Lee Kuan Yew: Singapore's guiding light

The Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, seen with Mr. Nehru at the latter's residence in New Delhi on April 23, 1962. 
Photo: The Hindu Archives/V. Ganapathy

The founding father of Singapore and its first Prime Minister oversaw the separation of the country from Malaysia.

After a short illness, he passed away on March 23, 2015 at 3.18 a.m. at the Singapore General Hospital.

Mr. Lee co-founded the People's Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born country when it was separated from Malaysia in 1965.

A look at Mr. Lee over the years in pictures - >Click here

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Lee Kuan Yew

Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, often described as the "shrewdest politician of the region," was the head of Singapore's Government since 1959. Here is a profile of Mr. Lee published in The Hindu on May 16, 1969. > Read more

>‘Lee Kuan Yew didn’t dislike India, he was disappointed by India’

• TIMELINE
• › Born in Singapore on September 16, 1923. Lee came from a middle-class Chinese Hakka family which had been established in Singapore since his great grandfather migrated to the island in the mid-19th century.
• › November 12, 1954: Together with a group of fellow English-educated middle-class men, Lee formed the ‘socialist’ People’s Action Party (PAP) in alliance with the pro-communist trade unionists.
• › May 30, 1959: National elections held, in which PAP won 43 of the 51 seats. Singapore gained self-government with autonomy in all matters except defence and foreign affairs.
• › June 3, 1959: Lee became the first Prime Minister of Singapore.
• › September 16, 1963: Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak merge and Malaysia was formed.
• › August 9, 1965: Singapore exits Federation of Malaysia, at Malaysia’s invitation, amid political and ethnic tensions. Parliament of Singapore passed the Republic of Singapore Independence Act, making itself a sovereign republic.
• › November 28, 1990: After leading the PAP to victory in seven elections, Lee stepped down on, handing over the prime ministership to Goh Chok Tong.