LEE KUAN YEW(FOUNDING FATHER OF MODERN SINGAPORE)

 Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, is regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew was born on 16 September 1923, to Lee Chin Koon and Chua Jim Neo. He studied at the prestigious Raffles Institution, and stood first in Singapore and Malaysia in the Senior Cambridge exams. Awarded an Anderson Scholarship to Raffles College, he studied there between 1940 and 1942.

His dream of making Singapore a part of the Federation of Malaysia was shattered. Continuing as the Prime Minister of the new republic, he was beset with numerous problems that mainly stemmed from the nation's limited natural resources. Though he adopted the policies of non-alignment and neutrality for Singapore, he did not take his country’s independence for granted. Apart from strengthening its military might, he brought in conscription. He encouraged foreign investment, developed the necessary infrastructure, ensured racial harmony, and eliminated corruption. During his three decades as Prime Minister, Singapore achieved a per capita income next only to Japan's in East Asia, and emerged as a chief financial hub in the region. He is responsible for grooming the people of Singapore as the most disciplined and hard working people in the world. Though widely admired, his autocratic methods invited criticism. He did not tolerate dissent from political opponents and the media.

In 1961, the Economic Development Board was established. It succeeded in industrializing Singapore by drawing foreign investment through tax incentive, providing highly skilled and cheap manpower, and modern transport systems and communication network.Between 1965 and 1985, Singapore’s economy developed eightfold and its per capita income improved fourfold. The percentage of families living in poverty reduced to 0.3%. Homelessness and unemployment were completely stamped out.