Life Summary: Lee Kuan Yew, ‘Founding Father’ of Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew was a brilliant student born in an underdeveloped but wealthy British colony called Singapore. At 35, he became prime minister of the colony and went on to lead the country to independence and economic growth all the way into his 60s. This is the timeline of his personal story…

1923 – Lee Kuan Yew is born in a large two-storey bungalow in Singapore. His father, Lee Chin Koon, is 20, a rich man’s son. His mother, Chua Jim Neo is 16, also from a wealthy family. Their marriage was arranged and Kuan Yew would end up with 3 younger brothers and 1 younger sister.

Age 5 – Kuan Yew’s family is no longer wealthy. His parents’ families lost their fortunes in the Great Depression and his father is now a storekeeper. He lives in his maternal grandfather’s house along with 7 cousins and no television. He is the oldest of all the children in the house.

Age 6 – His grandmother makes him attend a Chinese school, believing the exposure would be beneficial for him. Coming from an English and Malay speaking household, he barely understands what the teachers are saying.

Age 7 – His begging to be transferred to an English school wins out and he transfers to the Telok Kurau English School.

Age 12 – He is the top student in his school and gets into Raffles Institution—which takes in only top students.

Age 16 – He meets schoolmate Kwa Geok Choo, the only girl in his boys’ school, when she presents a prize to him at Prize Giving Day.

Age 17 – Kuan Yew is the top student in school in the Senior Cambridge examinations and also the top student among all students in Singapore and Malaya. He receives a scholarship to study at Raffles College and moves into its dormitories.

Age 18 – He is the best student in Mathematics but not in English or Economics. Former schoolmate Geok Choo, who had also entered Raffles College, is best in those subjects. Abdul Razak bin Hussain, who would go on to become prime minister of Malaysia, is his classmate but they are not close.

Age 19 – The Japanese invade Singapore and his house is looted. Singapore’s colonial rulers, the British, very quickly withdraw their forces from Singapore. Kuan Yew begins to question his assumptions about the superiority of his colonial rulers.

During the war – Schools close. He spends his time learning Chinese and Japanese because his new rulers do not know English. He works as a clerk for about 2 years then takes on a job as an English-language editor for the Japanese information and propaganda department. Towards the end of the war, to make ends meet amid scarcity of food and inflation, he turns to trading in the black market—buying and keeping so that he can sell back on the market when prices go up. He goes into business making gum and meets Geok Choo again in the midst of it. He later would recall this period of his life as being more educational than any university could ever be.

Age 21 – He asks Geok Choo out to his 21st birthday dinner and she shows up escorted by her brother-in-law.

Age 22 – Hiroshima is bombed. The Japanese surrender a few days later. The British do not return until weeks later. He and his mother rent a house formerly owned by middle-class Europeans on Oxley Road. He and his younger brother start a business supplying workers to British officers in charge of public works.

Age 23 – He begins a courtship of Geok Choo and leaves Singapore to continue his studies in England. Upon arrival by ship, he goes to the London School of Economics in person to ask to be admitted, explaining that his studies had been disrupted by the war. He is admitted but later changes his mind and applies to Cambridge instead.

Age 24 – He helps Geok Choo get into Cambridge too. They secretly marry. He notices the racial prejudices around him and becomes critical of British rulership.

Age 26 – Both of them graduate and join Middle Temple to qualify to practice law in Singapore.

Age 27 – Kuan Yew is third in class and is called to the Bar. He and Geok Choo return to Singapore. He gets his first job as a lawyer at the firm, Laycock & Ong, as does she. He marries Geok Choo a second time in Singapore and she moves into his home which he still shares with more than 7 members of his extended family.

Age 28 – His boss, Laycock wins the election through the political party—The Progressive Party—and a seat at the Legislative Council. Kuan Yew worked as his election agent to make it happen. He completes his pupillage and is called to the Bar.

Age 29 – His first child, Hsien Loong is born. He takes on his first union work, standing up for striking workers, and gets press exposure and publicity that enhances his professional reputation. Numerous trade unions and clans begin approaching him to be their legal advisor. Over the next few years, he would take on more union and strike cases.

Age 30 – He and friends meet in his basement dining room to consider forming a political party.

Age 31 – They start the People’s Action Party. At work, his boss, Laycock, gives him partnership but does not want to continue employing his wife who is now preoccupied with childcare.

Age 32 – Kuan Yew wins the election by a huge margin. He is elected to the Legislative Assembly and becomes leader of the People’s Action Party. His daughter, Wei Ling is born. His boss’ party loses the elections and his boss terminates his partnership at the firm. Kuan Yew sets up a new firm, Lee & Lee, with his wife and brother, next to his boss’ firm, and sends his eldest son to a Chinese school to show solidarity with the Chinese masses. He begins getting heavily involved in politics and the fight for Singapore’s independence from the British.

Age 34 – People’s Action Party wins 13 out of 14 seats in the City Council election. Kuan Yew’s third child and second son, Hsien Yang, is born.

Age 35 – People’s Action Party wins 43 out of 51 seats in the general election. Lee Kuan Yew becomes prime minister of the self-governing state of Singapore. He leaves his law office to his wife and brother and focuses on learning about public administration. Lays the foundations of many important government policies including an economic board and the building programme that will transform the village atmosphere of Singapore into a modern, high-rise one.

Age 39 – Singaporeans vote for a merger with Malaya. Kuan Yew himself is for the union.

Age 40 – Malaysia is formed, with Singapore as one of its many states. People’s Action Party wins the general election in Singapore.

Age 42 – Things do not work out. In Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman declares that Singapore has ceased to be a state of Malaysia. Meantime, in Singapore, Kuan Yew proclaims Singapore to be an independent nation.

Lee Kuan Yew at age 42, at a mayoral reception.
Lee Kuan Yew at age 42, at a mayoral reception.

In the years afterward – The People’s Action Party goes on to win all seats in Parliament in the subsequent 4 elections leading up to 1984. Singapore becomes increasingly modernised and full-time national service is introduced to build up Singapore’s defence force.

Age 61 – 1984, 2 opposition parties are elected to parliament for the first time since Singapore’s independence. The Youth Wing of the People’s Action Party is set up in 1986 and the Women’s Wing in 1989.

Age 67 – Kuan Yew stands down as prime minister and People’s Action Party member, Goh Chok Tong takes over.

Age 75 – Kuan Yew publishes the first volume of his memoirs.

Age 77 – Publishes the second volume of his memoirs.

Age 80 – His wife suffers her first stroke and he adjusts his lifestyle to take care of her.

Age 81 – His eldest son is sworn in as prime minister. Goh Chok Tong is made Senior Minister and Kuan Yew is made Minister Mentor.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at age 86 with Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at age 86 with Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia.

Age 85 – His wife suffers her second stroke. He spends his nights reading to her after coming home from work.

Age 87 – His wife, Geok Choo dies from stroke-related illness.

Age 88 – Kuan Yew steps down from the Cabinet. He continues living in the house on Oxley Road.

Age 91 – He dies from pneumonia, just months before Singapore’s 50th year of independence.

More life summaries available here.

Photographs: A.K. Bristol, Wellington City Archives. Compiler: Sy
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One response to “Life Summary: Lee Kuan Yew, ‘Founding Father’ of Singapore”

  1. Remarkable man.

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