Lee Kuan Yew

This article's lead section may be too long. Please read the length guidelines and help move details into the article's body. (February 2025)

The Honourable Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ DK
李光耀
Lee in 1975
1st Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 5 June 1959 – 28 November 1990
Monarchs	Elizabeth II (1959–1963) Putra of Perlis (1963–1965)
President	Yusof Ishak Benjamin Sheares Devan Nair Wee Kim Wee
Deputy	Toh Chin Chye Goh Keng Swee S. Rajaratnam Goh Chok Tong Ong Teng Cheong
Preceded by	Office established; Lim Yew Hock (as Chief Minister)
Succeeded by	Goh Chok Tong
Secretary-General of the People's Action Party
In office 20 October 1957 – 14 November 1992
Chairman	Toh Chin Chye Ong Teng Cheong
Preceded by	T. T. Rajah
Succeeded by	Goh Chok Tong
In office 21 November 1954 – 3 August 1957
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	T. T. Rajah
1st Leader of the Opposition
In office 22 April 1955 – 31 March 1959
Chief Minister	David Marshall Lim Yew Hock
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Lim Yew Hock
Ministerial offices Minister Mentor of Singapore In office 12 August 2004 – 20 May 2011 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished Senior Minister of Singapore In office 28 November 1990 – 12 August 2004 Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong Preceded by S. Rajaratnam Succeeded by Goh Chok Tong
Parliamentary offices Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Singapore In office 2 November 1963 – 9 August 1965[1]
Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar
In office 22 April 1955 – 23 March 2015
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Indranee Rajah
Constituency	Tanjong Pagar SMC (1955–1991) Tanjong Pagar GRC (1991–2015)
Personal details
Born	Harry Lee Kuan Yew (1923-09-16)16 September 1923 Singapore, Straits Settlements
Died	23 March 2015(2015-03-23) (aged 91) Singapore
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Resting place	Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium
Political party	People's Action Party
Spouse	Kwa Geok Choo ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 2010)​
Children	Lee Hsien Loong (son) Lee Wei Ling (daughter) Lee Hsien Yang (son)
Parents	Lee Chin Koon (father) Chua Jim Neo (mother)
Relatives	Lee family
Education	Raffles College London School of Economics Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA)
Signature
Chinese name
Chinese	李光耀
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Guāngyào Bopomofo ㄌㄧˇ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄠˋ Wade–Giles Li3 Kuang1-yao4 Tongyong Pinyin Lǐ Guang-yào Yale Romanization Lǐ Gwāngyàu IPA [lì kwáŋ.jâʊ] Hakka Romanization Lí Kông-yeu Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Leíh Gwōngjiuh Jyutping lei5 gwong1 jiu6 IPA [lej˩˧ kʷɔŋ˥ jiw˨] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lí Kong-iāu

Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ DK (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman, politician, and lawyer who served as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in transforming it into a highly developed country during his tenure.

Lee was born in Singapore during British colonial rule. During the Japanese occupation, Lee escaped being the victim of a purge,^[2] before subsequently starting his own businesses while working as an administration service officer for the Japanese propaganda office. After World War II ended, Lee studied law at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating with a double first degree in 1947. He was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1950. Upon his return to Singapore, he practised as an advocate and solicitor whilst campaigning for the British to relinquish their colonial rule.

Lee co-founded the People's Action Party (PAP) in 1954 and won his first seat at the Tanjong Pagar division during the 1955 general election and became the de facto opposition leader in parliament.

Lee led his party to its first electoral victory in 1959 and was appointed the state's first prime minister. To attain complete home rule from Britain, Lee campaigned for a merger with other former British territories in a national referendum to form Malaysia in 1963. Racial strife and ideological differences later led to Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia and subsequent independence in 1965, less than two years after the merger.

With overwhelming parliamentary control at every general election, Lee oversaw Singapore's transformation into a developed country with a high-income economy within his premiership. In the process, he forged a highly effective, anti-corrupt government and civil service. Lee eschewed populist policies in favour of long-term social and economic planning, championing civic nationalism through meritocracy^[3] and multiracialism.^[4][5]

Lee's premiership was described as authoritarian^[6][7][8] by the Western world or as a sort of guided democracy by scholars and the media.^[9][10] He was criticised for curtailing press freedoms, imposing narrow limits on public protests, restricting labour movements from industrial or strike action through anti-union legislation and co-option,^[11] and bringing defamation lawsuits against prominent political opponents.^[12][13] Lee directly responded to such critiques by stating that "If Singapore is a nanny state, then I am proud to have fostered one".^[14]

Lee stepped down as prime minister in 1990, but remained in the Cabinet under his successors, holding the appointments of Senior Minister until 2004, then Minister Mentor until 2011. He died of pneumonia on 23 March 2015, at the age of 91. In a week of national mourning, about 1.7 million residents and world leaders paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and community tribute sites.