About 170 foreign dignitaries, spanning 27 countries, regions and international organisations yesterday attended the four-day lying in state for the late Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew at Parliament House, the State Funeral Organising Committee said early yesterday.

Among the visitors on Saturday were King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk; former US President, Bill Clinton and Vice President of China, Li Yuanchao.

Mr Li is attending as special envoy of Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and met Deputy Prime Minister, Teo Chee Hean, earlier on Saturday. DPM Teo and Vice President Li reaffirmed the “excellent bilateral relationship which was built upon the strong foundation laid by late Mr Lee,” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Also, in attendance on Saturday were Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s close friends, including former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger; former Malaysian Finance Minister, Daim Zainuddin; former Taiwanese leader, Hau Pei-tsun and ex-US ambassador to Singapore, Steven Green.

According to Channel NewsAsia, Dr Kissinger described Mr Lee as an “extraordinary personality.” “He had the ability of going into a room and taking it over, but he never pounded the table, he never made any wisecracks, he never made any jokes,” he said. “On the other hand, he wasn’t your boring younger brother, he was somebody you wanted to hear.”

Some foreign dignitaries chose to pay respects at community tribute sites on Saturday. Canadian Governor-General, David Johnston, paid respects at the Tampines Community Plaza, where he was received by MPs Mah Bow Tan and Baey Yam Keng, while South African Minister for Public Works, Thembelani Nxesi, paid his respects at the Tanjong Pagar Community Centre.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also received telephone calls from Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who both conveyed their condolences.

•Adapted from Newswatch Times. Photo shows late Yew.

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