SINGAPORE, March 24-- An orchid named after late former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was on Tuesday presented to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Istana on Monday.
Lee Kuan Yew passed away Monday morning at the age of 91.
National Parks Board CEO Kenneth Er and National Orchid Gardens nursery manager David Lim, who bred the flower, presented it to Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday.
Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, accepted the hybrid flower which produces flower sprays of up to 10 flowers each.
The hybrid is the result of a cross between a native orchid, the arachnis hookeriana, and another Hawaii orchid in the Vanda series similar to Vanda Kwa Geok Choo, which is named after Lee Kuan Yew's late wife who died in 2010.
The orchid can be seen by visitors to the wake in the main hall of Sri Temasek, where Lee Kuan Yew's casket lies on Tuesday. The public can see the orchid in Parliament House when the founding prime minister's body will lie in state there from Wednesday to Saturday.
As for the private wake, it's estimated that about 2,500 visitors from local organizations are expected to convey their condolences on Tuesday.
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