A State funeral for former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away early on March 23 at the age of 91, will be held at 2 pm on March 29 (local time), according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

From March 25-28, the body of deceased will lie in state at the Parliament House where mourners will be able to pay their respects from 10 am to 8 pm.

A funeral book will be available at the main gate of the Prime Minister’s Palace in Istana from March 23-29 and a website http://www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg and official Facebook page will be established for the people to say their goodbyes to the late Government leader.

All Government offices will also fly the national flag at half-mast from March 23-29.

Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam and former PM Goh Chok Tong sent their condolences to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the first-born son of the deceased.

General Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon and a number of world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Australian PM Tony Abbott and New Zealand PM John Key, also offered their condolences to the late PM’s family and the people of Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew was the founding Prime Minister of Singapore and father of the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He has been widely credited with turning Singapore into one of the most affluent economies in Asia within three decades.

He was Singapore’s Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 and is considered a highly influential politician for the island nation.

He has been hospitalised since February 5 of this year with severe pneumonia, on life support and taking antibiotics in the intensive care unit of the Singapore General Hospital.-VNA