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Lee Kuan Yew
李光耀
Lee Kuan Yew
Incumbent
Assumed office 
12 August 2004
President S.R. Nathan (1999-Present)
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (2004-Present)
Preceded by Post created
Constituency Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (Tanjong Pagar)
In office
3 June 1959 – 28 November 1990
President Yusof bin Ishak (1965-1970)
Benjamin Henry Sheares (1970-1981)
C.V. Devan Nair (1981-1985)
Wee Kim Wee (1985-1993)
Deputy Toh Chin Chye (1959 to 1968)
Goh Keng Swee (1968 to 1984)
S. Rajaratnam (1980 to 1985)
Goh Chok Tong (1985 to 1990)
Ong Teng Cheong (1985 to 1990)
Preceded by None (post created)
Succeeded by Goh Chok Tong
In office
28 November 1990 – 12 August 2004
President Wee Kim Wee (1985-1993)
Ong Teng Cheong (1993-1999)
S.R. Nathan (1999-Present)
Preceded by S. Rajaratnam
Succeeded by Goh Chok Tong
Born September 16, 1923 (1923-09-16) (age 84)
Singapore
Political party People's Action Party
Spouse Kwa Geok Choo
This is a Chinese name; the family name is 李 (Li). Minister Mentor ( Simplified Chinese: 内阁资政 is a Cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a leadership Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Sellapan Ramanathan ( Tamil: செல்லப்பன் ராமநாதன் born 3 July 1924 is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong ( born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency ( Traditional Chinese: 丹戎巴葛集選區 Simplified Chinese: 丹戎巴葛集选区 is a six-member Group Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the Head of government of the Republic of Singapore (and prior to 9 August 1965 Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Yusof bin Ishak (ˈjʊsɒf bɪn ˈɪshɑːk ''YOO-sof bɪn ΙS-haak'') ( 12 August 1910 &ndash 23 November Benjamin Henry Sheares ( 12 August 1907 &ndash 12 May 1981) was the second President of Singapore. Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C V Devan Nair ( August 5, 1923 &ndash December 6, 2005) was the third President Wee Kim Wee ( November 4 1915 &ndash May 2 2005) was the fourth President of Singapore, from 1985 to 1993 Toh Chin Chye ( born December 10 1921) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Early life The second child of Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his wife both of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Rajaratnam was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Ong Teng Cheong, GCMG ( January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first directly elected President of Republic Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from The title "Senior Minister" was also a title used in Canada before " Deputy Prime Minister " was introduced in 1977 For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Wee Kim Wee ( November 4 1915 &ndash May 2 2005) was the fourth President of Singapore, from 1985 to 1993 Ong Teng Cheong, GCMG ( January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first directly elected President of Republic Sellapan Ramanathan ( Tamil: செல்லப்பன் ராமநாதன் born 3 July 1924 is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Singapore Early life The second child of Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his wife both of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Rajaratnam was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Singapore The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat Kwa Geok Choo ( (1921- was one of the partners in law firm Lee & Lee Personal Names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Chinese family name is one of the hundreds or thousands of Family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic Li ( pinyin Lǐ Hangul: 이, Lee is a family name of Chinese origin.

Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH (Chinese: 李光耀; pinyin: Lǐ Guāngyào; born September 16, 1923; also spelled Lee Kwan-Yew) is a Singaporean of Chinese immigrant background. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George Prince Regent (later George The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Singapore

He has remained one of the most influential political figures in the South-East Asian region. Under the administration of Singapore's second prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, he served as Senior Minister. Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from The title "Senior Minister" was also a title used in Canada before " Deputy Prime Minister " was introduced in 1977 He currently holds the self-created post of Minister Mentor under his son Lee Hsien Loong, who became the nation's third prime minister on August 12, 2004. Minister Mentor ( Simplified Chinese: 内阁资政 is a Cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a leadership Lee Hsien Loong ( born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Contents

Family background

In his memoirs, Lee refers to his immigrant background as a fourth-generation Chinese Singaporean: his Hakka great-grandfather, Lee Bok Boon (born 1846), emigrated from the Dapu county of Guangdong province to the Straits Settlements in 1862. The Hakkas ( Hakka language: Hak-kâ; Mandarin Chinese: Kèjiā) are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826 Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday

The eldest child of Lee Chin Koon and Chua Jim Neo, Lee Kuan Yew was born at 92 Kampong Java Road in Singapore, in a large and airy bungalow. As a child Lee was strongly influenced by British culture, due in part to his grandfather, Lee Hoon Leong, who had given his sons an English education. His grandfather gave him the name "Harry" in addition to his Chinese name (given by his father) Kuan Yew. Thus Lee is known informally as "Harry" to his close friends and family and his name is sometimes cited as Harry Lee Kuan Yew, although this first name is never used in official settings.

Lee and his wife Kwa Geok Choo were married on September 30, 1950. Kwa Geok Choo ( (1921- was one of the partners in law firm Lee & Lee Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They have two sons and one daughter. [1]

Note: Family tree are mostly based on Memoirs of LEE KUAN YEW; Pinyin of Lee is Li

Lee Bok Boon
b. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use 1846
 
 Seow Huan Neo
b. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display 1850. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link est
 
 
 
 
Lee Hoon Leong
b. 1871
 
 Ko Liem Nio
b. Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 1883
 
 
 
 
Lee Chin Koon
b. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 1903
 
 Chua Jim Neo
b. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting 1907
 
 
 
 
Lee Kuan Yew
b. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year 1923
 
 
 
 
 
 Kwa Geok Choo
b. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Kwa Geok Choo ( (1921- was one of the partners in law firm Lee & Lee 1921
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wong Ming Yang
b. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar 1951
 
 Lee Hsien Loong
b. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Lee Hsien Loong ( born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. 1952
 
 Ho Ching
b. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ho Ching ( is the Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings (over US$100 billion in assets and owned by Singapore 's Ministry of Finance and the wife of the Prime 1953		 Lee Wei Ling
b. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 1955		 Lee Hsien Yang
b. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Lee Hsien Yang ( Chinese: 李显扬 Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎnyáng born 1957 is the second son of Singapore 's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. 1957
 
 Lim Suet Fern
b. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) 1957
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lee Xiu Qi
b. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) 1980
 
 
 Li Hongyi
b. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Li Hongyi (born 1 May 1987 is the second eldest son of Lee Hsien Loong, the current serving Prime Minister of Singapore, from his second marriage with Ho Ching 1987
 
 
 Li Shengwu
b. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) 1985
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lee Yi Peng
b. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) 1982
 
 
 Li Haoyi
b. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) 1989
 
 
 Li Huanwu
b. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) est
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Li Shaowu
b. 1995. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 est
 
 
 
His elder son Lee Hsien Loong has been Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004.
His elder son Lee Hsien Loong has been Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004.

Several members of Lee's family hold prominent positions in Singaporean society, and his sons and daughter hold high government and government-linked posts. His elder son Lee Hsien Loong, a former Brigadier-General, has been the Prime Minister since 2004. Lee Hsien Loong ( born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Company (GIC) — Lee himself is the Chairman. Lee's younger son, Lee Hsien Yang, is a former Brigadier-General and also a former President and Chief Executive Officer of SingTel, a pan-Asian telecommunications giant and Singapore's largest company by market capitalisation (listed on the Singapore Exchange, SGX). Lee Hsien Yang ( Chinese: 李显扬 Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎnyáng born 1957 is the second son of Singapore 's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore Telecommunications Limited () commonly abbreviated as SingTel, is Asia 's leading Telecommunications company Fifty-six percent of SingTel is owned by Temasek Holdings, a prominent government holding company with controlling stakes in a variety of very large government-linked companies such as Singapore Airlines and DBS Bank. Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. Temasek Holdings in turn is run by Executive Director and CEO Ho Ching, the wife of Lee's elder son, the Prime Minister. Ho Ching ( is the Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings (over US$100 billion in assets and owned by Singapore 's Ministry of Finance and the wife of the Prime Lee's daughter, Lee Wei Ling, runs the National Neuroscience Institute, and remains unmarried. Lee's wife Kwa Geok Choo used to be a partner of the prominent legal firm Lee & Lee. Kwa Geok Choo ( (1921- was one of the partners in law firm Lee & Lee His younger brothers, Dennis, Freddy, and Suan Yew were partners of the same firm. He also has a younger sister, Monica.

Lee has consistently denied charges of nepotism, arguing that his family members' privileged positions are based on personal merit. Nepotism is the showing of favoritism toward relatives and friends based upon that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability Meritocracy or suitability However, these charges have persisted and international publications such as The Economist, International Herald Tribune and the Far Eastern Economic Review have been threatened, sued or banned in Singapore for implying the existence of nepotism. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international Newspaper The Far Eastern Economic Review ( Pinyin: Yuǎndōng Jīngjì Pínglùn also referred to as FEER) is an English language Asian news magazine

Early life

Lee was educated at Telok Kurau Primary School, Raffles Institution, and Raffles College. Telok Kurau Primary School is a Government Primary school located at part Bedok Reservoir Road in Bedok, Singapore. Raffles Institution is an independent boys' secondary school in Singapore. His university education was delayed by World War II and the 1942–45 Japanese occupation of Singapore. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar During the occupation, he operated a successful black market business selling tapioca-based glue called Stikfas. Tapioca is a flavorless colorless odorless Starch [2] Having taken Chinese and Japanese lessons since 1942, he was able to collaborate as a transcriber of Allied wire reports for the Japanese, as well as being the English-language editor on the Japanese Hodobu (報道部 — an information or propaganda department) from 1943 to 1944. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals — for example an intellectual In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [3][4]

After the war, he studied law at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in the United Kingdom, of which he was subsequently made an honorary fellow, (graduating with Double Starred First Class honours), and briefly attended the London School of Economics. Fitzwilliam College (usually called 'Fitz' is a college of the University of Cambridge. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for Undergraduate degrees ( Bachelor's degrees and some Master's degrees The London School of Economics and Political Science, more commonly referred to as The London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist college of the He returned to Singapore in 1949 to work as a lawyer in Laycock and Ong, the legal practice of John Laycock, a pioneer of multiracialism who, together with A. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Christopher John Laycock, Lawyer, was the founder of one of Singapore's earliest law firms Laycock and Ong. Multiracialism is a concept or Ideology that promotes a society composed of various Races, while accepting and respecting different Cultural backgrounds P. Rajah and C. C. Tan, had founded Singapore's first multiracial club open to Asians.

Early political career – 1951 to 1959

Pre-People's Action Party (PAP)

Lee’s first experience with politics in Singapore was his role as election agent for his boss John Laycock under the banner of the pro-British Progressive Party in the 1951 legislative council elections. Christopher John Laycock, Lawyer, was the founder of one of Singapore's earliest law firms Laycock and Ong. The Singapore Progressive Party, or just the Progressive Party is a now defunct Political party that was formed in August 251947 However, Lee eventually realised the party’s future looked bleak as it was unlikely to have mass support, especially from the Chinese-speaking working class masses. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types This was especially important when the 1953 Rendel Constitution significantly expanded the electoral rolls to include all local-born as voters, resulting in a significant increase in Chinese voters. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of Singapore and it is a Codified constitution. His big break came when he was engaged as a legal advisor to the trade and Students' unions which provided Lee with the link to the Chinese-speaking, working class world (later on in his career, his party the PAP would use these historical links to unions as a negotiating tool in industrial disputes). A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, or guild of students is a Student Organization The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work.

Formation of the PAP

On November 21, 1954, Lee, together with a group of fellow English-educated middle-class men whom he himself described as “beer-swilling bourgeois” formed the socialist People's Action Party (PAP - 人民行动党) in an expedient alliance with the pro-communist trade unionists. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat This alliance was described by Lee as a marriage of convenience, since the English-educated group needed the pro-communists’ mass support base while the communists needed a non-communist party leadership as a smoke screen because the Malayan Communist Party was illegal. The Malayan Communist Party ( MCP) was founded in 1930 Illegal from the outset it advocated an end to British colonial rule and was active in forming Trade Their common aims were to agitate for self-government and put an end to British colonial rule. An inaugural conference was held at the Victoria Memorial Hall, packed with over 1,500 supporters and trade unionists. The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall ( Chinese: 维多利亚剧院及音乐会堂 is a complex of two buildings and a Clock tower joined together by a common Lee became secretary-general, a post he held until 1992, save for a brief period in 1957. See also General Secretary. A number of International organizations, Communist parties and other bodies use the title Secretary Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) UMNO’s Tunku Abdul Rahman and MCA’s Tan Cheng Lock were invited as guests to give credibility to the new party. The United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, (Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu is a Right-wing party and Malaysia 's largest Political Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, CH ( February 8 1903 &ndash December 6 Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA ( Cantonese: MaLoiSaiYa WahYen KoongWui; Persatuan Cina Malaysia Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock ( was a Malaysian Chinese businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese

In opposition

Lee contested and comprehensively won the Tanjong Pagar seat in the 1955 elections. Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) He became the opposition leader, pitting himself against David Saul Marshall’s Labour Front-led coalition government. David Saul Marshall ( March 12, 1908, Singapore – December 12, 1995, Singapore) was the leader of the Singapore The Labour Front was a Political party in Singapore. It was founded before the 1955 Legislative council elections by David Saul Marshall He was also one of PAP's representatives to the two constitutional discussions held in London over the future status of Singapore; the first led by Marshall and the second by Lim Yew Hock, Marshall's hardline successor. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Lim Yew Hock ( 15 October 1914 - 30 November 1984) later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister It was in this period when Lee had to contend with rivals from both within and outside of the PAP. While Lee had to keep a safe distance from his pro-communist colleagues as they actively participated in mass and often violent actions to undermine the government’s authority, he also consistently maintained his opposition to the ruling coalition, often attacking the latter as incompetent and corrupt. Lee’s position in the PAP was seriously under threat in 1957 when pro-communists took over the leadership posts, following a party conference which the party's left wing had stacked with fake members. [5] Fortunately for Lee and the party's moderate faction, Lim Yew Hock ordered a mass arrest of the pro-communists and Lee was reinstated as secretary-general. After the communist 'scare', Lee subsequently sought and received a fresh and stronger mandate from his Tanjong Pagar constituents in a by-election in 1957. The communist threat within the party was temporarily removed as Lee prepared for the next round of elections. It was during this period when he had the first of a series of secret meetings with the underground communist leader, Fong Chong Pik (or Fang Chuan Pi) whom Lee referred to as the Plen, short form for plenipotentiary. Fong Chong Pik (1924 - 2004 also known as "Fang Chuang Pi" was a Malayan and Malaysian politician The word plenipotentiary (from the Latin, plenus + potens, full + power has two meanings

Prime Minister, pre-independence – 1959 to 1965

Self-government administration – 1959 to 1963

A photograph of People's Action Party members, including Lee, during the 1959 election campaign. The white uniforms continue to be characteristic of the PAP.
A photograph of People's Action Party members, including Lee, during the 1959 election campaign. The white uniforms continue to be characteristic of the PAP.

In the national elections held on June 1, 1959, the PAP won forty-three of the fifty-one seats in the legislative assembly. The 1959 Singapore legislative assembly general election was a General election held in Singapore on 30 May 1959 to choose the members of the Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat Singapore gained self-government with autonomy in all state matters except in defence and foreign affairs, and Lee became the first prime minister of the state of Singapore on June 3, 1959, taking over from Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lim Yew Hock ( 15 October 1914 - 30 November 1984) later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister Before he took office, Lee demanded and secured the release of Lim Chin Siong and Devan Nair who were arrested earlier by Lim Yew Hock's government. Lim Chin Siong ( 28 February 1933 – 5 February 1996) was an influential leftwing politician and Trade union leader in Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C V Devan Nair ( August 5, 1923 &ndash December 6, 2005) was the third President Lim Yew Hock ( 15 October 1914 - 30 November 1984) later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister

Lee faced many problems after gaining self-rule for Singapore from the British, including education, housing, and unemployment. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. In response to the housing problem, Lee established the Housing and Development Board (HDB), an agency which began a massive public housing construction programme to relieve the housing shortage. The Housing and Development Board ( Abbreviation: HDB; Simplified Chinese: 建屋发展局 Malay: Lembaga Pembangunan dan Perumahan

Merger with Malaya, then separation – 1963 to 1965

Main article: Singapore in Malaysia

After Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed the formation of a federation which would include Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak in 1961, Lee began to campaign for a merger with Malaysia to end British colonial rule. On 16 September 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya together with Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, CH ( February 8 1903 &ndash December 6 The Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu was a federation of 11 states formed on January 31 1948 from the nine Malay states and the British Singapore Sabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the Island of Borneo. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and He used the results of a referendum held on September 1, 1962, in which 70% of the votes were cast in support of his proposal, to demonstrate that the people supported his plan. The Singapore national referendum of 1962, or also commonly referred to as the Merger Referendum of Singapore was the first and only Referendum to Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During Operation Coldstore, Lee crushed the pro-communist factions who were strongly opposing the merger and who were allegedly involved in subversive activities. Operation Coldstore (sometimes spelled Operation Cold Store) was a security operation conducted by the Government of Singapore in February 1963 in which

On September 16, 1963, Singapore became part of the Federation of Malaysia. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, the union was short-lived. The Malaysian Central Government, ruled by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), became worried by the inclusion of Singapore’s Chinese majority and the political challenge of the PAP in Malaysia. The politics of Malaysia takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Malaysia is the Head of government The United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, (Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu is a Right-wing party and Malaysia 's largest Political Lee openly opposed the bumiputra policy and used the Malaysian Solidarity Convention's famous cry of "Malaysian Malaysia!", a nation serving the Malaysian nationality, as opposed to the Malay race. The phrase " Malaysian Malaysia " was originally used in the early 1960s as the rallying Motto of the Malaysian Solidarity Council, a Confederation PAP-UMNO relations were seriously strained. The sometimes turbulent relationship between the People's Action Party (PAP and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO, which were and still are Some in UMNO also wanted Lee to be arrested.

Racial riots followed, such as that on the Prophet Muhammad's birthday (21 July 1964), near Kallang Gasworks, in which twenty-three were killed and hundreds injured as Chinese and Malays attacked each other. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. It is still disputed how the riots started, and theories include a bottle being thrown into a Muslim rally by a Chinese, while others have argued that it was started by a Malay. More riots broke out in September 1964, as rioters looted cars and shops, forcing both Tunku Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan Yew to make public appearances in order to alleviate the situation. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, CH ( February 8 1903 &ndash December 6 The price of food also rose dramatically during this period, due to the disruption in transport, which caused further hardship.

Unable to resolve the crisis, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, decided to expel Singapore from Malaysia, choosing to "sever all ties with a State Government that showed no measure of loyalty to its Central Government". Lee was adamant and tried to work out a compromise, but without success. He was later convinced by Goh Keng Swee that the secession was inevitable. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew signed a separation agreement on August 7, 1965, which discussed Singapore's post-separation relations with Malaysia in order to continue co-operation in areas such as trade and mutual defence. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.

Prime Minister Lee announces the separation of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia on 9 August 1965.
Prime Minister Lee announces the separation of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia on 9 August 1965. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.

The failure of the merger was a heavy blow to Lee, who believed that it was crucial for Singapore’s survival. In a televised press conference, he broke down emotionally as he announced the separation to the people (this particular conference is used as evidence by supporters of Lee that he had not intentionally instigated the breakup of Malaysia):

"For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, my whole adult life, I believed in merger and unity of the two territories. . . . Now, I, Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore, do hereby proclaim and declare on behalf on the people and the Government of Singapore that as from today, the ninth day of August in the year one thousand nine hundred and sixty-five, Singapore shall be forever a sovereign democratic and independent nation, founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of the people in a most and just equal society. "

On that day, August 9, 1965, the Malaysian Parliament passed the required resolution that would sever Singapore's ties to Malaysia as a state, and thus the Republic of Singapore was created. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Singapore's lack of natural resources, a water supply that was beholden primarily to Malaysia and a very limited defensive capability were the major challenges that Lee and the Singaporean Government faced.

Prime Minister, post-independence – 1965 to 1990

In his biography, Lee Kuan Yew stated that he did not sleep well, and fell sick days after Singapore's independence. Upon learning of Lee's condition from the British High Commissioner to Singapore, John Robb, Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed concern, in response to which, Lee replied:

"Do not worry about Singapore. James Harold Wilson Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 &ndash 24 May 1995 was one of the most prominent British politicians My colleagues and I are sane, rational people even in our moments of anguish. We will weigh all possible consequences before we make any move on the political chessboard. . . "

Lee began to seek international recognition of Singapore's independence. Singapore joined the United Nations (UN) on 21 September 1965, and founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 8 August 1967 with four other South-East Asian countries. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Lee made his first official visit to Indonesia in May 25, 1973, just a few years after the Konfrontasi under Sukarno's regime. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Sukarno ( June 6, 1901 – June 21, 1970) was the first President of Indonesia. Relations between Singapore and Indonesia substantially improved as subsequent visits were made between Singapore and Indonesia.

Singapore has never had a dominant culture to which immigrants could assimilate even though Malay was the dominant language at that time. Together with efforts from the government and ruling party, Lee tried to create a unique Singaporean identity in the 1970s and 1980s. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. One which heavily recognised racial consciousness within the umbrella of multi-culturalism.

Lee and his government stressed the importance of maintaining religious tolerance and racial harmony, and they were ready to use the law to counter any threat that might incite ethnic and religious violence. For example, Lee warned against "insensitive evangelisation", by which he referred to instances of Christian proselytising directed at Malays. Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion and particularly another religion In 1974, the government advised the Bible Society of Singapore to stop publishing religious materials in Malay. [6]

Decisions and policies

Lee had three main concerns – national security, the economy, and social issues – during his post-independence administration.

National security

The vulnerability of Singapore was deeply felt with threats from multiple sources including the communists, Indonesia (with its Confrontation stance), and UMNO extremists who wanted to force Singapore back into Malaysia. As Singapore gained admission to the United Nations, Lee quickly sought international recognition of Singapore's independence. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security He declared a policy of neutrality and non-alignment, following Switzerland's model. For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation At the same time, he assigned Goh Keng Swee with the task of building the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and requested help from other countries for advice, training and facilities. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore.

With the British announcement of having the intentions to pull out or cut down the troops from Singapore and Malaysia, in 1967, he and Goh introduced National Service, a conscription program that developed a large reserve force that can be mobilized in a short notice. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. In January 1968, Singapore bought some AMX-13 French-made tanks and a total of 99 refurbished tanks in 1972. The AMX-13 was a French Light tank produced from 1953 to 1985 In 1969, Singapore bought Strikemasters (armed jet Provosts) from Britain and based them at RAF Tengah where they set up their own training of pilots.

Later, Singapore was able to establish strong military relations with other nations of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and other noncommunist states. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language Five Power Defence Arrangements ( FPDA) are a series of defence relationships established by bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom, Australia, This partially restored the security of the country following the withdrawal of British troops in 31 October 1971. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

Singapore still maintains conscription today, even though the initial security threats which led to the introduction of the policy in the first place have been since eradicated.

Economic issues

The separation from Malaysia signified a permanent loss of a common market (though it was part of the Merger agreement, it was never set up) and an economic hinterland. The economic woes were further exacerbated by the British military withdrawal East of the Suez that would eliminate over 50,000 jobs. Although the British were backing out from their earlier commitment to keep their bases till 1975, Lee decided not to strain the relationship with London. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. He convinced Harold Wilson to allow the substantial military infrastructure (including a dockyard) to be converted for civilian use, instead of destroying them in accordance with British law. James Harold Wilson Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 &ndash 24 May 1995 was one of the most prominent British politicians With advice from Dr Albert Winsemius, Lee set Singapore on the path of industrialization. Albert Winsemius (1910-1996 a Dutch Economist, was Singapore 's long-time economic advisor from 1961 to 1984 is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one In 1961, the Economic Development Board was established to attract foreign investment, offering attractive tax incentives and providing access to the highly skilled, disciplined and relatively low paid work force. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Economic Development Board ( Abbreviation: EDB; Chinese: 经济发展局 is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore that At the same time, the government maintained tight control of the economy, regulating the allocation of land, labour and capital resources. Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also "dirigism" although per the OED both spellings are used is an Economic term designating an economy In the balancing of labour and capital, specifically the labour unions and employers of Singapore, a form of tripartite corporatism was introduced to provide stability and consistent economic growth that arguably ended exploitation and major strike activity simultaneously. Historically corporatism (corporativismo refers to a political or Economic system in which power is held by civic assemblies that represent Economic Modern infrastructure like the airport, the port, roads, and communications networks were improved or constructed with state intervention. The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board was set up to promote tourism, which would eventually create many jobs in the service industry and prove to be a major source of income for the country. The Singapore Tourism Board ( Abbreviation: STB; 新加坡旅游局 is a statutory board under the

In formulating economic policies, Lee was primarily assisted by his ablest ministers, especially Goh Keng Swee and Hon Sui Sen. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Hon Sui Sen ( 1916 - 1983 was born in Penang in the British Straits Settlements. They managed to reduce the unemployment rate from 14 percent in 1965 to 4. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. 5 percent in 1973. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Some structural problems, however, have remained in Singapore including the heavy foreign ownership of capital.

Designating official languages

Lee continued the colonial legacy of using English as the language of the workplace and the common language among the different races, while recognising Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil as the other three official languages. All state schools use English as the medium of instruction, although there are also lessons for their respective mother tongues.

Lee discouraged the usage of non-Mandarin Chinese dialects (such as Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese) by promoting Mandarin as the 'Mother Tongue' of ethnic Chinese, in view of having a common language of communication within the Chinese community. Spoken Chinese ( comprises many regional variants the largest of which are Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. In 1979, Lee officially launched the first Speak Mandarin Campaign. The Speak Mandarin Campaign ( SMC;)is an initiative by the Government of Singapore to encourage Singapore 's Singaporean Chinese population to Lee also cancelled the broadcasting of all television programmes in non-Mandarin dialects, with the exception of news and operas, for the benefit of the older audience. However, the policy worked at the expense of non-Mandarin Chinese dialects. Since that time, most of the younger Chinese Singaporeans are no longer able to speak non-Mandarin Chinese dialects fluently, thus encountering some difficulty when communicating with their dialect-speaking grandparents.

In the 1970s, graduates of the Chinese-language Nanyang University were facing huge problems finding jobs because of their lack of command in the English language, which was often required in the workforce, especially the public sector. Nanyang University (南洋大学 abbreviated Nantah 南大 was a Chinese university in Singapore. In response, Lee had Nanyang University absorbed by the English-language University of Singapore; the combined institution was renamed the National University of Singapore. The National University of Singapore ( Abbreviation: NUS;; Abbreviated 国大 Malay: Universiti Kebangsaan Singapura; Tamil: The National University of Singapore ( Abbreviation: NUS;; Abbreviated 国大 Malay: Universiti Kebangsaan Singapura; Tamil: This move greatly affected the Chinese-speaking lecturers and professors who would now have to teach in English. It was also opposed by some Chinese groups who had contributed significantly to the building of Nanyang University and therefore had strong emotional attachment to the school.

Government policies

Benjamin Henry Sheares is sworn in for his 3rd term as President of Singapore, witnessed by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin on December 30, 1978.
Benjamin Henry Sheares is sworn in for his 3rd term as President of Singapore, witnessed by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin on December 30, 1978. Benjamin Henry Sheares ( 12 August 1907 &ndash 12 May 1981) was the second President of Singapore. Wee Chong Jin ( was born in Penang to parents Wee Gim Puay and Lim Paik Yew Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)

Like many countries, Singapore was not immune to the disease of corruption. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain Lee was well aware how corruption had led to the downfall of the Nationalist Chinese government in mainland China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Fighting against the communists himself, he knew he had to 'clean house'. The terms Governance and good governance are increasingly being used in development literature Lee introduced legislation that gave the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) greater power to conduct arrests, search, call up witnesses, and investigate bank accounts and income tax returns of suspected persons and their family. Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau ( Abbreviation: CPIB; Chinese: 贪污调查局 Malay: Biro Siasatan Pencegahan Rasuah) is With Lee’s support, CPIB was given the authority to investigate any officer or minister. Indeed, several ministers were later charged with corruption.

Lee believed that ministers should be well paid in order to maintain a clean and honest government. In 1994, he proposed to link the salaries of ministers, judges, and top civil servants to the salaries of top professionals in the private sector, arguing that this would help recruit and retain talent to serve in the public sector. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

In the late 1960s, fearing that Singapore's growing population might overburden the developing economy, Lee started a vigorous 'Stop-at-Two' family planning campaign. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Family planning is frequently used to mean that people plan when to have children using Birth control, preconceptional counseling. Couples were urged to undergo sterilisation after their second child. Sterilization (also spelled sterilisation) is a surgical technique leaving a male or female unable to reproduce. Third or fourth children were given lower priorities in education and such families received less economic rebates.

In 1983, Lee sparked the 'Great Marriage Debate' when he encouraged Singapore men to choose women with high education as wives. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) He was concerned that a large number of graduate women were unmarried. Some sections of the population, including graduate women, were upset by his views. Nonetheless, a match-making agency Social Development Unit (SDU) was set up to promote socialising among men and women graduates. The Social Development Unit ( SDU) is a government Matchmaking organisation in Singapore. Lee also introduced incentives, such as tax rebates, schooling, and housing priorities for graduate mothers who had three or four children, in a reversal of the over-successful 'Stop-at-Two' family planning campaign in the 1960s and 1970s. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 ( is an Act of Congress providing for several kinds of economic stimulus intended to boost the United States The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. By the late-1990s, birth rates had become so low that Lee's successor Goh Chok Tong extended these incentives to all married women, and gave even more incentives, such as the 'baby bonus' scheme. Crude birth rate is the natality or Childbirths per 1000 people per year Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from

Relations with Malaysia

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Lee looked forward to improving relationships with Mahathir bin Mohamad upon the latter's promotion to Deputy Prime Minister. Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (ma'ħɑðiɽ bin mʊħɑmmæd̚ (recorded as born on 20 December 1925 was the fourth Prime Minister of Knowing that Mahathir was in line to become the next Prime Minister of Malaysia, Lee invited Mahathir (through then-President of Singapore Devan Nair) to visit Singapore in 1978. Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C V Devan Nair ( August 5, 1923 &ndash December 6, 2005) was the third President Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The first and subsequent visits improved both personal and diplomatic relationships between them. Mahathir told Lee to cut off links with the Chinese leaders of the Democratic Action Party; in exchange, Mahathir undertook not to interfere in the affairs of the Malay Singaporeans. The Democratic Action Party, or DAP (Parti Tindakan Demokratik is a Secular, multi-racial social democratic / democratic socialist Population of the Malay in Singapore

In December 1981, Mahathir changed the time zone of the Malay Peninsula in order to create just one time zone for Malaysia, and Lee followed suit for economic and social reasons. The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (คาบสมุทรมลายู is a major Peninsula located in Southeast Relations with Mahathir subsequently improved in 1982.

In January 1984, Mahathir imposed a RM100 levy on all goods vehicles leaving Malaysia and Singapore. However, when Musa Hitam tried to discourage Mahathir's policy, the levy was doubled to discourage the use of Singapore's port, and a breakdown in relations with Malaysia was evident. Tun Musa bin Hitam (born 18 April 1934) is a Malaysian politician and a former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, serving under

In June 1988, Lee and Mahathir reached a major agreement in Kuala Lumpur to build the Linggui dam on the Johor River. Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (ma'ħɑðiɽ bin mʊħɑmmæd̚ (recorded as born on 20 December 1925 was the fourth Prime Minister of Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K Lee approached Mahathir in 1989, when he intended to move the railway customs from Tanjong Pagar in Southern Singapore to Woodlands at the end of the Causeway, in part because of an increasing number of cases of drug smuggling into Singapore. Customs is an Authority or agency in a Country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Woodlands, or the Woodlands New Town ( Chinese: zh 兀兰新镇 Pinyin: Wùlán Xīnzhèn) is a Suburban Town This caused resentment in Malaysia, as some of the land would revert to Singapore when the railway tracks were no longer used. In response, Mahathir designated Daim Zainuddin, then Minister of Finance of Malaysia, to settle the terms. Tun Daim Zainuddin (born April 29 1938 in Kedah) is a Malaysian economist businessman politician and a former Finance Minister of Malaysia from 1984 to 1991

After months of negotiation, an agreement was reached involving the joint development of three main parcels of land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji, and Woodlands. Malaysia had a sixty per cent share, while Singapore had a forty per cent share. The Points of Agreement (POA) was signed on 27 November 1990, a day before Lee stepped down as Prime Minister. Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990 ( POA) is an agreement between the two Southeast Asian countries regarding the future of railway land owned by the Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

Senior Minister – 1990 to 2004

Lee Kuan Yew (middle) meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and Singapore's Ambassador to the U.S. Chan Heng Chee in 2000.
Lee Kuan Yew (middle) meets with U. S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and Singapore's Ambassador to the U. William Sebastian Cohen (born 28 August 1940) is an author and American politician from the U S. Chan Heng Chee in 2000. Professor Chan Heng Chee) is Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the United States.

After leading the PAP in seven victorious elections, Lee stepped down on 28 November 1990, handing over the prime ministership to Goh Chok Tong. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from He was then the world's longest ever serving Prime Minister. [7]

This leadership transition was meticulously planned and executed. The recruitment and grooming of the second generation leaders took place as early as the 1970s. In the 1980s, Goh and the younger leaders started to assume important cabinet positions. Prior to the official transition, all other first generation leaders (the "old guards") retired, including Goh Keng Swee, S. Rajaratnam and Toh Chin Chye. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Early life The second child of Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his wife both of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Rajaratnam was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Toh Chin Chye ( born December 10 1921) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore Being so thoroughly planned, the transition was quite a non-event in Singapore, even though it was the first leadership transition since independence. By stepping down when he was still mentally alert and in good health, Lee set himself apart from other strong contemporary Asian leaders such as Mao Zedong, Suharto, Ferdinand Marcos, and Ne Win. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led Suharto, also spelled Soeharto (June 8 1921 &ndash January 27 2008 was an Indonesian military leader and the second President of Indonesia, holding Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralín Marcos ( September 11, 1917 &ndash September 28, 1989) was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 Ne Win (နေဝင်း nè wín 24 May or 14 May 1911 or 10 July 1910 – 5 December 2002; born Shu

As Goh Chok Tong became the head of government, Lee remained in the cabinet with a non-executive position of Senior Minister and played a role he described as advisory. The title "Senior Minister" was also a title used in Canada before " Deputy Prime Minister " was introduced in 1977 In public, Lee would refer to Goh as "my Prime Minister", in deference to Goh's authority. Nonetheless, Lee's opinions still carry much weight with the public and in the cabinet. He continues to wield enormous influence in the country and is ready to use it when necessary. As he said in a 1988 National Day rally:

"Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong, I will get up. "

Lee subsequently stepped down as the Secretary-General of the PAP and was succeeded by Goh Chok Tong in November 1992. Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from

Lee has refrained from official dealings with all ASEAN governments, including Malaysia, so as not to cross lines with his successor, Goh Chok Tong. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from He played a major role, however, in diplomacy, such as with the agreement of the transfer of public-administration software for the development and management of China's Suzhou Industrial Park with then Vice-president Li Lanqing on February 26, 1994. The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (中国——新加坡苏州工业园区 SIP is an Industrial park built in Suzhou, China with significant Li Lanqing ( Chinese: 李岚清 Pinyin: Lǐ Lánqīng born May 1932 is a prominent Chinese politician Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

Minister Mentor – 2004 to present

On 12 August 2004 Goh Chok Tong stepped down in favour of Lee's eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Lee Hsien Loong ( born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. Goh became the Senior Minister and Lee Kuan Yew assumed a new cabinet position of Minister Mentor. Minister Mentor ( Simplified Chinese: 内阁资政 is a Cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a leadership

Regarding gambling laws, Lee stated that he was "emotionally and intellectually" against gambling. However, he made no opposition to his son's proposal to allow casinos in the country, stating: "Having a casino is something the new leaders will have to decide". A casino is in the modern sense of the word a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of Gambling activities

Recently, Lee has expressed his concern about the declining proficiency of Mandarin among younger Singaporeans. Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan In one of his parliamentary speeches, he said: "Singaporeans must learn to juggle English and Mandarin". Subsequently, he launched a television programme, 华语 Cool!, in January 2005, in an attempt to attract young viewers to learn Mandarin.

In June 2005, Lee published a book, Keeping My Mandarin Alive, documenting his decades of effort to master Mandarin, a language which he said he had to re-learn due to disuse:

". . . because I don't use it so much, therefore it gets disused and there's language loss. Then I have to revive it. It's a terrible problem because learning it in adult life, it hasn't got the same roots in your memory. "

In an interview with CCTV on June 12, 2005, Lee stressed the need to have a continuous renewal of talent in the country's leadership, saying:

"In a different world we need to find a niche for ourselves, little corners where in spite of our small size we can perform a role which will be useful to the world. China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV ( is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. To do that, you will need people at the top, decision-makers who have got foresight, good minds, who are open to ideas, who can seize opportunities like we did. . . My job really was to find my successors. I found them, they are there; their job is to find their successors. So there must be this continuous renewal of talented, dedicated, honest, able people who will do things not for themselves but for their people and for their country. If they can do that, they will carry on for another one generation and so it goes on. The moment that breaks, it's gone. ";


Singapore General Elections 2006

Main article: James Gomez

Lee's Tanjong Pagar GRC was not contested by opposition parties. James Gomez (born January 1965 in Singapore) was the Second Assistant Secretary-General and Chairman of the Policies and Communications Committee in the Workers' Party of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency ( Traditional Chinese: 丹戎巴葛集選區 Simplified Chinese: 丹戎巴葛集选区 is a six-member Group He was noted to be amongst the several PAP leaders to criticise James Gomez over a controversy surrounding Gomez's application for a minority certificate from the Elections Department. Gomez had wrongly claimed that he submitted the application, but admitted his mistake a few days later, but only after he was confronted with video evidence contradicting his claim. Lee branded Gomez a liar and challenged Gomez to sue for libel to clear his name. The controversy became a major issue during the election.

Legacy and memoirs

Legacy

During the three decades in which Lee held office, Singapore grew from being a developing country to one of the most developed nations in Asia, despite its small population, limited land space and lack of natural resources. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form Lee has often stated that Singapore's only natural resources are its people and their strong work ethic. He is widely respected by many Singaporeans, particularly the older generation, who remember his inspiring leadership during independence and the separation from Malaysia. He has often been credited with being the architect of Singapore's present prosperity, although the role was also played by his Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was in charge of the economy. Goh Keng Swee ( bn October 6 1918 in Malacca) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore.

Controversies

On the other hand, some Singaporeans and foreigners [1] have criticized Lee as elitist and even an autocrat, and that the economic prosperity under Lee was achieved at the expense of much political and social freedom. Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the Elite &mdash a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities intellect An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler Lee was once quoted as saying he preferred to be feared than loved. [2] A believer that the ends justify the means, Lee often prescribed certain measures, seen as repressive by some, to safeguard national security and interests. Consequentialism refers to those moral theories which hold that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action

Lee has been criticized for implementing some harsh measures to suppress political opposition and freedom of speech, such as outlawing public demonstrations without an explicit police permit, the restriction of the press freedom, and the use of defamation lawsuits to bankrupt political opponents, such as Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, Tang Liang Hong and Chee Soon Juan. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam ( January 5, 1926 - September 30, 2008) more commonly known as " J Tang Liang Hong ( is a senior Lawyer and Politician from Singapore. Dr Chee Soon Juan ( born 1962 is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP On political matters, public opinion was rarely solicited, if at all.

On the above issue, Devan Nair, the third president of Singapore and who was living in exile in Canada, remarked in a 1999 interview with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that Lee's technique of suing his opponents into bankruptcy or oblivion was an abrogation of political rights. Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C V Devan Nair ( August 5, 1923 &ndash December 6, 2005) was the third President The Globe and Mail is a Canadian English language nationally distributed Newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities He also remarked that Lee is 'an increasingly self-righteous know-all', surrounded by 'department store dummies'. In response to these remarks, Lee sued Devan Nair in a Canadian court and Nair countersued. [8] Lee then brought a motion to have Nair's counterclaim thrown out of court. Lee argued that Nair's counterclaim disclosed no reasonable cause of action and constituted an inflammatory attack on the integrity of the government of Singapore. However, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice refused to throw out Nair's counterclaim, holding that Lee had abused the litigating process and therefore Nair has a reasonable cause of action. The Superior Court of Justice for Ontario, Canada is the successor to the former Ontario Court of Justice (General Division, and was created on April [3]. After his death, The Economist published an obituary of Nair which was critical of Lee Kuan Yew. The following issue, The Economist published a letter from a Singaporean official which claimed Nair's drunkenness was a source of his mental disturbance in his later years. The Economist did not publish other letters that were supportive of Nair due to the reason that the publication would be forced into another lengthy libel trial.

On one occasion, after a court ruling in favour of Lee was overturned by the Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, the government abolished the right of appeal to the Council. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Throughout Lee's premiership from 1959 to 1990, the Internal Security Act was invoked several times to arrest and detain a number of people without trial, often for alleged involvement in pro-Communist or Marxist activities. The Internal Security Act ( ISA) of Singapore confers on the government the right to arrest and detain individuals without trial in certain defined circumstances Chia Thye Poh, a former MP of the opposition Barisan Socialis, was detained for 32 years, including nine years on the resort island of Sentosa. Chia Thye Poh ( b1941 Subsequent to it he has been a doctoral student and an Interpreter. Sentosa, which means peace and tranquillity in Malay, is a popular Island Resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people In order to give full authority to the judges in their judicial decisions, Lee abolished the jury system in the courts. A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them He argued that jurors are more liable to be swayed emotionally whereas a judge would be more objective and impartial.

Memoirs

Lee Kuan Yew has written a two-volume set of memoirs: The Singapore Story (ISBN 0-13-020803-5), which covers his view of Singapore's history until its separation from Malaysia in 1965, and From Third World to First: The Singapore Story (ISBN 0060197765), which gives his account of Singapore's subsequent transformation into a developed nation. Singapore rose in importance during the 14th century under the rule of Srivijayan prince Parameswara and became an important port until it was destroyed by Portuguese raiders in 1613 For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Cabinet - Mr LEE Kuan Yew". The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat Minister Mentor ( Simplified Chinese: 内阁资政 is a Cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a leadership Retrieved on 2008-04-26. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy.  
  2. ^ Ooi, Jeff (2005). "Perils of the sitting duck". Retrieved Nov. 6, 2005.
  3. ^ Pillai, M. G. G. (Nov. 1, 2005). "Did Lee Kuan Yew want Singapore ejected from Malaysia?". Malaysia Today.
  4. ^ Lee, Time Magazine Asia 1999.
  5. ^ Mauzy, Diane K. and R. S. Milne (2002). Singapore Politics Under the People's Action Party. Routledge ISBN 0-415-24653-9
  6. ^ public domain information from the US State Department Country Guide.
  7. ^ Erlanger, Steven. New Leader takes Singapore's helm, The New York Times, November 29, 1990.
  8. ^ Lee v. Globe and Mail (Nair v. Lee). Sack Goldblatt Mitchell. Retrieved on 2007-02-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor
  9. ^ List of Ig Nobel past winners.
  10. ^ Imperial College London.
  11. ^ "Hostile welcome for Lee Kuan Yew". Retrieved on 2007-07-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England.  

Secondary sources

External links

Preceded by
None (Post Created)		 Prime Minister of Singapore
3 June 1959 – 28 November 1990		 Succeeded by
Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by
None		 Secretary General of People's Action Party
1954–1992
Preceded by
S Rajaratnam		 Senior Minister
1990–2004
Preceded by
Hon Sui Sen		 Minister for Finance
1983		 Succeeded by
Tony Tan
Preceded by
None (Post Created)		 Minister Mentor
2004 – present		 Incumbent

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the Head of government of the Republic of Singapore (and prior to 9 August 1965 Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Goh Chok Tong ( Hokkien: Gô· Chok-tòng born May 20 1941) was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from The People's Action Party ( abbrev: PAP; Chinese: 人民行动党 Pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng Malay: Parti Tindakan Rakyat Early life The second child of Sabapathy Pillai Sinnathamby and his wife both of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Rajaratnam was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka The title "Senior Minister" was also a title used in Canada before " Deputy Prime Minister " was introduced in 1977 Hon Sui Sen ( 1916 - 1983 was born in Penang in the British Straits Settlements. The Minister for Finance is an appointment in the Cabinet of Singapore and heads the Ministry of Finance. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam ( Minnan: Tân Khèng-iām born 7 February 1940, Singapore) is the Minister Mentor ( Simplified Chinese: 内阁资政 is a Cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a leadership
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