UK PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON
“I am sad to hear of the death of Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
“Lee Kuan Yew personally shaped Singapore in a way that few people have any nation. He made his country into one of the great success stories of our modern world. That Singapore is today a prosperous, secure and successful country is a monument to his decades of remarkable public service. He was always a friend to Britain, if sometimes a critical one, and many British Prime Ministers benefited from his wise advice, including me.
“Lady Thatcher once said that there was no Prime Minister she admired more than Mr Lee for ‘the strength of his convictions, the clarity of his views, the directness of his speech and his vision of the way ahead’. His place in history is assured, as a leader and as one of the modern world's foremost statesmen.”
FORMER UK PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR
"Lee Kuan Yew was one of the most extraordinary leaders of modern times. He was a genuine political giant. He was the first to understand that modern politics was about effective Government not old-fashioned ideology. Whether in the economy, social cohesion or law and order, he applied methods of rigorous analysis and detailed implementation. He built Singapore into the success story it is today by intelligence, wisdom and determination in equal measure. As a result Singapore has a respect and admiration far above its size.
"I knew him well. When I became leader of the Labour Party I travelled to Singapore to seek his advice, which he gave with typical acumen and frankness. Over the years we then worked together in many ways. He will be profoundly missed and greatly mourned not only by the people of Singapore but by his many friends the world over.