Lee Kuan Yew (redirected from Lee Kuan You)

Lee Kuan Yew (lē kwän y, yü), 1923–, prime minister of Singapore (1959–90). Educated in England as a lawyer, he founded (1954) the moderately leftist People's Action party. In 1959 he became Singapore's first prime minister; in 1963 he led Singapore into the Federation of Malaysia, but political unrest caused it to withdraw in 1965. A republic was proclaimed, with Lee Kuan Yew continuing as prime minister. Lee ran a tightly controlled welfare state with an economy based in private enterprise; he encouraged foreign investment and discouraged political dissent. He also stressed discipline, correct public behavior, opposition to drugs, English education, and interracial tolerance. The longest serving prime minister in the world, Lee was lauded for overseeing Singapore's outstanding economic growth that transformed it from a poor port to a wealthy nation, but he was criticized for his repressive policies. Lee resigned as prime minister in 1990 but remained in the government in the posts of senior minister (1990–2004) and minister mentor (2004–).

Bibliography

See his The Singapore Story: Memoirs (1998) and From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965–2000 (2000).

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Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Kuan Yew

(credit: Keystone)

(born Sept. 16, 1923, Singapore) Prime minister of Singapore (1959–90). Born to a wealthy Chinese family, Lee studied at the University of Cambridge and became a lawyer and a socialist. He worked as a legal adviser to labour unions and won election to Singapore's legislative council in 1955, while the country was still a British crown colony. He helped Singapore achieve self-government and, running as an anticolonialist and anticommunist, was elected prime minister in 1959. His numerous reforms included the emancipation of women. He briefly entered Singapore in the Federation of Malaysia (1963–65); on its withdrawal, Singapore became a sovereign state. Lee industrialized the country and made Singapore the most prosperous nation in Southeast Asia. He achieved both labour peace and a rising standard of living for workers, though his mildly authoritarian government at times infringed on civil liberties.