Lee Kuan Yew

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The Honorable Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ
李光耀
1st Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 5 June 1959[1] – 28 November 1990
President	Yusof Ishak Benjamin Sheares Devan Nair Wee Kim Wee
Governor	Sir William Goode
Deputy	Toh Chin Chye Goh Keng Swee S Rajaratnam Goh Chok Tong Ong Teng Cheong
Preceded by	Lim Yew Hock (as Chief Minister)
Succeeded by	Goh Chok Tong
Minister Mentor of Singapore
In office 12 August 2004 – 21 May 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
2nd Senior Minister of Singapore
In office 28 November 1990 – 12 August 2004
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	S. Rajaratnam
Succeeded by	Goh Chok Tong
1st Secretary-General of the People's Action Party
In office 21 November 1954 – 1 November 1992
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Goh Chok Tong
Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC Tanjong Pagar SMC (1965–1991)
In office 9 August 1965 – 23 March 2015
Preceded by	Parliament established
Succeeded by	Indranee Thurai Rajah
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Tanjong Pagar
In office 2 April 1955 – 9 August 1965
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Legislative Assembly renamed to Parliament of Singapore
1st Leader of the Opposition of Singapore
In office 22 April 1955 – 31 March 1959
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Lim Yew Hock
Personal details
Born	Harry Lee Kuan Yew (1923-09-16)16 September 1923 Singapore, Straits Settlements
Died	23 March 2015(2015-03-23) (aged 91) Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Resting place	Mandai Crematorium
Citizenship	Singaporean
Nationality	Singaporean
Political party	People's Action Party (1955–2015)
Spouse(s)	Kwa Geok Choo ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 2010)​
Children	Lee Hsien Loong (son) Lee Wei Ling (daughter) Lee Hsien Yang (son)
Mother	Chua Jim Neo (mother)
Father	Lee Chin Koon (father)
Alma mater	Raffles Institution London School of Economics Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

Lee Kuan Yew
Lee's name in Chinese characters
Chinese	李光耀
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Guāngyào Wade–Giles Li3 Kuang1-yao4 Tongyong Pinyin Lǐ Guangyào Yale Romanization Lǐ Gwāngyàu IPA [lì kwáŋ.jâu] Hakka Romanization Lí Kông-yeu Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Leíh Gwōngjiuh IPA [le̬i kʷɔ́ːŋ.jìːu] Jyutping Lei5 Gwong1-jiu6 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lí Kong-iāu

Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 5 June 1959 to 28 November 1990. He had also served as the second Senior Minister from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004 and Minister Mentor from 12 August 2004 until his retirement from the executive branch of government on 21 May 2011.^[2][3]

Lee was born in Singapore during British colonial rule, which was part of the Straits Settlements. He had top grades in his early education, gaining a scholarship and admission to Raffles College. During the Japanese occupation, Lee worked in private companies and as an administration service officer for the propaganda office. After the war, Lee first attended the London School of Economics, but transferred to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating with starred-first-class honours in law in 1947. He became a barrister of the Middle Temple in 1950 before returning to Singapore, and began campaigning for Britain to give up its colonial rule of his place of birth.

He was the co-founder and first secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP), and led the party to a landslide electoral victory in 1959. During his leadership, Lee campaigned for a merger with other former British territories in a national referendum to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. However, racial issues and ideological differences led to Singapore's being forced to leave from the federation, and it became its own country on 9 August 1965.

As leader of an independent Singapore, Lee guided the country by helping it grow from an underdeveloped outpost with no natural resources into a rich highly developed country, becoming known as an Asian Tiger. He has remained one of the most influential political figures in Asia. The party which he had co-founded also still rules Singapore today.

Lee died on 23 March 2015 from pneumonia, and the country went into a week of national mourning. He was 91 years old.

1. ↑ "Past Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew". Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
2. ↑ "Singapore told to feel free". The Guardian. London. Associated Press. 13 August 2004.
3. ↑ "Why it's no change in Singapore". The Editor (press review). guardian.co.uk. London. 16 August 2004.