir Kour, 72, with whom he lived in Tanjong Pagar for over a decade in the 1970s. 

Though Mr Singh’s family has since moved to Changi, he continued to serve in grassroots organisations in Tanjong Pajar at Mr Lee’s behest. 

"When he came to know I was moving, he was pretty upset and said, ‘You must still come here and serve.’ That’s why I’m here today," said Mr Singh. 

He added that he fondly remembers Mr Lee for always asking after his family and remembering his two children whenever he would meet the minister mentor at the community centre or during house visits. 

Retiree Magaret Xavier, 65, who has lived in neighbouring Radin Mas SMC for 40 years said the event brought back memories of Mr Lee from her childhood. 

"I’ve seen him when I was a young girl when I got myself involved in grassroots. I had the opportunity to see him during walkabouts, Meet-The-People sessions, so it’s a great honour for me to be here and commemorate the moments with him," said Ms Xavier.  

"He has done a lot for Singapore, and I’m proud to be a Singaporean," she added.

Mr Koo Tsai Kee, a former MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC and second adviser to Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru grassroots organisations said that while 10 years have passed since Mr Lee’s death, the institutions he has built for Singapore remain "strong and thriving".

"And why? (This is because) of strong 4G leaders, people like Minister Chan and Minister Indranee, and his team of MPs. But collectively, together with our Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the whole Cabinet and his MPs build a strong team," said Mr Koo. 

He was referring to the People’s Action Party fourth-generation leaders, or 4G team, helmed by Mr Wong.

"The 4G will bring us forward (into) a new generation, a new legacy," said Mr Koo. "We must support this 4G because (Mr Lee) endorsed them. When he was around in 2011, the last election he fought here, the 4G was already formed, and he knew them, and he trusted them and told us to support them."