1) The sons turned down the offer of a state funeral which the cabinet offered.
2) For state funerals, it would put undesirable constraint on a country to have formula that states that certain state appointments automatically receives a state funeral. Every case should be considered on its merits. Typically some position holders may not have done well and have committed indiscretions whilst in office. Because it is the highest state in the office, these are never publicised.
I have no love for the PAP. So far they have made the right decisions for state funerals except in the case of OTC who I don't regard as anyone exceptional. He was with the PAP all the way until he took the presidency. The request to value the assets was not the source or roots of the conflict with old man. I am sure you know that at least. Only the gullible and ignorant would think so. It was over his treatment whilst in the Istana and he was asked to move to Command house. The whole thing started over his sons abusing the Istana priviliges expecially one son and the fight over access to the 9 holes.
As an insurance man, you might not have a clue but ask the accountants in the big firms. He was asking to value all state assets including drains. If you read the role of the elected president, it to ensure that funds locked away has to receive his assent. Valuation of state land, buildings, black and white bungalows, drains etc is pretty much meaningless to a sovereign country but it would be important to an individual or a firm. He must have known that most Singaporeans were clueless.
The hardest thing to value is ignorance and the other is engaging in a debate.
