Update from City Hall MRT: Confused but calm
It was announced just after 11pm on Friday that the queue for the public to pay their last respects to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew in Parliament House was suspended temporarily.
The State Funeral Organising Committee said this was done for safety reasons because of the large crowd and to minimise physical discomfort from the long wait, especially for the elderly and young children. It added that the public will be informed when the queue is open again.
It estimated that as of 11pm, the waiting time to enter Parliament House was more than 10 hours.
Announcements were made at City Hall MRT station that the Padang queue was closed and those intending to go there should go home.
When TNP arrived at the station at about 11.30pm, there were about 100 people in the station.
They started to move out of the station and gathered around Raffles City Shopping Centre.
Ms Faith Teo who was leaving Raffles City when the closure was announced, said that she saw the doors of the station being closed and barricades being set up near the entrance of Fairmont Singapore hotel.
"There was some confusion but that was because people could not hear what the police officers were saying. They were confused but calm."
Ms Teo added that there was no audible complaining and many just "shrugged off" the situation.
As of 12.45am there was a large number of people lined up outside St Andrews Cathedral.
Ms Teo said that some people she spoke to claimed that they did not know what exactly they were queueing for.
"Someone told me that they are just joining it and hoping for the best."
The line outside St Andrew's Cathedral on Saturday morning. Photo courtesy of Faith Teo
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