The extraordinary leader and Singapore's first Prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, passed away in the early hours of Monday.
Lee Kuan, 91 years, had been admitted to Singapore General Hospital on February 5, for severe pneumonia and, despite brief periods of improvement, his condition deteriorated rapidly over the weekend following an infection. Seven days of national mourning have been declared with a state funeral scheduled for March 29.
He was the prime minister for 31 years and under his leadership, Singapore grew from a small, resource-poor country into a prosperous nation with disciplined citizens. He fought against corruption in public institutions and made rules like, banning the chewing of gum in public places.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Lee's death. US President Barack Obama described him as a "giant of history". The Chinese foreign ministry called him "a uniquely influential statesman in Asia".
He was truly a one-of-a-kind leader; unselfish, disciplined, a visionary, who inspired many people, with his unconventional style of leadership, and will be dearly missed.
Comments
Post a Comment