By Rujun Shen
and Anshuman Daga
SINGAPORE, March 29 (Reuters) - Grieving Singaporeans were joined by world leaders on Sunday to pay their final respects to the country's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, as the nation came to a near-halt to honor its "founding father."
Tens of thousands of people waving flags braved heavy rain and lined the streets to catch a last glimpse of Lee as his coffin was taken by gun carriage on a 15 km procession through the streets of the country he helped build to his state funeral.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, India's Narendra Modi, Indonesia's Joko Widodo and former U.S. President Bill Clinton were among the leaders brushing shoulders with Lee's family and Singapore politicians at the ceremony attended by 2,200 people.
Lee, who died aged 91 on Monday, is credited with founding modern Singapore and transforming it from a small, colonial British trading port into one of the world's wealthiest nations.
His death has prompted an unprecedented show of mourning and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee's son, battled tears as he delivered a 40-minute eulogy in English, Malay, and Chinese.
SINGAPORE, March 29 (Reuters) - Grieving Singaporeans were joined by world leaders on Sunday to pay their final respects to the country's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, as the nation came to a near-halt to honor its "founding father."
Tens of thousands of people waving flags braved heavy rain and lined the streets to catch a last glimpse of Lee as his coffin was taken by gun carriage on a 15 km procession through the streets of the country he helped build to his state funeral.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, India's Narendra Modi, Indonesia's Joko Widodo and former U.S. President Bill Clinton were among the leaders brushing shoulders with Lee's family and Singapore politicians at the ceremony attended by 2,200 people.
Lee, who died aged 91 on Monday, is credited with founding modern Singapore and transforming it from a small, colonial British trading port into one of the world's wealthiest nations.
His death has prompted an unprecedented show of mourning and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee's son, battled tears as he delivered a 40-minute eulogy in English, Malay, and Chinese.
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