Lee Kuan Yew, the statesman who
transformed Singapore from a small port city into a wealthy global hub, has
died at the age of 91.
The
city-state's prime minister for 31 years, he was widely respected as the
architect of Singapore's prosperity.
But he
was criticised for his iron grip on power. Under him freedom of speech was
tightly restricted and political opponents were targeted by the courts.
A state
funeral will be held on 29 March, after a week of mourning.
In an
emotional televised address, his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid
tribute to him.
"He
fought for our independence, built a nation where there was none, and made us
proud to be Singaporeans. We won't see another man like him."
Mr Lee
oversaw Singapore's independence from Britain and separation from Malaysia. His
death was announced early on Monday. He had been in hospital for several weeks
with pneumonia and was on life support.
UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Lee's death.
US President Barack Obama described him as a "giant of history". The
Chinese foreign ministry called him "a uniquely influential statesman in
Asia".
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