Singapore’s Founding Father, Lee Kuan Yew, Dies at 91

The citizens of Singapore are mourning the loss of their nation's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew.

"We are deeply in debt to him," said Irene Yeo, reported by the New York Times. "My life, my housing, my family, the good environment, the good transportation and medical care."

Vasuki Thirupathi, an engineer from India, said, "He is my idol, and not a day passes without my saying it. Security, law and order, truth, honesty - all of this requires vision and boils down to leadership."

Lee, one of Asia's most influential politicians, passed away peacefully at the age 91 on Monday, the Singapore Prime Minister's office announced. Lee was hospitalized on Feb. 5 with severe pneumonia. He was placed on a ventilator.

In 1959, Lee became Singapore's first ever prime minister. Throughout his rule, which ended in 1990, he faced two major threats to his government, which were communism and racism. In order to address the issue of race, with Singapore being a multi-ethnic nation that is made up of about 76 percent Chinese, 15 percent Malay and seven percent Indian, Lee promoted meritocracy, which benefited the Chinese majority. Although this solution did not address the racism within the nation, Lee still managed to put Singapore on the map.

The Times also reported, "Under Mr. Lee's leadership, Singapore became a highly manicured metropolis, a magnet for the wealth of elites in neighboring countries and a financial hub in Southeast Asia...Mourners shrugged off the darker side of Mr. Lee's tenure, especially the relentless prosecutions of his political opponents."

Lee was often criticized for ruling under a one-party, authoritarian regime. He did not allow any room for dissent and showed intolerance toward any political opponents. Despite his strict and unwavering control over the government, his leadership helped make Singapore a successful nation. Lee changed the country into a prospering trading enclave.

A former colonel, Yeo Siew Siang commented, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs."

Singapore is the world's third-highest per capita GDP (gross domestic product).