He is Singapore’s longest reigning Prime Minister, and turned it from a struggling country into a first-world nation.
He co–founded the People’s Action Party in 1954 and became one of Singapore’s most popular political figures.
In 1955, he won the Tanjong Pagar seat and became the opposition leader that helped establish Singapore’s campaign for independence.
He improved Singapore’s relations to the outside world by joining the United Nations (1965), founding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (1967), and making frequent visits to Singapore’s neighbours—Indonesia and Malaysia.
He declared a policy of neutrality and non–alignment, and improved Singapore’s military force by requesting assistance from nations such as Israel.
He marketed Singapore as a “Garden City” and succeeded in beckoning tourists and investors.
He enacted the “Stop at Two” family planning campaign, made government employees' salary equal to private employees, and encouraged young graduates to socialize with each other.
He implemented caning and strict corporal punishment.
He wrote the book “Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going” and sold well internationally.
He has 3 honorary degrees.