Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister and architect of the tiny Southeast Asian city-state's rapid rise from British tropical outpost to global trade and financial centre, has died aged 91.
"Mr Lee passed away peacefully at the Singapore General Hospital today at 3:18am", a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.
Mr Lee, a Cambridge-educated lawyer, is widely credited with building Singapore into one of the world's wealthiest nations on a per capita basis with a strong, pervasive role for the state and little patience for dissent.
He co-founded the People's Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born country when it was separated from Malaysia in 1965.
US President Barack Obama offered condolences on the death of Mr Lee, calling him "a true giant of history."
Mr Obama said in a White House statement that he appreciated Mr Lee's wisdom, including during discussions they held on the president's trip to Singapore in 2009 when Obama was formulating his Asia-Pacific policy.
