Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Kuan Yew was born on September 16, 1900. He was the first Prime Minister of Singapore and is widely recognized as the founding father of modern Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew, born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, was a Singaporean statesman and the first Prime Minister of Singapore. He played a crucial role in transforming Singapore into a highly developed country.

In December 1947, Lee Kuan Yew married Kwa Geok Choo in secret in Stratford, England. The couple kept their marriage discreet due to societal norms at the time that frowned upon marriage before graduation.

In 1949, Lee Kuan Yew received a first-class law degree. This academic achievement paved the way for his future career in law and politics.

Lee Kuan Yew married Kwa Geok Choo on 30 September 1950. Both Lee and Kwa spoke English as their first language, and Lee started learning Chinese later in life. The couple had two sons and a daughter, with their elder son, Lee Hsien Loong, becoming the third Prime Minister of Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew and his wife were both admitted to the bar in Singapore on 7 August 1951. This event marked a significant milestone in their legal careers.

The People's Action Party (PAP) was officially established at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Singapore. The party was formed to advocate for self-rule and a Singapore-Malaya union.

On April 2, 1955, Lee Kuan Yew became a Member of Parliament representing Tanjong Pagar.

After winning a decisive victory in the elections, Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as the prime minister of Singapore on June 5, 1959, and introduced various social and economic reforms.

The Malayan and Singapore special branches collaborated to arrest major opposition members, including Lim Chin Siong and 23 others from Barisan Sosialis, under the pretext of communist control.

Lee declared Singapore's independence and pledged loyalty to the federal government in a ceremony at the Padang.

After a referendum in 1962, Singapore merged with Malaya on 16 September 1963, leading to the birth of Malaysia. The merger was a significant event in the history of both countries.

The race riots erupted during a celebration, lasting four days, resulting in casualties and further exacerbating ethnic tensions.

On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia, ending the merger that took place in 1963. The separation was a significant moment in Singapore's history, leading to its independence.

In April 1977, Lee Kuan Yew's government detained Ho Kwon Ping, the Singapore correspondent of the Far Eastern Economic Review, under the Internal Security Act. Ho was charged with endangering national security and fined after a televised confession. Lee also accused the magazine's editor of participating in a 'diabolical international Communist plot'.

Lee Kuan Yew married his first wife, Wong Ming Yang, a Malaysian-born physician, on 20 May 1978.

Wong Ming Yang, Lee Kuan Yew's first wife, died at the age of 31 on 28 October 1982 of a heart attack, three weeks after giving birth to their first son, Li Yipeng.

Lee introduced the Graduate Mothers' Scheme in 1983 to address Singapore's falling fertility rate. The scheme provided incentives for university-educated women to have more children.

On December 18, 1984, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew delivered a speech at Fullerton Square in Singapore.

In October 1985, Lee visited the United States at the invitation of President Reagan, addressing the US Congress on the importance of free trade and the need to avoid protectionism.

In 1987, Lee Kuan Yew restricted the sale of the Far Eastern Economic Review in Singapore due to its coverage of the detention of Roman Catholic church workers. The circulation of the magazine was significantly reduced, and Lee accused it of interfering in Singapore's domestic politics.

Lee initiated legal action against J. B. Jeyaretnam for comments made at a Workers' Party rally during the 1988 general election, alleging that the speech implied involvement in corruption. The court ruled in Lee's favor, ordering Jeyaretnam to pay damages.

Lee Kuan Yew stepped down as the Prime Minister of Singapore in 1990 after transforming the country into one of the world's richest nations. He praised the air conditioner as one of mankind's greatest inventions during his tenure.

On November 27, 1990, Lee Kuan Yew became the Prime Minister of Singapore.

On November 28, 1990, Lee Kuan Yew was appointed as the Senior Minister of Singapore.

On August 21, 1991, Lee Kuan Yew started representing Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in Singapore.

On 2 December 1992, Lee resigned as the Secretary-General of the PAP, succeeded by Goh Chok Tong.

After stepping down as prime minister in 1990, Lee Kuan Yew assumed the role of Senior Minister and was seen taking an oath as a Member of Parliament during the first session of the Ninth Parliament at Parliament House in 1997.

The book 'The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew' written by Lee Kuan Yew was published in 1998. It provides insights into the life and political career of Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore.

In a discussion forum in 1999, Lee Kuan Yew expressed concerns about the emotional bonds of various ethnic groups in Singapore potentially hindering nation building. He highlighted the importance of understanding individuals' backgrounds to prevent potential conflicts.

The book 'From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965–2000' by Lee Kuan Yew discusses Singapore's transformation from a developing country to a developed nation under his leadership.

During an interview in October 2000, Lee Kuan Yew emphasized the importance of truth in journalism and expressed his belief that newspapers should separate news reporting from editorials, rather than crusading or putting spins on stories.

On August 11, 2004, Lee Kuan Yew assumed the role of Minister Mentor in Singapore.

Lee's remarks at the Raffles Forum about Chinese marginalization in Malaysia and Indonesia caused diplomatic tensions. Malaysian and Indonesian politicians criticized Lee for his comments.

Lee Kuan Yew expressed evolving views on homosexuality, believing it to be genetic and advocating for a pragmatic approach towards its acceptance in Singapore to maintain social cohesion. Section 377A, criminalizing sex between adult males, was eventually repealed in 2022.

The article provides information about Lee Kuan Yew, a prominent political figure in Singapore.

On 15 February 2015, Lee Kuan Yew underwent a successful robot-assisted keyhole prostatectomy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

On 23 March 2015, Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, passed away.

Lee Kuan Yew's final will acknowledges the possibility of not demolishing the Oxley house, as stated by Indranee Rajah.

In 2017, there was a dispute over the future of 38 Oxley Road, the house of Lee Kuan Yew, involving his children and Singapore's Prime Minister. The siblings disagreed on the demolition or preservation of the house, reflecting differing interpretations of Lee Kuan Yew's wishes.

Prime Minister Lee declared a 7-day period of national mourning to commemorate the death of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.