Lee Kuan Yew - A Look Back at the Country's Founding Father

The first-ever Prime Minister of Singapore, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, is one of the longest-serving ministers in history and has continued to rule behind the scenes, despite having stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990. Many have claimed that Singapore is a modern police state, but despite this, under Lee's leadership, the tiny Southeast Asian island nation has achieved a great deal in the last 50 years, growing from a colonial port backwater to a powerful economic superpower that holds its own—not just in Asia, but also in the world.

From a country weakened by the Second World War, overrun by communists, and experiencing numerous racial riots, after a much-anticipated merger with Malaysia failed, Lee succeeded in building up the nation, calming down racial tensions, and driving investment into Singapore by inviting foreign companies in. Today, Singapore's GDP represents 0.48 percent of the world's economy, and is much higher than the other nations in Asia. In fact, the country is considered to be one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

While Lee has been criticized as being authoritarian and intolerant of dissent, and Singapore being more prone to nepotism rather than meritocracy, it cannot be denied that Lee is a remarkable statesman, and his governance has brought Singapore into an era of power and wealth many countries can only envy at.