Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH, SPMJ, informally known by his initials LKY, was the first Prime Minister of Singapore, governing for three decades. Lee is recognised as the nation's founding father, with the country described as transitioning from the "third world to first world in a single generation" under his leadership...
ProfessionStatesman
Date of Birth16 September 1923
believed connected life merger ties
All my life... I believed in Malaysian merger and unity of the two territories. You know that we, as a people, are connected by geography, economics, by ties of kinship.
capital convinced flows free goods services support trade view
I support the view that free trade in goods and services is a win-win situation. I'm not so convinced that free flows of capital without restriction is a win-win situation.
score
I would not score very highly on religious value.
believe china countries impose liberal standards totally
China is not going to become a liberal democracy; if it did, it would collapse. I do not believe you can impose on other countries standards which are alien and totally disconnected with their past.
elected freedom government media needs news
Freedom of the news media must be subordinated to the overriding needs of Singapore, and to the primacy of purpose of an elected government.
lower
If you are going to lower me into the grave, and I feel something is wrong, I will get up.
conditions establish helps improve living majority society standard system test ultimate whether
The ultimate test of the value of a political system is whether it helps that society to establish conditions which improve the standard of living for the majority of its people.
certain ethical run standard
You need a certain standard of literacy, moral and ethical values, to be able to run a one man, one vote system.
dream goal discipline
If you want to reach your goals and dreams, you cannot do it without discipline
dream journey earthquakes
You begin your journey not knowing where it will take you. You have plans, you have dreams, but every now and again you have to take uncharted roads, face impassable mountains, cross treacherous rivers, be blocked by landslides and earthquakes. That's the way my life has been.
educated one-thing
Having an education is one thing, being educated is another.
singapore always-believe ifs
Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless.
retirement believe government
Even from my sickbed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel that something is going wrong, I will get up. Those who believe that after I have left the government as prime minister, I will go into a permanent retirement really should have their heads examined.
proud nannies states
If Singapore is a nanny state, then I am proud to have fostered one.