The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is a conference in Singapore for the global water industry .
89-680: SIWW's flagship programmes include The Water Leaders Summit, the Water Convention, the Water Expo, Business Forums, Hydro-Gen and Industrial Water Solutions. The programme culminates with the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. SIWW was launched in 2008. Since 2012, SIWW has been held biennially in conjunction with the World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore. In 2013, the attention was focused on
178-437: A high-income economy within his premiership. In the process, he forged a highly effective, anti-corrupt government and civil service. Lee eschewed populist policies in favour of long-term social and economic planning , championing civic nationalism through meritocracy and multiracialism as governing principles , making English the lingua franca to integrate its immigrant society and to facilitate trade with
267-512: A "half-past six democracy". The strike subsequently escalated into a riot on 12 May . Lee, Marshall and the company agreed on a further resolution on 14 May, which conceded to several of the strikers' demands. In an emergency legislative assembly sitting on 16 May, Chief Secretary William Goode accused Lee of losing control of the PAP to Lim. Lee was constrained between defending the actions of his colleagues and denouncing them, instead reiterating
356-669: A country. This situation tends to lower the ranking of some of the most advanced countries, such as the G7 members and others. According to the United Nations Statistics Division : There is no established convention for the designation of "developed" and "developing" countries or areas in the United Nations system. And it notes that: The designations "developed" and "developing" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express
445-458: A five-member delegation led by the new chief minister Lim Yew Hock . Britain conceded to Singapore's self-governance but also demanded that a tripartite Internal Security Council be established, which proved controversial back home. Marshall challenged Lee to seek a fresh mandate from his Tanjong Pagar constituents, which Lee accepted. In the June 1957 by-elections , Lee was reelected with 68.1% of
534-662: A group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find coordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries. 15 countries in Europe: three countries in the Americas: three countries in Asia: one country in Oceania: Comparative table of countries with a "very high" human development (0.800 or higher), according to UNDP ; "advanced" economies, according to
623-600: A highly developed country during his tenure. Lee was born in Singapore during British colonial rule . After graduating from Raffles Institution , he won a scholarship to Raffles College, now the National University of Singapore . During the Japanese occupation , Lee escaped being the victim of a purge , before subsequently starting his own businesses while working as an administration service officer for
712-799: A judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. Nevertheless, the UN Trade and Development considers that this categorization can continue to be applied: The developed economies broadly comprise Northern America and Europe, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Terms linked to the concept developed country include "advanced country", "industrialized country", "more developed country" (MDC), "more economically developed country" (MEDC), " Global North country", " first world country", and "post-industrial country". The term industrialized country may be somewhat ambiguous, as industrialisation
801-415: A merger with other former British territories in a national referendum to form Malaysia in 1963. Racial strife and ideological differences later led to Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia and subsequent independence in 1965, less than two years after the merger. With overwhelming parliamentary control at every general election, Lee oversaw Singapore's transformation into a developed country with
890-564: A more radical approach". Lee was convinced that Lim and Fong's influence were pushing the party toward "political disaster". After consulting his allies Toh Chin Chye , S. Rajaratnam and Byrne , Lee censured the two men privately and demanded they change strategies or leave the party. By 1956, Lee believed that the PAP "had been captured by the communists" and privately endorsed the Labour Front government purge of suspected "leftists" in
979-588: A move to split the party and together with his allies expelled Ong from the party. Ong resigned his seat in December, precipitating the Hong Lim by-election on in April 1961 which he won against a PAP candidate. The death of the PAP assemblyman for Anson that April triggered a second by-election. For the first time, Lim's faction openly revolted against Lee and endorsed Workers' Party chairman David Marshall who won
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#17327806085831068-495: A native-born to qualify for automatic citizenship, which would disenfranchise nearly one third of those eligible to vote; it issued a clarification but never recovered from the mistake. Lee placed the flag of Singapore alongside option A with the terms of Singapore retaining control of education and labour policy, while portraying the Barisan's choice as option B favouring entry into the federation with no special rights, next to
1157-600: A proponent of Realpolitik pragmatism , Lee's premiership was described as authoritarian by the Western world or as a sort of guided democracy by scholars and the media. He was criticised for curtailing press freedoms , imposing narrow limits on public protests, restricting labour movements from industrial or strike action through anti-union legislation and co-option , and bringing defamation lawsuits against prominent political opponents. Lee directly responded to such critiques by stating that "If Singapore
1246-528: A single seat majority in the 51-seat assembly after 13 of its members had abstained. Lee expelled the 13 who had broken ranks in addition to Lim, Fong and Woodhull. Lee and his colleagues believed that Singapore could only survive through merger with Malaya and was unwilling to call for complete independence. Merger would allow goods to be exported to the peninsula under a common market , while devolving unpopular internal security measures to Kuala Lumpur . Malaya's ruling Alliance Party coalition dominated by
1335-590: A strike under the direction of Fong Swee Suan, leader of the Singapore Buses Workers' Union (SBWU). As SBWU's legal advisor, Lee worked with Marshall's government to negotiate a resolution, which was initially agreed by the SBWU but then reneged on by the company. Seeking to exert greater pressure, Lee, Fong and Lim Chin Siong addressed the strikers on 1 May ( May Day ), where Lee called the government
1424-542: A swampland to the island's western coast was chosen to be the site of a new industrial estate and would house steel mills, shipyards, and oil refineries, though Finance Minister Goh Keng Swee was initially worried the venture would fail. The government promoted multiculturalism by recognising Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil as the official languages of the new state and sought to create a new national Malayan identity. The Ministry of Culture under S. Rajaratnam held free outdoor concerts with every ethnic race represented in
1513-551: A writer for the Malay newspaper Utusan Melayu ; and Devan Nair . He next turned his attention to the Chinese-speaking majority and was introduced to Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan, leaders of the influential bus and factories unions. While the unions had been infiltrated by communists, Lee consciously sought their support as he wanted a popular front. With elections approaching in 1955, Lee and his associates debated
1602-402: Is a nanny state , then I am proud to have fostered one". In addition, others have also argued that his actions were necessary and vital for the country's early development. Lee has been often described a benevolent dictator who fostered social wellbeing within an illiberal democratic framework. Lee continues to be held in high regard by Singaporeans. Lee was born on 16 September 1923,
1691-611: Is a sovereign state that has a high quality of life , developed economy , and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations. Most commonly, the criteria for evaluating the degree of economic development are the gross domestic product (GDP), gross national product (GNP), the per capita income , level of industrialization, amount of widespread infrastructure and general standard of living. Which criteria are to be used and which countries can be classified as being developed are subjects of debate. Different definitions of developed countries are provided by
1780-498: Is an ongoing process that is hard to define. The first industrialized country was the United Kingdom , followed by Belgium . Later it spread further to Germany , United States , France and other Western European countries. According to some economists such as Jeffrey Sachs , however, the current divide between the developed and developing world is largely a phenomenon of the 20th century. Mathis Wackernagel calls
1869-482: The Kempeitai (military police) and reported with a friend to be screened. He attempted to leave the next morning but was ordered to join a group of already segregated men. Lee requested to collect his clothes first and managed to spend a second night in the dormitory before successfully leaving the site the next day when a different guard cleared him through. He later learned that the group of men were likely taken to
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#17327806085831958-498: The Cameron Highlands with his family to avoid a possible British invasion. He was tipped off that he was being followed and abandoned the plan. He engaged in private enterprises and black market sales for the rest of the war. During this time, Lee helped develop a glue based on tapioca, which he sold under the name Stikfas. The Stikfas logo later appeared on the base of his wedding cake. The rapid Japanese victory in
2047-475: The Human Development Index (HDI), which combines an economic measure, national income, with other measures, indices for life expectancy and education has become prominent. This criterion would define developed countries as those with a very high (HDI) rating. The index, however, does not take into account several factors, such as the net wealth per capita or the relative quality of goods in
2136-476: The IMF . Economic criteria have tended to dominate discussions. One such criterion is the income per capita; countries with the high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita would thus be described as developed countries. Another economic criterion is industrialisation ; countries in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors of industry dominate would thus be described as developed. More recently, another measure,
2225-548: The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank ; moreover, HDI ranking is used to reflect the composite index of life expectancy, education, and income per capita. In 2023 , 40 countries fit all four criteria, while an additional 19 countries fit three out of four. Developed countries have generally more advanced post-industrial economies, meaning the service sector provides more wealth than
2314-721: The Junior Cambridge examinations. He also joined the Scouts and partook in several physical activities and debates. Lee was the top scorer in the Senior Cambridge examinations in 1940 across the Straits Settlements and Malaya, gaining the John Anderson scholarship to attend Raffles College. During the prize-awarding ceremony, Lee met his future wife Kwa Geok Choo ; she was the only girl at
2403-660: The MS Willem Ruys . He joined the Laycock and Ong law firm founded by British lawyer John Laycock . Laycock was a co-founder of the pro-British Progressive Party and Lee represented the party during the 1951 legislative council election as an election agent. Lee was called to the Singapore bar on 7 August 1951. During the postal union strike in May 1952, Lee negotiated a settlement which would mark his first step into
2492-575: The Minister Mentor between 2004 to 2011, Senior Minister between 1990 to 2004 and first prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1954 to 1992 and was the member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in transforming it into
2581-565: The People's Action Party (PAP) in 1954 and won his first seat at the Tanjong Pagar division during the 1955 general election . He became the de facto opposition leader in parliament, to Chief Ministers David Marshall and Lim Yew Hock of the Labour Front . Lee led his party to its first electoral victory in 1959 and was appointed the state's first prime minister. To attain complete home rule from Britain, Lee campaigned for
2670-657: The Totnes constituency During his studies, Lee's political convictions and anti-colonial sentiments were hardened by personal experiences and an increasing belief that the British were ruling Singapore for their own benefit. He supported the Labour Party against the Conservatives whom he perceived as opposing decolonisation . In the leadup to the 1950 United Kingdom general election , Lee engaged in politics for
2759-503: The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) had repeatedly opposed the scheme and was apprehensive that Singapore's Chinese majority would reduce 'Malay political supremacy'. Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman backtracked after the PAP's Hong Lim by-election defeat, fearing a "pro-communist government" in Singapore should Lee fall from power. On 27 May 1961, Tunku announced that Malaya, Singapore, and
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2848-485: The flag of Penang . When Lim called for his supporters to submit blank votes , Lee countered that blank votes would count as a vote for the majority choice. 71% eventually voted for option A, while 26% cast blank votes. In November, Lee embarked on a ten-month visit to all fifty-one constituencies, prioritising those with the highest count of blank votes. Developed country This is an accepted version of this page A developed country , or advanced country ,
2937-415: The industrial sector . They are contrasted with developing countries , which are in the process of industrialisation or are pre-industrial and almost entirely agrarian , some of which might fall into the category of Least Developed Countries . As of 2023 , advanced economies comprise 57.3% of global GDP based on nominal values and 41.1% of global GDP based on purchasing-power parity (PPP) according to
3026-576: The water utility sector with the SIWW Water Utilities Leaders Forum (SWULF). In 2018, the SIWW featured and served NEWBrew, a beer brewed from NEWater . In 2021, the SIWW was held virtually. Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ DK (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew ; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY , was a Singaporean statesman and lawyer who served as
3115-402: The British colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak should pursue "political and economic cooperation". Lee endorsed the program six days later and commenced negotiations on the formation of Malaysia. In August 1961, Lee and Tunku agreed that Singapore's defence, foreign affairs and internal security would be transferred to the federal government, while education and labour policy remained with
3204-502: The British for the slow transition to self-rule, demanded their immediate withdrawal, and said that the PAP would pursue a Singapore-Malaya union. Lee became secretary-general of the party, a post he held until 1992, barring a brief period in 1957 when the post was taken up by T. T. Rajah . In July 1953, Governor John Nicoll initiated the Rendel Commission to provide for a transition to self-rule. The commission created
3293-660: The CEC to be a cadre and regain these privileges. Lee credited the Vatican system where the pope pre-selects its cardinals for the idea. The Labour Front government's conciliatory approach to the Hock Lee strikers led to a drastic increase in strikes. Frustrated by his limited powers, Marshall demanded further constitutional reforms towards the aim of "true self-government". Lee supported Marshall in his efforts, though he initially threatened an opposition boycott over wording disputes in
3382-521: The HDB under chairman Lim Kim San completed more flats in three years than its predecessor did in thirty-two. Government expenditure for public utilities, healthcare and education also increased significantly. By the end of the year, however, unemployment began to rise drastically as the economy slowed. Lee reversed anti-colonial policies and launched a five-year plan to build new industries, seeking to attract foreign investors and rival Hong Kong . Jurong ,
3471-486: The HDI accounts for more than income or productivity. Unlike GDP per capita or per capita income, the HDI takes into account how income is turned "into education and health opportunities and therefore into higher levels of human development." Since 1990, Norway (2001–2006, 2009–2019), Japan (1990–1991 and 1993), Canada (1992 and 1994–2000) and Iceland (2007–2008) have had the highest HDI score. The following countries in
3560-529: The IMF's list of 38 Advanced Economies, noting that the IMF's Advanced Economies list "would presumably also cover the following nine smaller countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Holy See, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino[...]". San Marino (2012) and Andorra (2021) were later included in the IMF's list. There are 22 permanent members in the Paris Club ( French : Club de Paris ),
3649-687: The Japanese propaganda office. After World War II ended, Lee briefly attended the London School of Economics before transferring to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge to study law, graduating with a double first degree in 1947. He was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1950. Upon his return to Singapore, he practised as an advocate and solicitor whilst campaigning for the British to relinquish their colonial rule . Lee co-founded
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3738-615: The Malaya-Singapore campaign had a major impact on Lee as he recalled: "In 70 days of surprises, upsets and stupidities, British colonial society was shattered, and with it all the assumptions of the Englishman's superiority". In a radio broadcast made in 1961, Lee said he "emerged [from the war] determined that no one—neither Japanese nor British—had the right to push and kick us around... (and) that we could govern ourselves." It also influenced his perceptions of raw power and
3827-600: The PAP to contesting 14 seats to avoid provoking the government and formed an electoral pact with the Labour Front and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to jointly tackle the new Liberal Socialist Party . The PAP campaigned on a slogan to "sweep the city clean" and emerged with 13 seats, allowing it to form a minority administration with UMNO's support. Lee and the rest of the CEC unanimously endorsed Ong to become mayor . Early in 1959, Communications and Works Minister Francis Thomas received evidence of corruption on Education Minister Chew Swee Kee . Thomas brought
3916-523: The PAP's committal to non-violence. Marshall defended him and the PAP as "decent men" against Goode's accusations and called upon the party to "purge themselves of communists". The riot led the public to perceive the PAP as being led by "young, immature and troublesome politicians", resulting in a shortfall of new members. It deepened the divide between two emerging factions, with Lee's faction advocating Fabian 's brand of socialism for gradual reform and Lim's faction, later described by Fong as "favour(ing)
4005-571: The PAP's electoral win. Ong's relocation of his ministry to his Hong Lim stronghold and continued castigation of the British and civil servants was regarded by his colleagues as disruptive and Lee removed several portfolios from Ong's purview in February 1960. In the party conference on 18 June 1960, Ong filed "16 resolutions" against the leadership, accusing Lee of failing to seek party consensus when deciding policy, not adhering to anti-colonialism and suspending left-wing unions. Lee regarded it as
4094-619: The Pacific: According to the World Bank , the following 85 sovereign states and territories across are classified as "high income" economies , having a nominal GDP per capita in excess of $ 14,005 as of 2024: Unsovereign Territories are denoted with an asterisk (*) . There are 29 OECD member countries and the European Union —in the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), a group of
4183-609: The Prelims and Part I of the Tripos , and graduated with a Starred First for Part II Law in 1949. As the top student of his cohort, he was awarded the Fitzwilliam's Whitlock Prize; Lee was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1950. If you value fairness and social justice, not only to the people of Britain but also to the millions of British subjects in the colonies, return another Labour government. Lee to voters in
4272-819: The addition of 7 microstates and dependencies modified by the CIA which were omitted from the IMF version: 29 countries and dependencies in Europe classified by the IMF, 6 others given by the CIA: Plus seven countries and territories in Asia : three countries and territories in the Americas classified by the IMF, one territory given by the CIA ;: two countries in Oceania : The CIA has modified an older version of
4361-532: The aftermath of the 1956 Chinese middle schools riots . The arrestees included his rival Lim and several other PAP members. When other leftist members captured six seats in the PAP central executive committee (CEC) elections on 4 August 1957, Lee refused to allow his allies to assume their appointments and said that his faction had "lost their moral right" to enforce the party's founding philosophy. Overtures were made by fellow CEC member T. T. Rajah to remain in his post, to which he declined. The government arrested
4450-558: The agreement. Between 1956 and 1958, there would be three rounds of constitutional talks. Lee was part of Marshall's 13-member delegation to London in April 1956. Marshall's demands for independence were repeatedly rejected by Colonial Secretary Alan Lennox-Boyd and Lee departed early over Marshall's refusal to compromise. He criticised Marshall for his "political ineptitude" in the British press and received widespread media and radio coverage. He returned to London in March 1957 as part of
4539-545: The agreements struck by Lee and Tunku, which the Barisan boycotted. A referendum for merger was scheduled for 1 September 1962. Lee ensured that the ballot lacked a "no" option, with all three options having varying terms for admission into Malaysia. The ballot was crafted by Lee and Goh Keng Swee to capitalise on a mistake which the Barisan had made the previous year. The Barisan had inadvertently endorsed merger under terms "like Penang " (a state of Malaya) with full citizenship rights, not realising that Malayan law entitled only
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#17327806085834628-713: The beach and executed. Lee obtained a Japanese language proficiency certificate in August 1942 and worked in a friend's company and then the Kumiai , which controlled essential items. He got a job with the Japanese propaganda department ( Hōdōbu ) in late 1943 and worked for the Japanese occupation force as an English specialist. Working at the top of the Cathay Building , he was assigned to listen to Allied radio stations for Morse code signals. By late 1944, Lee knew Japan had suffered major setbacks and planned to move to
4717-455: The benefits of merger in what he called the 'Battle for Merger'. The speeches proved to be a massive success for Lee's campaign, while Barisan's demands for equal airtime were rejected. Lee employed full use of state resources to suppress his opponents by revoking the Barisan's printing permits, banning or relocating its rallies, and purging its supporters from the government, while the judiciary and police engaged to "obstruct, provoke and isolate"
4806-457: The binary labeling of countries as "neither descriptive nor explanatory. It is merely a thoughtless and destructive endorsement of GDP fetish. In reality, there are not two types of countries, but over 200 countries, all faced with the same laws of nature, yet each with unique features." A 2021 analysis proposes the term emerged to describe markets, economies, or countries that have graduated from emerging market status, but have not yet reached
4895-660: The effectiveness of harsh punishment in deterring crime. Lee chose not to return to Raffles College after the war and pursued higher education in the United Kingdom. He sailed from Singapore on his 23rd birthday on the MV Britannic , arriving in the UK on 3 October. He initially enrolled at the London School of Economics , but found himself disliking life in the British capital. He visited Cambridge in November and
4984-403: The evidence to Lee after the chief minister dismissed the matter. Lee tabled a motion in the assembly on 17 February, which forced Chew's resignation. As the expiry of the assembly's term approached, the PAP was initially split on whether to capture power but Lee chose to proceed. While picking the candidates, Lee deliberately chose people from different racial and education backgrounds to repair
5073-594: The first child of Lee Chin Koon , a Semarang -born Singaporean, and Chua Jim Neo , at 92 Kampong Java Road in Singapore, then part of the British Empire . Both of Lee's parents were English-educated third-generation Straits Chinese , with his paternal side being of Hakka descent from Dabu County . He was named 'Kuan Yew', meaning 'light and brightness', alternately meaning 'bringing great glory to one's ancestors'. Lee's paternal grandfather Lee Hoon Leong, who
5162-420: The first time and actively campaigned for a friend, David Widdicombe in Totnes constituency, driving Widdicombe around in a lorry and delivering several speeches on his behalf. Before returning to Singapore, Lee dropped his English name, Harry. Notwithstanding, even until the end of his life, old friends and relatives referred to him as Harry. Lee and his wife returned to Singapore in August 1950 on board
5251-615: The first time. Lee also spearheaded several 'mobilisation campaigns' to clean the city, introduced air-conditioning to government offices, and slashed the salaries of civil servants. The last act provoked anger from the sector, which Lee justified as necessary to balance the budget. In February 1960, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) superseded the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) and assumed responsibility of public housing . With strong government support,
5340-425: The former Labour Front government and appointed five of its leaders, including Lim Chin Siong, as parliamentary secretaries lacking political power. Lee clashed further with Lim when the government sought to create a centralised labour union in the first half of 1960. Trouble also arose from former mayor and Minister of National Development Ong Eng Guan , who Lee had appointed in recognition of Ong's contribution to
5429-483: The labour movement. In due course, Lee represented nearly fifty trade unions and associations against the British authorities on a pro bono basis. The disputes often centered around wages and Laycock eventually requested Lee to cease taking on such cases as it was hurting the firm. In May 1954, the left-wing University Socialist Club published an article 'Aggression in Asia' in the club's magazine The Fajar , and
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#17327806085835518-441: The leftist leaders on 22 August and Lee was restored as secretary-general on 20 October. He later blamed the attempted takeover on lax admission rules to the party and permanently distrusted the leftists thereafter. On 23 November 1958, the party constitution was amended to implement a cadre system. The right to vote in party elections and run for office were revoked from ordinary party members, whom now had to seek approval from
5607-475: The legislative assembly and opened 25 of 32 seats for direct contest in the upcoming 1955 election . The PAP and Labour Front , led by Lee and David Marshall respectively, both criticised the concessions as "inadequate". The PAP faced manpower constraints but decided to prioritise resources and contest four seats as a protest gesture. In a rally speech, Lee said he chose the Tanjong Pagar division as it
5696-458: The level equivalent to developed countries. Multinational corporations from these emerging markets present unique patterns of overseas expansion and knowledge acquisition from foreign countries. The UN HDI is a statistical measure that gauges an economy's level of human development. While there is a strong correlation between having a high HDI score and being a prosperous economy, the UN points out that
5785-448: The meeting as a British endorsement of Lim and accused it as a plot against his government. On 13 August, Lim founded the Barisan Sosialis and became its secretary-general, with 35 of 51 branches of the PAP defecting. Lee anticipated a Barisan win in the next election and saw 'independence through merger' as the only means for the PAP to retain power. Beginning on 13 September 1961, Lee gave twelve multilingual radio speeches outlining
5874-504: The name, ideology, and policies of the party they wanted to create at 38 Oxley Road . The People's Action Party (PAP) was inaugurated on 21 November 1954 at the Victoria Memorial Hall . As the party still lacked members, trade union leaders rounded up an estimated audience of 800 to 1,500 supporters. Lee had also invited Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tan Cheng Lock , presidents of the United Malays National Organisation and Malayan Chinese Association . In his inaugural speech, Lee denounced
5963-438: The new Leader of the Opposition. Any man in Singapore who wants to carry the Chinese-speaking people with him cannot afford to be anti-Communist. The Chinese are very proud of China. If I had to choose between colonialism and communism, I would vote for communism and so would the great majority. Lee to an Australian journalist a week before the riot On 23 April 1955, workers from the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company began
6052-447: The new government's anti-colonial zeal. As part of an 'anti-yellow culture' drive, Lee banned jukeboxes and pinball machines, while the police under Home Affairs Minister Ong Pang Boon raided pubs and pornography publications. The government cracked down on secret societies , prostitution and other illegal activities, with TIME magazine later reporting that a full week passed without "kidnapping, extortion or gangland rumble(s)" for
6141-406: The next general election. As the 1957 City Council election in December approached, a Hokkien-speaking candidate, Ong Eng Guan , became the PAP's new face to the Chinese electorate. The 32-seat city council's functions were restricted to up-keeping public amenities within city limits, but party leaders decided to contest the election as a "dry run" for the upcoming general election. Lee limited
6230-501: The party's image of being run by intellectuals. In the 1959 general election held on 30 May 1959, the PAP won a landslide victory with 43 of the 51 seats, though with only 53.4% of the popular vote which Lee noted. The PAP's victory reportedly created a dilemma within the 12-member CEC as there was no formal process in place to choose a prime minister-elect. A vote was purportedly held between Lee and Ong Eng Guan and after both men received six votes, party chairman Toh Chin Chye cast
6319-404: The party. The Barisan lambasted Lee for securing only 15 seats in the Malaysian parliament for Singapore in contrast to North Borneo (16) and Sarawak (24), despite both having a combined population well below Singapore's 1.7 million. Singapore citizens would also be categorised as "nationals" and not be granted Malaysian citizenship. On 6 December, the legislative assembly voted 33–0 in favour of
6408-430: The performances. Lee also introduced the People's Association , a government-linked organisation to run community centers and youth clubs, with its leaders trained to spread the PAP's ideology. Youth unemployment was alleviated by the establishment of work brigades. Lee took measures to secure his position in the aftermath of the 1957 party elections. In 1959, he delayed the release of leftist PAP members arrested under
6497-480: The ruling Progressive Party captured only four seats, shocking both the British establishment and its opposition. Lee defeated his competitors and won Tanjong Pagar, with the PAP winning three of their four contested seats. He pledged to work with Marshall and the new Labour Front government. As independent member Ahmad Ibrahim joined PAP following the election, PAP had 4 members in the Assembly and thus Lee became
6586-701: The school. His subsequent university studies at Raffles College were disrupted by the onset of World War II in Asia, with the school being converted into a medical facility in 1941. The war arrived in December of that year and following the British surrender in February 1942, the Japanese occupation of Singapore began. Lee was amongst the Chinese men rounded up by the Japanese Sook Ching operation. By his own account, he feared getting caught by
6675-430: The seat. Lee assumed responsibility for the two by-election defeats and submitted his resignation to party chairman Toh Chin Chye on 17 July. Toh rejected it and upheld Lee's mandate. Lee moved a motion of confidence in his own government in the early hours of 21 July after a thirteen-hour debate which had begun the preceding day, narrowly surviving it with 27 "Ayes", 8 "Noes" and 16 abstentions. The PAP now commanded
6764-587: The sentences, though the case enhanced Lee's reputation as a "left-wing lawyer" and marked his first involvement with the Chinese intelligentsia. During his studies in Britain, Lee met Goh Keng Swee and Toh Chin Chye via the Malayan Forum. The forum sought to promote an independent Malaya which included Singapore and met at 44 Bryanston Square in London. Lee and his contemporaries deliberately avoided
6853-542: The state government. Lim Chin Siong and his supporters saw Lee's ceding control of internal security—then controlled by the Internal Security Council with British, Malayan, Singaporean representatives—to the federal government as a threat as Tunku was convinced they were communists. In a meeting with British Commissioner General Lord Selkirk , Selkirk reaffirmed that the British would not suspend Singapore's constitution should Lee be voted out. Lee saw
6942-404: The student editors were charged with sedition. Lee became junior counsel to Denis Pritt . The court quashed the charges and the two counsel gained a reputation through the trial, with Lee thereafter becoming a "major leader" of the movement against British rule. During the same year, Lee also appealed on behalf of the students arrested during the 13 May incident . The colonial government upheld
7031-410: The tie-breaking vote for Lee. When interviewed nearly five decades later, Toh and one other party member recalled the vote, but Lee and several others denied the account. Lee was summoned by Governor William Goode to form a new government on 1 June, to which he requested the release of arrested PAP members. On 3 June, Singapore became a self-governing state, ending 140 years of direct British rule. Lee
7120-480: The topic of forming a political party to avoid charges of subversion , beginning work on forming a political party only after returning to Singapore. Lee had sought to build support among the English-educated, Malay, and Indian communities by taking on cases against the British authorities. In the course of his work, Lee became acquainted with the journalist Sinnathamby Rajaratnam ; Abdul Samad Ismail ,
7209-462: The vote. Lee returned to London for the third and final talks in May 1958, where it was agreed that Singapore would assume self-governance with a Yang di-Pertuan Negara as head of state, with Britain retaining control of defence and foreign policy. The British House of Lords passed the State of Singapore Act on 24 July 1958, which received royal assent on 1 August, and would become law following
7298-504: The world's major donor countries that discusses issues surrounding development aid and poverty reduction in developing countries . The following OECD member countries are DAC members: 25 countries in Europe: two countries in the Americas: two countries in Asia: two countries in Oceania: According to the International Monetary Fund , 41 countries and territories are officially listed as "advanced economies", with
7387-632: The world, whilst mandating bilingualism in schools to preserve the students' mother tongue and ethnic identity . Lee stepped down as prime minister in 1990, but remained in the Cabinet under his successors, holding the appointments of Senior Minister until 2004, then Minister Mentor until 2011. He died of pneumonia on 23 March 2015, at the age of 91. In a week of national mourning , about 1.7 million residents and world leaders paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and community tribute sites. An advocate for Asian values and
7476-552: The year 2022 are considered to be of "very high human development": annual growth (2010-2022) According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs ' World Economic Situation and Prospects report, the following 37 countries are classified as "developed economies" as of January 2024: 31 countries in Europe: two countries in Northern America: four countries in Asia and
7565-531: Was a "working class area" and that he did not want to represent "wealthy merchants or landlords". During the campaigning period, the British press labelled Lee as a " commissar " and accused the PAP of being a "communist-backed party". Democratic Party (DP) challenger Lam Thian also capitalised on Lee's inability to converse in Chinese. Lee's proposal for a multilingual debate was never reciprocated by Thian, though he eventually made his maiden Chinese speech after several hours of coaching. On polling day, 2 April,
7654-681: Was considered prosperous with a high social standing compared to recent immigrants and had the means to hire servants. During the Great Depression the family fortunes declined considerably, though Lee's father retained his job at Shell. Later in life, Lee described his father as a man with a nasty temper and credited his mother with holding the family together amidst her husband's gambling addiction. In 1930, Lee enrolled at Telok Kurau English School where he spent six years of his primary education. Attending Raffles Institution in 1935, Lee did poorly in his first two years but later topped
7743-658: Was described as "especially westernised", had worked on British ships as a purser , and hence gave Lee the Western name 'Harry'. While the family spoke English as its first language, Lee also learned Malay. Lee would have three brothers and one sister, all of whom lived to old age. Lee was not close to his father, who worked as a storekeeper within the Shell Oil Company and had a gambling addiction. His mother Chua would often stand up against her husband for his poor financial management and parenting skills. The family
7832-476: Was introduced to W. S. Thatcher , Censor of Fitzwilliam House. He was admitted into the following year's Lent term and matriculated in January 1947, reading law at Fitzwilliam College . Prior to his departure from Singapore, Lee had begun a relationship with Kwa, whom he had kept in contact during the war. They married in secret at Stratford-upon-Avon in December. Lee achieved a first class result in both
7921-557: Was sworn in as Prime Minister of Singapore on 5 June at City Hall , along with the rest of his Cabinet . Lee's first speech as prime minister to a 50,000-strong audience at the Padang sought to dampen his supporters' euphoria of the PAP's electoral win. In the first month of Lee taking power, Singapore experienced an economic slump as foreign capital fell and Western businesses and expatriates left for Kuala Lumpur in Malaya, fearing
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