Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew dead

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, one of the towering figures of post-colonial Asian politics, died Monday in hospital, the government said.

Lee's son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a statement that he is "deeply grieved to announce the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore".

"Mr Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3.18 am," the statement said. He was 91.

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/singapores-first-prime-minister-lee-kuan-yew-dead-203605218.html;_ylt=AwrBJR5QKA9VPyEAfy3QtDMD

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Just saw a WP Breaking alert on this about 5 minutes ago

Didn't realize some of these folks were still around.

[AngryAmish]

2. Few leaders have done more for their people.

But I suspect just as much could have been done with fewer canings.

But it gave The Sandman a pretty good gimmick.

[Scootaloo]

3. Well, that and the mass arrests, the strict censorship, the hostility to labor...

The attempts at social engineering, the buddy-buddy relationships with Kissinger and Nixon, persecution of journalists...

I mean I guess as far as autocrats go, he was decent enough. But that's a pretty slender spectrum.

[FailureToCommunicate]

4. Asia's 'great tiger' has passed

You may also be known by the friends you keep:

[msongs]

5. one more dead suppressor of human rights and civil liberties - fortunately for him his

policies continue on to this day