first published on 23/03/2015

my father was a grassroots volunteer for most of his adult life. i fondly remembered following my father to the meet-the-people sessions at a constituency the PAP contested unsuccessfully for years. he was the secretariat and was responsible for taking notes in those brown exercise books. my father kept names and contacts of people to follow up in a tiny “555“ note pad.

i love those sessions because i will receive one dollar from my father, which I‘ll blow on the latest issue of “old master q“ (老夫子). sometimes, i‘ll get more pocket money to buy a grilled chicken wing if the session overran the usual timings.

my father would dress in all white with a black dunhill belt during events where mister lee kuan yew would grace. i would help him pin the pap badge. i vaguely remembered attending one of those events. honestly, i was more interested in the almond jelly desert at the end of the dinner than to line up to shake mister lee‘s hands.

every year, especially when he was less active in grassroots, my father would sit in front of the telly and listen to lee kuan yew deliver the national day rally. i joined my dad on most occasions, and we shared laughter at mister lee‘s wits. those precious memories still replay in my mind occasionally.

i never asked my father why he had such deep respect for lee kuan yew. my mother wasn't a big fan of the statesman and the party, and such a topic was taboo. i would probably get into less trouble if i failed my chinese 听写 than to bring up politics at home.

i know my father will be at the istana first thing today to pay respects to mister lee if he was alive today. so i did the honors and quipping my father‘s favorite quote “everything also got“ - a phrase he used to describe abundance.

it must be an uncharacteristically hot day. my eyes were moist and red. got to be the heat.

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