of political, cultural and society of Singapore.
Lee Kuan Yew was born in September 1923 in Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew’s ancestors are Hakka, his grandfather Li Yunlong had worked for the millionaire and sugar king Oei Tiong Ham. In the long term along with the British, Li Yunlong appreciate the efficient work and Western lifestyle of Westerners. A lot of wealth Accumulated over the years allowed him to make young Lee Kuan Yew Western-educated, which has profound impact on the Lee Kuan Yew.
In childhood Lee was independent and has strong character. He studied in the famous Singapore’s school Raffles, then went to Cambridge University to study law, in 1949, Lee graduated with honors and began working as a solicitor in England.
Soon after, Lee Kuan Yew returned to Singapore, gradually build prestige through assist the disadvantaged, and establish a broad social base in the trade unio movement.
In 1955, Lee Kuan Yew, became one of the three members of Congress Action Party. In 1959, the PAP won in the autonomous state government election, only 35-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, became the world's youngest prime minister.
In 31 years when Lee was the prime minister of Singapore, Singapore made a change from a country with 12 percent unemployment rate and GDP per capita $ 516 in the past jumping to a developed country, it gets rid of poverty only through a generation, which is a miracle. Today, Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, per capita GDP is more than fifty thousand US dollars, the unemployment rate remains at around 2% for long term.
Lee Kuan Yew is a doer. People's Action Party won the election in 1959, in order to show the determination of corruption regulation, Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP members held a mass rally in front of the town hall building, and they wore white shirts and trousers, which is a symbol of clean and in-corrupt government; in order to rectify the garbage, shanty buildings and rancid river of Singapore, the people's Action Party started clean-up campaign, called on people to sweep the streets and clean up beach trash; in order to change the situation of the unequal situation of women, Lee Kuan Yew fielded five women candidates in the party, and let his wife Kwa Geok Choo to radio, committing to formulate the Women's Charter, and after one year the above promises were fulfilled.
In terms of ideology, Lee Kuan Yew remains vigilant awareness. He witnessed the invincible RAF was defeated by the Japanese army. Lee's experience made him recognize the importance of vigilant awareness, which is regarded as the governing conception and pursued so far.
Under the guidance of the concept of hardship, Lee Kuan Yew and other Singapore’s leaders constructed a series of political system: careful strict civil service recruitment system for government personnel selection; the "Home Ownership" policy stabilize the people, thus in Singapore - which was once one of the largest slums in the Southeast Asia, 80% of people there live in buildings created by HDB; "Light welfare" CPF system not only makes citizens enjoy the guarantee of the Government, but also let them not dare to relax, avoiding full welfare system’s hurting the country's competitiveness ...... familiar with history, Lee Kuan Yew know that there’s no city-state of long life in the world history. Therefore, he made a series of policies to make Singapore maintain its own development long-term momentum.
Lee Kuan Yew's influence covers not only Singapore’s territorial area of over 700 square kilometers, but the Southeast Asia and other countries. In international communications, Lee Kuan Yew insists the pragmatism policy of interest priority, to make friends but not alliances. As Lee Kuan Yew said, “our foreign policy is not based on any ideology or doctrine, but on the real needs to ensure the safety and prosperity of Singapore." Thus, he went to the eastern and western countries, trying to to find a balance between the major powers.
