MyStory

Well, mine would definitely have to be Lee Kuan Yew, the current minister mentor of Singapore. He contributed much to Singapore's development as a world-class country. He fought for Singapore's independence and made many influential speeches. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990.

 Malayan Prime Minister proposed the formation of a federation which would include Malaya and Singapore, in 1961, Lee began to campaign for a merger with Malaysia to end British colonial rule. He used the results of held on September, in which votes were cast in support of his proposal, to demonstrate that the people supported his plan., He crushed the pro-communist factions who were strongly opposing the merger and who were allegedly involved in subversive activities.

On September 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia. However, the union was short-lived. The Malaysian Central Government, , became worried by the inclusion of Singapore’s Chinese majority and the political challenge of the PAP in Malaysia.He openly opposed the policy and used the Malaysians. It is still disputed how the riots started, and theories include a bottle being thrown into a Muslim rally by a Chinese, while others have argued that it was started by a Malay. More riots broke out in September 1964, as rioters looted cars and shops, forcing Lee Kuan Yew to make public appearances in order to alleviate the situation. The price of food also rose dramatically during this period, due to the disruption in transport, which caused further hardship.

Unable to resolve the crisis, the Malaysian Prime Minister, , decided to expel Singapore from Malaysia, choosing to "sever all ties with a State Government that showed no measure of loyalty to its Central Government".He was adamant and tried to work out a compromise, but without success. He was later convinced that the secession was inevitable. Lee Kuan Yew signed a separation agreement on August 7, 1965, which discussed Singapore's post-separation relations with Malaysia in order to continue co-operation in areas such as trade and mutual defence.

During the three decades in which Lee held office, Singapore grew from being a developing country to one of the most developed nations in Asia, despite its small population, limited land space and lack of natural resources. Lee has often stated that Singapore's only natural resources are its people and their strong work ethic. He is widely respected by many Singaporeans, particularly the older generation, who remember his inspiring leadership during independence and the separation from Malaysia. He has often been credited with being the architect of Singapore's present prosperity, although the role was also played by his Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was in charge of the economy. During the three decades in which Lee held office, Singapore grew from being a developing country to one of the most developed nations in Asia, despite its small population, limited land space and lack of natural resources. Lee has often stated that Singapore's only natural resources are its people and their strong work ethic. He is widely respected by many Singaporeans, particularly the older generation, who remember his inspiring leadership during independence and the separation from Malaysia. He has often been credited with being the architect of Singapore's present prosperity, although the role was also played by his Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Goh Keng Swee, who was in charge of the economy.

Credits: wikipedia (for providing information)

             smh.com.au (for picture)