NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Lee Kuan Yew

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. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (748x827, 130 KB) Lee Kuan Yew, first prime minister of Singapore ; Image from US gov. ... Minister Mentor is a cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a major leadership reshuffle. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sellapan Ramanathan (born July 3, 1924) is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Singapore. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is æŽ (Lee) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. ... Tanjong Pagar Road The characteristic spiral staircases at the back of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar. ... The Priminster of Singa pyohbsdg vjhd|Lee Kuan Yew||3 June 1959 || 28 November 1990 || 1968 GE 94. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This is a Malay name; the name Ishak is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be addressed by his or her given name, Yusof. The Malay word bin () or binte (), if used, means son of or daughter of respectively. ... Benjamin Henry Sheares (August 12, 1907-May 12, 1981) was the second President of Singapore. ... Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair (August 5, 1923â€“December 6, 2005), was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. ... Wee Kim Wee (Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; November 4, 1915â€“May 2, 2005) was the fourth President of Singapore, from 1985 to 1993. ... Toh Chin Chye Toh Chin Chye (Chinese: æœè¿›æ‰) (Born 10th December 1921) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore. ... 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 (Simplified Chinese: å´åº†ç‘ž; Pinyin: WÃº QÃ¬ngruÃ¬; born October 6, 1918 in Malacca) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (born February 25, 1915, Jaffna, Sri Lanka) is a former Singaporean politician. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the year. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ong Ong Teng Cheong (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first directly elected President of Republic of Singapore. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the year. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ... The political office of Senior Minister in the political system of Singapore is taken by a Prime Minister when he retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his long experience. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Party logo with a symbol of red lightning that signifies action. ... Lee Kuan Yew and his wife welcoming Deng Xiaoping to Singapore Kwa Geok Choo (Chinese: æŸ¯çŽ‰èŠ) is one of the major partners in the biggest law firm in Singapore, Lee & Lee, which handled most of the property transactions involving HDB flats in Singapore. ... Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. ... A Chinese surname, family name (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) or clan name (æ°; pinyin: shÃ¬), is one of the hundreds or thousands of family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, and among overseas Chinese communities. ... æŽ LÇ LÇ (Chinese: ; pinyin: LÇ) is a surname of Chinese origin. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ...

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. 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. This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ... The political office of Senior Minister in the political system of Singapore is taken by a Prime Minister when he retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his long experience. ... Minister Mentor is a cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a major leadership reshuffle. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is æŽ (Lee) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. For other uses, see Hakka (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with the former Kwantung Leased Territory in north-eastern China. ... The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826. ... This article is about 1862 . ...

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. Look up Appendix:Most popular given names by country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Lee and his wife Kwa Geok Choo were married on September 30, 1950. They have two sons and one daughter.^[1] Lee Kuan Yew and his wife welcoming Deng Xiaoping to Singapore Kwa Geok Choo (Chinese: æŸ¯çŽ‰èŠ) is one of the major partners in the biggest law firm in Singapore, Lee & Lee, which handled most of the property transactions involving HDB flats in Singapore. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Note: Family tree are mostly based on Memoirs of LEE KUAN YEW; Pinyin of Lee is Li Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...

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. 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). 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 in turn is run by Executive Director and CEO Ho Ching, the wife of Lee's elder son, the Prime Minister. 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. His younger brothers, Dennis, Freddy, and Suan Yew were partners of the same firm. He also has a younger sister, Monica. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lee Kuan Yew and his wife welcoming Deng Xiaoping to Singapore Kwa Geok Choo (Chinese: æŸ¯çŽ‰èŠ) is one of the major partners in the biggest law firm in Singapore, Lee & Lee, which handled most of the property transactions involving HDB flats in Singapore. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is æŽ (Lee) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ho Ching (Chinese: ä½•æ™¶; Pinyin: HÃ© JÄ«ng) is the executive director of Temasek Holdings. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... Lee Hsien Yang (Chinese: æŽæ˜¾æ‰¬, Pinyin: LÇ XiÇŽnyÃ¡ng, born 1957) is the second son of Singapores first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Li Hongyi (born 1 May, 1987) is the eldest son of Lee Hsien Loong, the current serving Prime Minister of Singapore, from his second marriage with Ho Ching, who heads Singapores state investment firm Temasek Holdings. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lee_Hsien_Loong_2004-11-21. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lee_Hsien_Loong_2004-11-21. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is æŽ (Lee) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Lee Hsien Yang (Chinese: æŽæ˜¾æ‰¬, Pinyin: LÇ XiÇŽnyÃ¡ng, born 1957) is the second son of Singapores first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. ... Singapore Telecommunications Limited SGX: T48 (commonly abbreviated as SingTel) is Singapores largest telecommunications company. ... Temasek Holdings is the investment arm of the Singapore government and owned 100% by the Ministry of Finance. ... For the band, see Big Brother and the Holding Company. ... Ho Ching (Chinese: ä½•æ™¶; Pinyin: HÃ© JÄ«ng) is the executive director of Temasek Holdings. ... Lee Kuan Yew and his wife welcoming Deng Xiaoping to Singapore Kwa Geok Choo (Chinese: æŸ¯çŽ‰èŠ) is one of the major partners in the biggest law firm in Singapore, Lee & Lee, which handled most of the property transactions involving HDB flats in Singapore. ...

Lee has consistently denied charges of nepotism, arguing that his family members' privileged positions are based on personal merit. 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.^{[citation needed]} Look up nepotism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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. ... A cover of the then-weekly Far Eastern Economic Review in September 2003 The Far Eastern Economic Review (Chinese: é æ±ç¶“æ¿Ÿè©•è«–; 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. His university education was delayed by World War II and the 1942–45 Japanese occupation of Singapore. During the occupation, he operated a successful black market business selling tapioca-based glue called Stikfas.^[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.^[3]^[4] Telok Kurau Primary School was founded in 1926 and it is located in the area of Bedok Reservoir. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Raffles College is a Singapore high school run broadly along the lines of a British public school. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... 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). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into underground economy. ... For other uses, see Tapioca (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section can be improved by converting lengthy lists to text. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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. ...

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. 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.P. Rajah and C.C. Tan, had founded Singapore's first multiracial club open to Asians. College name Fitzwilliam College Motto Ex antiquis et novissimis optima (Latin: The best of old and new) Named after Fitzwilliam Museum, named after the 7th Viscount FitzWilliam, named after Fitzwilliam Street, original location Established 1966 Previously named Fitzwilliam Hall (Non collegiate) (1869-1924) Fitzwilliam House (Non collegiate) (1924-1966) Location... The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme used to distinguish between the achievements of undergraduate degree holders (such as those gaining bachelors degrees or undergraduate masters degrees) in the United Kingdom. ... Mascot: Beaver Affiliations: University of London Russell Group EUA ACU CEMS APSIA Golden Triangle G5 Group Universities UK Website: http://www. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Multiracialism is term for an ideology which emphasizes the use of policy to promote tolerance and exchange between races, while respecting cultural independence along ethnic lines. ...

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. 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. 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. 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). This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Singapore Progressive Party, or just, the Progressive Party is a now defunct political party that was formed in August 25,1947. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lawrence textile strike (1912), with soldiers surrounding peaceful demonstrators A trade union or labor 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 cartel of labour. ... A students union, student government, student senate, students association, or guild of students is a student organization present in many colleges and universities. ... Party logo with a symbol of red lightning that signifies action. ... 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. 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. 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. Lee became secretary-general, a post he held until 1992, save for a brief period in 1957. UMNO’s Tunku Abdul Rahman and MCA’s Tan Cheng Lock were invited as guests to give credibility to the new party. is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar). ... Party logo with a symbol of red lightning that signifies action. ... Communist Party of Malaya (CnoPM), also known as the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) until the 1960s was founded in Singapore in 1930 with a predominantly Chinese membership, carrying out armed resistance to the Japanese during World War II. From 1948 to 1960, its military arm, the Malayan Peoples Liberation Army... Exterior of Victoria Theatre The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (Chinese: ç»´å¤šåˆ©äºšå‰§é™¢åŠéŸ³ä¹ä¼šå ‚) is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor and located in the civic district of Singapore. ... A number of international organizations and other bodies use the title secretary general or secretary-general for their chief administrative officer. ... 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). ... The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu in Malay, is the largest political party in Malaysia and a founding member of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country uninterrupted since independence. ... Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah (February 8, 1903â€“December 6, 1990) usually known as the Tunku (a princely title in Malaysia), and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) or Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia), was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya... The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA or Persatuan Cina Malaysia) (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Cantonese: Ma Loi Saiya Wah Yen Koong Wui) is a political party in Malaysia, made up of Malaysian Chinese and one of the three major parties that make up the ruling Barisan Nasional (or National Front). ... Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock (Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; 1883â€“1960; born in Malacca), Malaysian Chinese, was the founder and first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA), which represents the Malaysian Chinese population. ...

In opposition

Lee contested and comprehensively won the Tanjong Pagar seat in the 1955 elections. He became the opposition leader, pitting himself against David Saul Marshall’s Labour Front-led coalition government. 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. 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^{[citation needed]}, 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. Tanjong Pagar Road The characteristic spiral staircases at the back of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... David Marshall, wearing his political uniform of white bush-jacket and grey trousers, with a hammer David Saul Marshall (born March 12, 1908, Singapore â€“ MATI December 12, 1995, Singapore) was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955. ... The Labour Front is a political party in Singapore. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Lim Yew Hock the loser (1914-1984) was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. ... Fong Chong Pik was called The Plen, for Plenipotentiary, by Mr Lee Kuan Yew. ... The term plenipotentiary (from the Latin, plenus + potens, full + power) refers to, as a noun, a person who has, or as an adjective that confers, full powers. ...

Prime Minister, pre-independence – 1959 to 1965

Self-government administration – 1959 to 1963

In the national elections held on June 1, 1959, the PAP won forty-three of the fifty-one seats in the legislative assembly. 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. 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. is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Party logo with a symbol of red lightning that signifies action. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lim Yew Hock the loser (1914-1984) was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. ... A young Lim Chin Siong. ... Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair (August 5, 1923â€“December 6, 2005), was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. ... Lim Yew Hock the loser (1914-1984) was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. ...

Lee faced many problems after gaining self-rule for Singapore from the British, including education, housing, and unemployment. 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. CIA figures for world unemployment rates, 2006 Unemployment is the state in which a person is without work, available to work, and is currently seeking work. ... It has been suggested that Public housing in Singapore be merged into this article or section. ...

Merger with Malaya, then separation – 1963 to 1965

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. 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. During Operation Coldstore, Lee crushed the pro-communist factions who were strongly opposing the merger and who were allegedly involved in subversive activities. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah (February 8, 1903â€“December 6, 1990) usually known as the Tunku (a princely title in Malaysia), and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) or Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia), was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya... The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ... For other uses, see Sabah (disambiguation). ... For the river, see Sarawak River. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore was a referendum held in Singapore on September 1, 1962, which called for people to vote on the terms of merger with Malaysia. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In February 1963, the government of Singapore conducted a security operation, named Operation Coldstore (sometimes spelled Operation Cold Store), and arrested at least 107 left-wing politicians and trade unionists. ...

On September 16, 1963, Singapore became part of the Federation of Malaysia. 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. 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. PAP-UMNO relations were seriously strained. Some in UMNO also wanted Lee to be arrested. is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... 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, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... Sang Saka Bangsa The United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, (Malay: Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu), is the right-Wing and the largest political party in Malaysia and a founding member of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country uninterruptedly since its independence. ... Bumiputra or Bumiputera (Malay, from Sanskrit Bhumiputra; translated literally, it means son of the soil), is an official definition widely used in Malaysia, embracing ethnic Malays as well as other indigenous ethnic groups such as the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the tribal peoples in Sabah and Sarawak. ... The sometimes tumultous relationship between the Peoples Action Party and United Malays National Organisation, which were, and still are, the ruling parties respectively of Singapore and Malaysia, has impacted the recent history of both States. ... The sometimes tumultous relationship between the Peoples Action Party (PAP) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which were, and still are, the ruling parties respectively of Singapore and Malaysia, has impacted the recent history of both states. ...

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. 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. The price of food also rose dramatically during this period, due to the disruption in transport, which caused further hardship. Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah (February 8, 1903â€“December 6, 1990) usually known as the Tunku (a princely title in Malaysia), and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) or Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia), was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya...

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. 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. Goh Keng Swee (Simplified Chinese: å´åº†ç‘ž; Pinyin: WÃº QÃ¬ngruÃ¬; born October 6, 1918 in Malacca) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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): Image File history File links Lee_Kuan_Yew_Press_Conference,_9_August_1965. ... Image File history File links Lee_Kuan_Yew_Press_Conference,_9_August_1965. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ...

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. 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. is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ...

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, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed concern, in response to which, Lee replied: For other persons named Harold Wilson, see Harold Wilson (disambiguation). ...

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. Lee made his first official visit to Indonesia in May 25, 1973, just a few years after the Konfrontasi under Sukarno's regime. Relations between Singapore and Indonesia substantially improved as subsequent visits were made between Singapore and Indonesia. UN redirects here. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Hymn The ASEAN Hymn Jakarta, Indonesia Membership 10 Southeast Asian states Leaders - Secretary General Ong Keng Yong Area - Total 4,497,4931 kmÂ² Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character , sq mi Population - estimate 566. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation was an intermittent war over the future of the island of Borneo, between British-backed Malaysia and Indonesia in 1962-1966. ... Sukarno (June 6, 1901 â€“ June 21, 1970) was the first President of 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. One which heavily recognised racial consciousness within the umbrella of multi-culturalism. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ...

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. In 1974, the government advised the Bible Society of Singapore to stop publishing religious materials in Malay. ^[6] Religious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the converts previous beliefs; in some cultures (e. ...

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. He declared a policy of neutrality and non-alignment, following Switzerland's model. 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. UN redirects here. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... The Singapore Armed Forces (abbreviation: SAF, Malay: Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura, Simplified Chinese: ) comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). ...

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. In January 1968, Singapore bought some AMX-13 French-made tanks and a total of 99 refurbished tanks in 1972. 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. Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Design work on the AMX-13 light tank began in 1946 at the Atelier de Construction dIssy-les-Moulineaux and the first prototype was completed two years later. ...

Later, Singapore was able to establish strong military relations with other nations of ASEAN, the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and other noncommunist states. This partially restored the security of the country following the withdrawal of British troops in 31 October 1971. ASEAN[1], pronounced // (AH-SEE-AHN) in English, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand[2] as a display of solidarity... The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a defence relationship established by an agreement between the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore signed in 1971, whereby the five nations will consult each other in the event of external aggression or threat of attack against Malaysia or Singapore. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ...

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. 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. With advice from Dr Albert Winsemius, Lee set Singapore on the path of industrialization. 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. At the same time, the government maintained tight control of the economy, regulating the allocation of land, labour and capital resources. 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. 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. Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other persons named Harold Wilson, see Harold Wilson (disambiguation). ... Dr Albert Winsemius (1910-1996), a Dutch economist, was Singapores long-time economic advisor from 1961 to 1984. ... Industrialisation (or industrialization) or an industrial revolution (in general, with lowercase letters) is a process of social and economic change whereby a human society is transformed from a pre-industrial to an industrial state . ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the leading government agency that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment. ... Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also dirigism although per the OED both spellings are used) is an economic term designating an economy where the government exerts strong directive influence. ... Historically, corporatism or corporativism (Italian: corporativismo) refers to a political or economic system in which power is given to civic assemblies that represent economic, industrial, agrarian, social, cultural, and professional groups. ... The Singapore Tourism Board is a government agency in Singapore, tasked to promote the countrys tourism industry. ...

In formulating economic policies, Lee was primarily assisted by his ablest ministers, especially Goh Keng Swee and Hon Sui Sen. They managed to reduce the unemployment rate from 14 percent in 1965 to 4.5 percent in 1973. Some structural problems, however, have remained in Singapore including the heavy foreign ownership of capital. Goh Keng Swee (Simplified Chinese: å´åº†ç‘ž; Pinyin: WÃº QÃ¬ngruÃ¬; born October 6, 1918 in Malacca) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Hon Sui Sen (b. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

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. In 1979, Lee officially launched the first Speak Mandarin Campaign. 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. Spoken Chinese The Chinese spoken language(s) comprise(s) many regional variants. ... The Speak Mandarin Campaign (SMC; Simplified Chinese: è®²åŽè¯è¿åŠ¨) is an initiative to encourage Singapores ethnic Chinese population to speak Mandarin, the official language of China, commonly referred to as Putonghua in Chinese. ...

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. In response, Lee had Nanyang University absorbed by the English-language University of Singapore; the combined institution was renamed the National University of Singapore. 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. Nanyang University (Chinese: å—æ´‹å¤§å¦, abbreviated Nantah, å—å¤§) was a Chinese university in Singapore. ... The National University of Singapores (Abbreviated NUS; Chinese: æ–°åŠ å¡å›½ç«‹å¤§å¦; Abbreviated å›½å¤§) flagship Kent Ridge campus is located in the southwest of the Republic of Singapore at Kent Ridge, bounded by the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Clementi Road, Buona Vista Road and Kent Ridge Park, with an area of approximately 1. ... Malay name Malay: Universiti Nasional Singapura Tamil name Tamil: à®šà®¿à®™à¯à®•à®ªà¯à®ªà¯‚à®°à¯ à®¤à¯‡à®šà®¿à®¯ à®ªà®²à¯à®•à®²à¯ˆà®•à¯à®•à®´à®•à®®à¯ University Cultural Centre The National University of Singapore (Abbreviation: NUS) is Singapores oldest university. ...

Government policies

Like many countries, Singapore was not immune to the disease of corruption. Lee was well aware how corruption had led to the downfall of the Nationalist Chinese government in mainland China. Fighting against the communists himself, he knew he had to 'clean house'. 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. With Lee’s support, CPIB was given the authority to investigate any officer or minister. Indeed, several ministers were later charged with corruption. The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; pinyin: Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang; literally the National Peoples Party of China) is a conservative political party currently active in the Republic of China (ROC) on... The terms governance and good governance are increasingly being used in development literature. ... Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is a government agency in Singapore which investigates and persecutes corruption in the public and private sectors. ...

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) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

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. Couples were urged to undergo sterilisation after their second child. Third or fourth children were given lower priorities in education and such families received less economic rebates. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... Oral contraceptives. ... Sterilization is a surgical technique leaving a male or female unable to procreate. ... Note: This article title may be easily confused with rabbet A rebate is a type of sales promotion used by marketers, primarily as incentives or supplements to product sales. ...

In 1983, Lee sparked the 'Great Marriage Debate' when he encouraged Singapore men to choose women with high education as wives. 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. 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. 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. For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... The Social Development Unit is one of the main matchmaking organizations in Singapore. ... In the United States, taxpayers will get a tax refund, a refund on their U.S. income tax, if the tax they owe is less than the sum of: The total amount of refundable tax credits that they claim. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ...

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. 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. 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. Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad () was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. ... Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair (August 5, 1923â€“December 6, 2005), was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Democratic Action Party (DAP) logo The Democratic Action Party (DAP, Parti Tindakan Demokratik in Malay) is Malaysias largest secular and Socialist opposition party. ... The term Malay Singaporeans refers to Singaporeans of Malay descent. ...

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. Relations with Mahathir subsequently improved in 1982. The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Semenanjung Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ...

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. Tan Sri Musa bin Hitam aka Moses Black received his Bachelors degree from the University of Malaya and his Masters degree from the University of Sussex. ...

In June 1988, Lee and Mahathir reached a major agreement in Kuala Lumpur to build the Linggui dam on the Johor River. 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. 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. Mahathir bin Mohamad (born December 20, 1925 in Alor Star, Kedah) was the Prime Minister of Malaysia from July 16, 1981 to 2003. ... Nickname: Motto: Maju dan makmur (English: Progress and Prosper) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: , Country State Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area - Total 243. ... Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting customs duties and for controlling the flow of animals and goods (including personal effects and hazardous items) in and out of a country. ... Tanjong Pagar Road The characteristic spiral staircases at the back of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar. ... Woodlands estate Woodlands, or the Woodlands New Town (Chinese: , Pinyin: WÃ¹lÃ¡n XÄ«nzhÃ¨n), is a suburban town with 3 distinctive constituencies, grouped under the Sembawang Town Council in the northern part of Singapore, comprising 9 individual neighbourhoods. ... Tun Daim Zainuddin was born in 1938 in Alor Star, Kedah. ...

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 a agreement between the two Southeast Asian countries regarding the future of railway land own by the Malaysian government through Malayan Railways (Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM) in Singapore. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Senior Minister – 1990 to 2004

After leading the PAP in seven victorious elections, Lee stepped down on 28 November 1990, handing over the prime ministership to Goh Chok Tong. He was then the world's longest ever serving Prime Minister.^[7] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2670x1970, 1015 KB)United States Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (right) meets in his Pentagon office with Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (center), of Singapore, and Singapores Ambassador to the U.S. Chan Heng Chee (left) on Feb. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2670x1970, 1015 KB)United States Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (right) meets in his Pentagon office with Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (center), of Singapore, and Singapores Ambassador to the U.S. Chan Heng Chee (left) on Feb. ... William Sebastian Cohen (born August 28, 1940) is an American Republican politician from Maine. ... Then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Chan Heng Chee meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen during Lees visit to the U.S. in 2000. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ...

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. 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. Goh Keng Swee (Simplified Chinese: å´åº†ç‘ž; Pinyin: WÃº QÃ¬ngruÃ¬; born October 6, 1918 in Malacca) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (born February 25, 1915, Jaffna, Sri Lanka) is a former Singaporean politician. ... Toh Chin Chye Toh Chin Chye (Chinese: æœè¿›æ‰) (Born 10th December 1921) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore. ... Mao redirects here. ... Suharto GCB (born June 8, 1921) is a former Indonesian military and political leader. ... Ferdinand Emmanuel EdralÃn Marcos (September 11, 1917 â€“ September 28, 1989) was President of the Philippines from 1966 to 1986. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

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. 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: The political office of Senior Minister in the political system of Singapore is taken by a Prime Minister when he retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his long experience. ...

Lee subsequently stepped down as the Secretary-General of the PAP and was succeeded by Goh Chok Tong in November 1992. This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ...

Lee has refrained from official dealings with all ASEAN governments, including Malaysia, so as not to cross lines with his successor, Goh Chok Tong. 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. ASEAN[1], pronounced // (AH-SEE-AHN) in English, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on August 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand[2] as a display of solidarity... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Goh Goh Chok Tong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Hokkien: GÃ´Â· Chok-tÃ²ng; born May 20, 1941), was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from November 28, 1990 to August 12, 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew. ... // Title China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (ä¸å›½â€”â€”æ–°åŠ å¡è‹å·žå·¥ä¸šå›åŒº) Short Form: CS-SIP or SIP Background As Chinas modernization drive gained momentum in the late 1980s, many Chinese delegations visited Singapore, a southeast Asian nation that achieved economic miracle within 30 years of independence. ... Li Lanqing (å²šæ¸…ï¼Œborn May 1932) is a prominent Chinese politician. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

Minister Mentor – 2004 to present

On 12 August 2004 Goh Chok Tong stepped down in favour of Lee's eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong. Goh became the Senior Minister and Lee Kuan Yew assumed a new cabinet position of Minister Mentor. is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is æŽ (Lee) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Minister Mentor is a cabinet position created by the Singapore government in 2004 as part of a major leadership reshuffle. ...

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". This article is about casinos for gaming. ...

Recently, Lee has expressed his concern about the declining proficiency of Mandarin among younger Singaporeans. 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. Map of eastern China and Taiwan, showing the historic distribution of Mandarin Chinese in light brown. ...

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:

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: China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Singapore General Elections 2006

Lee's Tanjong Pagar GRC was not contested by opposition parties. 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. James Gomez (born 1965, Singapore) is the Second Assistant Secretary-General and Chairman of the Policies and Communications Committee in the Workers Party of Singapore (WP). ... Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. ...

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. 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. Newly industrialized countries Other emerging markets Other developing economies High income Upper-middle income Lower-middle income Low income A developing country is that country which has a relatively low standard of living, an undeveloped industrial base, and a moderate to low Human Development Index (HDI) score and per capita... A developed country is a country that is technologically advanced and that enjoys a relatively high standard of living. ... Natural resources are commodities that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified (natural) form. ... Goh Keng Swee (Simplified Chinese: å´åº†ç‘ž; Pinyin: WÃº QÃ¬ngruÃ¬; born October 6, 1918 in Malacca) is a former 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. 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. Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite â€” a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) â€” are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... An autocrat is generally speaking any ruler with absolute power; the term is now usually used in a negative sense (cf. ... 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. On political matters, public opinion was rarely solicited, if at all. This article is about the general concept. ... Slander and Libel redirect here. ... Civil action redirects here. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administrationâ€”see text) in the United Kingdom. ... Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (born 1926; more commonly known as or JBJ) is Singapores first ever opposition party candidate to become Member of Parliament (MP) in its first 16 years of independence. ... Tang Liang Hong (Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a senior lawyer and politician from Singapore. ... Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr. Chee Soon Juan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: , born 1962) is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). ...

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. 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. [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. Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair (August 5, 1923â€“December 6, 2005), was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. ... The Globe and Mail is a Canadian English-language nationally distributed newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. ... // Superior Court of Justice (Ontario) 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 19, 1999. ...

On one occasion, after a court ruling in favour of Lee was overturned by the Privy Council, the government abolished the right of appeal to the Council. 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. 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. In order to give full authority to the judges in their judicial decisions, Lee abolished the jury system in the courts. He argued that jurors are more liable to be swayed emotionally whereas a judge would be more objective and impartial. A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically in a monarchy. ... The Internal Security Act (ISA) of Singapore[1] confers on the government the right to arrest and detain individuals without trial in certain defined circumstances. ... Chia Thye Poh (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: , b. ... The big Merlion statue on Sentosa Central Business District from the Carlsberg Sky Tower. ... An empty jury box in an American courtroom For jury meaning makeshift, see jury rig. ...

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. The history of Singapore began as early as the 3rd Century when a Chinese account described the island at the tip of the Malay peninsula. ...

Awards

State decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a state. ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government - Leadership see text - Mayor David Lewis - MP Mark Field - London Assembly John Biggs Area - Total 1. ... The Order of the Crown of Johor, or Seri Paduka Mahkota Johor, is an chivalrous medal awarded by the Sultan of Johor. ... Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun The Order of the Rising Sun or Kyokujitsu sho(æ—æ—¥ç« ) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. ... The title Man for Peace was created in 1999, to recognise individuals who offered an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace. Its name is commonly misattributed as Man of Peace. An initiative by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, himself a winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, the award... Flying frog. ... Affiliations Russell Group Association of MBAs IDEA League Association of Commonwealth Universities Golden Triangle Oak Ridge Associated Universities Nobel laureates 14 Website http://www. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ...

Contents

Family background

Early life

Early political career – 1951 to 1959

Pre-People's Action Party (PAP)

Formation of the PAP

In opposition

Prime Minister, pre-independence – 1959 to 1965

Self-government administration – 1959 to 1963

Merger with Malaya, then separation – 1963 to 1965

Prime Minister, post-independence – 1965 to 1990

Decisions and policies

National security

Economic issues

Designating official languages

Government policies

Relations with Malaysia

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Senior Minister – 1990 to 2004

Minister Mentor – 2004 to present

Singapore General Elections 2006

Legacy and memoirs

Legacy

Controversies

Memoirs

Awards

See also

References

Secondary sources

External links

Contents

Family background GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Early life

Early political career – 1951 to 1959

Pre-People's Action Party (PAP)

Formation of the PAP

In opposition

Prime Minister, pre-independence – 1959 to 1965

Self-government administration – 1959 to 1963

Merger with Malaya, then separation – 1963 to 1965

Prime Minister, post-independence – 1965 to 1990

Decisions and policies

National security

Economic issues

Designating official languages

Government policies

Relations with Malaysia

Mahathir bin Mohamad

Senior Minister – 1990 to 2004

Minister Mentor – 2004 to present

Singapore General Elections 2006

Legacy and memoirs

Legacy

Controversies

Memoirs

Awards

See also

References

Secondary sources

External links

Family background