Lee Kuan Yew, the man who created modern day Singapore, dies aged 91

Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has died in hospital at the age of 91 after suffering from severe pneumonia. Mr Lee was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on February and was later placed on life support. A statement issued by his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, confirmed that the former leader had died. ”Mr Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3.18 am,” the statement said.

We won’t see another man like him. To many Singaporeans, and indeed others too, Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore.

Lee’s son, the current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong

Lee was a Cambridge-educated lawyer and is widely credited with building Singapore into one of the world’s wealthiest nations. His political career spanned 30 years as premier and 20 years as a senior government adviser. He oversaw the country’s rise from a British tropical outpost to a global trade and financial centre. Lee was the co-founder of the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959, and led the country when it was separated from Malaysia in 1965. He stepped aside and handed over leadership of the ruling party to a younger generation in 1990.

A visionary who led his country from Singapore’s independence in 1965 to build one of the most prosperous countries in the world today, he was a devoted public servant and a remarkable leader.

U.S. President Barack Obama

World Lee Kuan Yew