Lee Kuan Yew had 'very deep influence' on me: PM Lee

Singapore

THERE was an "enormous outpouring of sorrow" when Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March, but what should be noted is that the country emerged stronger as a result, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has told Time magazine.

"The stock market didn't crash, investors didn't panic, confidence was maintained. In fact, at the end of that, I think, confidence was strengthened. I think we're not in a bad spot," he said.

When the elder statesman stepped down as the Republic's first prime minister in 1990, after 31 years at the helm, he believed in giving the next generation of leaders enough space to guide the country in their own way.

"It was a different world and he knew that. He was very good at preparing for Singapore to move on and not be stuck in the 'Lee Kuan Yew mode'," said PM Lee.

He also said that his late father, who died at the age of 91, believed in strong leadership succession and in allowing his successors the room to "do things their own way" and pursue the policies they felt were necessary for Singapore to progress.

"Only very rarely did he assert a strong view and ask us to please rethink something," he said, citing issues such as the "greening" of the country and the push towards speaking Mandarin rather than dialects.

"But otherwise, he allowed an evolution to take place so that Singapore would carry on beyond him," said the prime minister.

Commenting on how his views on politics, culture and world affairs were to a large extent influenced by his father, PM Lee said: "I grew up learning from him; I worked under him when he was prime minister, and with him in Cabinet these last 30 years until he died. It was bound to be a very deep influence."

Apart from his father, PM Lee was also asked to name some of the world leaders, both past and present, whom he admired.

He spoke highly of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president for eight years until 2011, as someone who was able to get support from the people and pursue sensible policies that promoted growth and development.

Mr Lee also cited the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for being a reformer and his ability to have a confident and relaxed relationship with his ministers.

Of the world leaders who are still in power today, he named German Chancellor Angela Merkel for being well-established in her country and deeply respected abroad.

He also listed Chinese President Xi Jinping, having met him several times to date, including before he became premier in 2012.

"When people think of a Communist country with a leader, you will think of somebody like (former Soviet Union leader Leonid) Brezhnev or (former Yugoslavia president Josip Broz) Tito. He's not like that.

"I mean, he's not a pushover at all. He knows what he wants as a personality there and there is a curiosity about the world," said PM Lee.