The Republic’s founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, will be conferred one of Japan’s highest awards in recognition of his contributions towards ties between the two country.
The conferment of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers will be backdated to Mar 23 last year, the date of Mr Lee’s death.
In reply to media queries on Wednesday (Feb 3), the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said they were “deeply honoured and appreciate the Japanese Government’s decision to confer the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers to the late first Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Kuan Yew”.
Established in 1888, the Order is usually conferred upon eminent statesmen, former prime ministers and senior cabinet ministers, diplomats and judges. It may be also be conferred posthumously, and is the highest regularly conferred honour in the Japanese honours system.
The Order is in recognition of Mr Lee’s contributions “to the development of relations between Singapore and Japan over several decades”, said the MFA.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
