Tag From Third World To First
The city-state’s Prime Minister for 31 years, Lee Kuan Yew oversaw Singapore’s independence from Britain and separation from Malaysia. At the time of his passing in March, 2015, he had been in hospital for several weeks with pneumonia and was on life support. The BBC recorded: “He was widely respected as the architect of Singapore’s prosperity. But he was criticised for his iron grip on power. Under him freedom of speech was tightly restricted and political opponents were targeted by the courts. In March there was a state funeral after a week of mourning. Singapore came to a standstill. Thousands of Singaporeans braved heavy rains to farewell the country’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, whose funeral drew a long list of leaders and dignitaries from across the globe. From Third World To First: Singapore and the Asian Economic Boom tells in Lee Kuan Yew’s own words the story of the transformation of Singapore. He was revered as the creator of one of the greatest economic and social success stories of modern times.