SINGAPORE — Barely a day after she was discharged from hospital, Madam Sabaria Umar was back on her feet at the Ang Mo Kio tribute centre yesterday (March 27), helping visitors to pay their last respects to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“After hearing his death, I’m quite sad. For the past few days, I was supposed to help, but I was not able to,” said the 55-year-old, who was hospitalised after experiencing tight headaches and numbness on Tuesday.

“Today, I am very serious. I want to do it,” she said, even though the doctor had given her a medical certificate. “He (Mr Lee) is like a father to me.”

Mdm Sabaria is among scores of Singaporeans who have braved the sun — and shrugged off sleepiness for those working overnight — to help out at various tribute centres in honour of Mr Lee this week.

Like many volunteers, the architectural draftsman also has to balance her volunteer duties with her day job. Mdm Sabaria went back to her office after lunch yesterday to clear some emails.

Another volunteer, Mr Thani Arasu, spent some time yesterday morning to help out at the tribute centre before leaving at 2pm to attend a meeting at a construction firm he owns.

With the tribute centres kept open round the clock, volunteers told TODAY that they face not only physical challenges — including standing for long hours and ferrying water — but also the emotional challenge of handling tearful crowds.

Mr Thani has been helping visitors at the Ang Mo Kio centre to pen their messages.

While he tries not to cry, emotions cannot be hidden sometimes, said the 44-year-old.

For example, he found the national anthem that was played after television programmes about Mr Lee very emotional for him.

“I was very carried away by that,” said Mr Thani.

Another volunteer, 26-year-old Hui Hui at Marine Parade tribute centre, said she tries not to face people when they break down, as she finds it difficult to control her own emotions.

“As a volunteer, we cannot just break down along with them,” she added.

At Mr Lee’s constituency, Tanjong Pagar GRC, crowds thronged the grounds of the tribute centre at Tanjong Pagar Community Centre.

One of the volunteers helping with crowd control, Mr James Chen, arrived at the centre at 3pm yesterday, straight after returning from a business trip

to Indonesia.

The 34-year-old has also volunteered to help out overnight till 6am today, after watching replays of Mr Lee’s speeches on television and feeling his passion to transform Singapore.

“Without him, we won’t be staying in HDB (Housing and Development Board) flats. Our lifestyle will be totally different,” Mr Chen said.

Mr Freddy Ang, the branch secretary for Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru, said keeping tribute centres open for 24 hours is “very, very challenging” and the past few days have been overwhelming for the volunteers.

On how volunteers and staff are allocated to meet the centre’s needs, he said: “We rotate among our full-time staff. Volunteers will just come, whatever time they can.”

Marine Parade’s Ms Hui said logistics support, such as tents and buses, had been planned way back and booked in advance.

At Ang Mo Kio tribute centre, volunteers work in shifts. There are about 20 to 30 volunteers at the centre at any time during the day, and two to three volunteers at any time in the wee hours of the morning.

Grassroots leaders TODAY spoke to expect a huge crowd on Sunday, when Mr Lee’s state funeral will be televised live at the tribute centres. On that day, seats in the front row will be reserved for elderly visitors at the Ang Mo Kio tribute centre, said Mr Seng Han Thong, Member of Parliament and grassroots adviser for Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The committee in charge of the Hong Lim Park tribute centre is confident that it can accommodate bigger crowds on Sunday, said Mr Chiang Heng Liang, chairperson of the working committee for the Moulmein-Kallang GRC and Whampoa.

Organisers can free up space currently set aside for queues and move away potted plants, he said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MATTHIAS TAY AND JORDON SIMPSON