In Singapore, a steady stream of people arrived at the hospital and the Istana, the prime minister’s office, to offer their condolences.<\/p>\n
A charismatic figure, Mr Lee co-founded the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since 1959, and was its first prime minister.<\/p>\n
The Cambridge-educated lawyer led Singapore through merger with, and then separation from, Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the split in 1965, he pledged to build a meritocratic, multi-racial nation. But tiny Singapore – with no natural resources – needed a new economic model.<\/p>\n
“We knew that if we were just like our neighbours, we would die,” Mr Lee told the New York Times in 2007.<\/p>\n
“We had to produce something which is different and better than what they have.”<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"http:\/\/news.bbcimg.co.uk\/media\/images\/81834000\/jpg\/_81834458_026447154reu.jpg\")
As the news broke, people began arriving at the hospital to pay their respects<\/div>\n![\"People](\"http:\/\/news.bbcimg.co.uk\/media\/images\/81834000\/jpg\/_81834799_026448741reu.jpg\")
As the morning went on, mourners arrived at the Istana, the prime minister’s office, with flowers and cards<\/div>\n![\"Singapore's](\"http:\/\/news.bbcimg.co.uk\/media\/images\/81833000\/jpg\/_81833212_026445301-1.jpg\")
Mr Lee, seen here on 15 August 1955, was determined that Singapore would succeed<\/div>\nMr Lee set about creating a highly educated work force fluent in English, and reached out to foreign investors to turn Singapore into a manufacturing hub.<\/p>\n
The city-state grew wealthy and later developed into a major financial centre.<\/p>\n
But building a nation came with tight controls – and one of Mr Lee’s legacies was a clampdown on the press, tight restrictions that remain in place today.<\/p>\n
Dissent – and political opponents – were ruthlessly quashed. Today, Mr Lee’s PAP remains firmly in control. There are currently six opposition lawmakers in parliament.<\/p>\n
Other measures, such as corporal punishment, a ban on chewing gum and the government’s foray into matchmaking for Singapore’s brightest – to create smarter babies – led to perceptions of excessive state interference.<\/p>\n
But Mr Lee remained unmoved.<\/p>\n
“Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up,” he told a rally in 1980. “I’ve spent a whole lifetime building this and as long as I’m in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lee Kuan Yew, the statesman who transformed Singapore from a small port city into a wealthy global hub, has died at the age of 91. The city-state’s prime minister for 31 years, he was widely respected as the architect of Singapore’s prosperity. But he was criticised for his iron grip on power. Under him freedom […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":101172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\n